Day 1 in Osaka | Hotel Abitare Namba West and Dotonbori | Family Travel

Day 1 - Itinerary
1. eTravel and Japan Web preparations the day before
eTravel - https://etravel.gov.ph/
Japan Web - https://www.vjw.digital.go.jp/main/#/...
2. Flew to Osaka
3. Checked-in at the hotel - Hotel Abitare Namba West
4. Went thru our room checklist and freshened up
5. Light snack from 7-11
6. Explored Dotonbori and enjoyed dinner there (streetfood and Kura Sushi)
7. Konbini run for late night snacks and baon for USJ

Hotel Booking Tip 🏨
Hotel Abitare Namba West is often cheaper when booked directly. We recommend checking rates on Agoda, Booking.com, and Klook, then comparing them with the hotel’s official website before booking to get the best deal:
🔗 Official website — https://www.bon-lodging.com/en/hotel-...

Walkability Note 🚶‍♀️
Just to be transparent: while Hotel Abitare Namba West is worth the price, the walk to and from Dotonbori is more suitable for younger or more active travelers. Our senior parents and little kids found it quite a long walk, so we often opted to take the train or a taxi instead. Since we were 4 per car, the taxi fare was reasonable for us.

Safety & Comfort Experience ⚠️
Safety is very important to us, especially since we were traveling with kids. On our second night, we encountered a group of heavily intoxicated guests in the elevator area who were speaking a foreign language and behaving aggressively. They were hitting each other, laughing loudly, deliberately pressing all the elevator buttons, and acting VERY inappropriately despite knowing they were visible on the elevator CCTV monitor at the ground floor.

Because of this, we chose not to share the elevator and let them go ahead, prioritizing our family’s safety and peace of mind.

The hotel uses a fully digital setup, and aside from cleaners in the morning when guests check out, there is no visible staff onsite. Due to this experience and our preference for more visible security, we personally would not choose a hotel with the same setup again in the future.

Room Amenities & Services 🛏️
The room itself was fully equipped with everything we needed — complete toiletries, kitchen equipment, and even laundry supplies, which we really appreciated. However, there is no daily service during the stay. Guests are expected to take out their own trash every day.

In case of emergencies, there is no onsite first aid kit available; instead, guests are given directions to nearby pharmacies. Unfortunately, the pharmacies close early which is something families may want to consider.

Lastly, there is no carbon monoxide alarm/detector. I highly suggest families to bring a portable one if your lodging doesn't have one.

Music: "Original BGM" by ユーキヒロセ (Yuki Hirose)
Source:    • 【作業用BGM】静寂の夜音　和風Lofi Hip Hop【著作権フリー】Japane...  
License: No copyright / royalty-free