“I still need to get used to the small rooms in Japan
though”
Our journey through Japan begins in Osaka. Because we are visiting Japan during Sakura (cherry blossom season), it is not only busy (many hotels are fully booked) but also very expensive. To avoid spending too much on accommodation, finding a suitable hotel is difficult.
Ultimately, we choose the Daiwa Roynet in Osaka, in Honmachi. The hotel is centrally located, close to a metro station, and judging by the photos, there is a lounge where we can work.
Daiwa Roynet Osaka, Sakaisuji Honmachi
Once we arrive at the hotel, the lounge seems a bit less rosy than we had initially thought. There are two sofas with small tables, but they are in the lobby. And the space where you can work is at the cafe next to the hotel: Coffee Kan.
During check-in, we receive vouchers for Coffee Kan, as breakfast is served there, but if you want to sit there during the day to work, you have to place a separate order.
The hotel also has several washing machines and dryers, a smoking room, and a machine to get snacks and soft drinks. In the lobby, you will also find amenities such as toothbrushes, bath oil, and skincare products that you can use for free.
Pros and cons of Daiwa Roynet Osaka
Pros
- The hotel’s location is convenient
- The hotel is reasonably priced compared to other hotels
- Facilities are good, including amenities, multiple types of hair dryers, and a TV with Airplay.
Cons
- Not necessarily this hotel, but rooms in Japan are very small
- Wifi is not very fast
- No gym, pool, or other luxury available in the hotel
Price of Daiwa Roynet in Osaka
We pay 1,045 euros for ten nights at the Daiwa Roynet. That is for the standard double room of 18㎡.
Because we find the room too small after three nights, we ask for an upgrade at the hotel. We get a Superior Twin for the remaining 7 nights for 280 euros. This room is 29㎡.
Location Daiwa Roynet Osaka, Sakaisuji Honmachi
One of the reasons to choose the Daiwa Roynet is the convenient location. It is near a metro station, allowing us to easily reach all parts of the city. Nearby is Osaka Castle, Utsubo Park, and Osaka Station is only 2 stops away.
Below and above the Honmachi district, you have various busy areas, full of shopping streets, restaurants, and coffee shops.
Room Daiwa Roynet Osaka, Sakaisuji Honmachi
It’s an adjustment. A room of 18a1 with a bed, two chairs, a table, separate toilet, and a bathroom leaves little room to move around. It’s already a challenge to find a place for our suitcases.
The room has a small double bed, a sink in the middle of the room, a separate toilet, and a bathroom.
The room
Bathroom
Bathrooms in Japan are slightly different from what we are used to. They are designed as a wet room, with the shower outside the bathtub and sometimes a stool is provided.
The idea is to soap and clean yourself, rinse off while sitting on the stool, and then get into the bath clean.
Superior room
The Superior room in this case has two separate beds and a massage chair. The rest of the room is similar in terms of facilities but larger. The difference of 10㎡ is significant.
The toilet and bathroom are identical.
Breakfast Daiwa Roynet Osaka
We book our stay including breakfast, but I wouldn’t do that again next time. For breakfast, the hotel collaborates with Coffee Kan, which you can enter through the lobby.
The café mainly offers standard sweet pastries that are not very filling. The pancakes are nice, but after a few days, you’ve had enough of them.
Breakfast room
The breakfast room is essentially the café. It is generally quite noisy and busy. That’s a shame because the cafe does have some tables where you could work well.
The breakfast
The breakfast itself is not special. The pastries are sweetened and not very filling. The pancakes are nice, but eating them ten days in a row is not ideal. The rice with beef is a nice change, but overall the breakfast does not appeal to us.
If you book the hotel, book it without breakfast and go into the city. You will undoubtedly find restaurants where you can have a more varied breakfast.
Facilities Daiwa Roynet Osaka
Washing machine & dryer
The hotel has several washing machines and dryers that you can use. Washing and drying are affordable, and it’s nice that you can enter a pin code when you put your laundry in the machine.
You need that pin code when you take your clothes out again, ensuring that no one else walks off with your clean laundry.
Smoking room
It is common in Japan to smoke indoors. This still happens in various restaurants, and there are also hotel rooms where you can smoke indoors.
If you’re in a non-smoking room, there is a smoking room available on the second floor for smokers.
Vending machine
Is it special? No, but it is specifically indicated in the lift. On the third floor of the hotel, you will find a machine where you can get soft drinks and energy bars. There is also a microwave and an ice dispenser there.
Remote working Japan
Tricky. Let me put that first. After all, if you want to work in Japan, you have to deal with seven or eight hours of time difference. That means that consultations often take place around dinner time or late in the evening, which is inconvenient.
On top of that, many co-working places are not open until late. So if you have a meeting at 21.00 or 22.00 local time – that’s 13.00 Dutch time, for example – it’s hard to find a suitable location.
Moreover, the internet in our hotel leaves much to be desired. In Coffee Kan, we achieve speeds of around 10 Mbps, but it is not stable. We therefore choose to make more use of our mobile internet and use it as a hotspot.
Conclusion Daiwa Roynet Osaka
It is difficult to write a conclusion about the Daiwa Roynet in Osaka. I compare the hotel in terms of price to, say, the Shine from Thonglor, where for less money, we got much more in return. This is partly to do with the small rooms in Japan and the enormously high prices due to Sakura.
If you look at the Daiwa Roynet purely objectively, it is clean, the beds are good, you can use free shampoo and skincare products, there is breakfast, and the location is good. Moreover, the Daiwa Roynet’s room rates compare favourably with hotels in the area.
Still, I personally would have preferred a shorter stay in Osaka and all of Japan, and stayed at the Courtyard by Marriott Osaka Honmachi, for example. However, if you are looking for a hotel in Osaka Honmachi, the Daiwa Roynet Hotel is a safe choice.
