Aozora HOTEL in tsuruhashi

Hotel Description

You know what caught me off guard about Aozora Hotel? The name literally means “blue sky” in Japanese, and honestly, it’s kind of perfect – there’s something refreshingly straightforward about this place that cuts through all the usual hotel nonsense. I stumbled across it while looking for somewhere to stay near Tsuruhashi Station, and I’m actually glad I didn’t end up in one of those massive chain hotels in Namba.

The location is really the secret sauce here. Tsuruhashi isn’t where most tourists end up, but that’s exactly why I loved it. You’re literally a two-minute walk from the station (and I mean actually two minutes, not “two minutes” in hotel marketing speak), which puts you on the JR loop line to anywhere in Osaka within 15 minutes. But here’s the thing – step outside and you’re in Korea Town, which means some of the best Korean BBQ in the city is right at your doorstep. I mean, I’ve never had bulgogi at 11 PM and then just walked upstairs to my hotel room, but apparently that’s my life now. The whole neighborhood has this lived-in energy that’s way more interesting than the polished tourist areas.

The hotel itself feels like someone actually thought about what travelers need instead of just copying a template. The rooms aren’t huge – this is Japan, after all – but they’re designed smart. Everything has its place, the bed is surprisingly comfortable (I’m picky about mattresses), and the bathroom situation is way better than I expected for the price point. What really impressed me was how quiet it stays despite being right in the middle of everything. I was worried about noise from the trains and the busy streets below, but the windows actually block most of it out. The staff speaks decent English, which isn’t always a given in this part of town, and check-in was refreshingly quick – no lengthy explanations of obvious amenities or trying to upsell me on breakfast I wasn’t going to eat anyway.

Look, it’s not going to win any design awards, and if you need a concierge to plan your entire day, this probably isn’t your spot. But if you want to stay somewhere that feels connected to actual Osaka life, where you can grab incredible ramen at 1 AM and still catch the first train to Kyoto in the morning, Aozora really delivers. The 8.5 rating makes sense – it’s the kind of place that does the important stuff really well without any pretense about it.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $113. Two-Bedroom Apartment with 3 double beds and 5 single beds for Max persons: 2

Reviews

• Nahee from South Korea – 28 August 2024 (9/10)

  넓은 공간과 저렴한 가격 프라이빗한 숙소 유형
  방 3개 침대 7개 간이 다다미방 2개가 있습니다
  욕실 1개 화장실 2개
  정말 편안하고 즐겁게 사용했습니다 감사합니다
  
  What could be improved: 없다

• Hiroyuki from Japan – 21 August 2023 (9/10)

  １階玄関入って正面突き当りに洗面所脱衣所
  広い浴室＋トイレ
  右側廊下を進むとダブルベッド１、シングルベッド１の有る
  八畳寝室が２部屋
  ２階がリビングダイニングキッチン＋四畳和室＋トイレ
  ３階にダブル１シングル２の寝室と
  とにかく広く部屋も多く、家族も興奮の住居でした
  駐車場がついており無料で借りられる
  
  What could be improved: ・駐車場まで向かい合う十件程の隣家の間を
  　２０ｍ程バックで進入しないと、たどり着けない
  　大型車で運転の苦手な方はご注意を
  ・玄関床が黒いシミ汚れで汚かった
  ・各部屋の照明器具用　全リモコンの電池切れ
  ・２階リビングベランダの窓ガラスが透明の為、昼間でも
  　カーテンを閉めたままにしかできない
  ・洗濯機のフィルターがゴミつまりカビが付いていた
  ・洗面所に置いてあるタオルバスタオル類に前使用者の髪の毛が
  　付着したものが置かれていた
  ・各部屋のエアコンが埃で汚れている
  ・洗面所にゴキブリが出現(G用殺虫剤は無い)
  ・清掃人がクローゼットを道具やリネン置き場に使用しているが
  　整理整頓ができておらず汚い
  とにかく全体的に拭き掃除等が足りていないと思う
  いろんなところに埃がたまっており目に付く
  とても良い住居だけにもったいないと私は思う

• 苑婷 from Taiwan – 20 July 2023 (9/10)

  有停車位，設備齊全，空間很大
  有提供捲髮棒、電子鍋
  
  What could be improved: 鍋具比較舊，但沒有要煮飯的話就沒差。

• Ho-jin from South Korea – 6 December 2022 (9/10)

  깨끗하고 넓은 공간
  
  What could be improved: 없음

• Chun-yen from Taiwan – 16 February 2024 (8/10)

  空間很大
  
  What could be improved: 2樓暖氣稍弱

• Minoru from Japan – 26 June 2023 (8/10)

  ５人で泊まったのでベットが選び放題で子供が楽しそうだった。
  
  What could be improved: 全体的に部屋などはキレイで清潔感があったが洗濯機のフィルターの掃除がされてなく、ゴミやカビで汚かった。

• Kanoktip from Thailand – 29 May 2024 (8/10)

• M01m from Japan – 25 December 2023 (9/10)

• Kazuma from Japan – 19 September 2022 (9/10)

• Yukino from Japan – 9 March 2023 (9/10)

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities