Bijou Suites AI PREMIUM

Hotel Description

Look, I’ll be honest – when I first walked up to Bijou Suites AI PREMIUM in Shotenshita, I wasn’t sure what to expect. The neighborhood’s got this interesting mix of old-school Osaka charm and modern touches, and this little hotel fits right into that vibe. It’s tucked away from the main tourist chaos but still close enough that you can actually walk to Tsutenkaku Tower without breaking a sweat (maybe ten minutes if you’re not dragging luggage).

What really struck me about this place is how they’ve managed to make a 3-star property feel way more premium than it has any right to. The lobby’s compact but thoughtfully designed – none of that sterile business hotel feeling you get at some chains. Check-in was surprisingly smooth, and the staff actually seemed to know the area well enough to give decent recommendations beyond the usual tourist traps. The rooms themselves are what you’d call efficiently designed rather than spacious, but honestly, that’s pretty standard for Osaka unless you’re dropping serious cash. What I appreciated was the attention to details – good water pressure in the shower, decent soundproofing (important in Nishinari-ku where things can get lively), and surprisingly comfortable beds. You know what really impressed me though? The little touches like proper blackout curtains and enough electrical outlets that you don’t have to unplug the mini-fridge to charge your phone.

The location grows on you the longer you stay. Sure, it’s not Dotonbori or Namba – you’re not going to stumble out the front door into postcard-perfect Osaka. But that’s actually kind of refreshing after a while. The neighborhood has this authentic, lived-in feel where you’ll see locals going about their daily routines instead of just tourists taking selfies. There’s a surprisingly good takoyaki stand about three blocks east that I never would have found if I’d stayed in the tourist zones, and the convenience store across the street stocks better snacks than most hotel vending machines. Transit connections are solid too – Dobutsuen-mae Station is close enough that you can hit the major sights without much hassle, but you get to retreat to somewhere that feels more like real Osaka at the end of the day. That 8.3 rating makes sense to me because this isn’t trying to be something it’s not. It’s a well-run, comfortable place that gives you good value and puts you in an interesting part of the city without the premium location markup. Perfect if you want to experience Osaka beyond the guidebook highlights.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $228. Junior Suite A with 4 double beds and 2 × 2 double beds for Max persons: 6
• Estimated price from: $237. Suite with 2 × 2 double beds, 3 futon beds and 4 futon beds for Max persons: 6
• Estimated price from: $320. Luxury Suite with 4 × 2 double beds and 2 futon beds for Max persons: 8

Reviews

• Lim from Malaysia – 4 October 2023 (9/10)

  the place is a bit hard to find. It has a huge parking lot.
  
  What could be improved: need a bit of hard work to find the location. Big car a bit hard to get in. need to be very skillfuls.

• Kuangyi from Taiwan – 30 August 2023 (7/10)

  1. The space is enormous for eight people. With 2 restrooms and bathrooms, we were able to fresh up quickly after an exhausting day.
  2. We also cooked a little bit in the kitchen on the second day and felt quite like home.
  3. The cost was very reasonable and made us wonder if the owner could really make money out of it.
  
  What could be improved: 1. The road outside is quite narrow for big cars, and the private parking spaces are not enough (3 parking space for 4 rooms). However, there are some public parking lots around within 2 ~ 3 mins walk.
  2. Maintainence will be a problem after a few years. There was a broken door piece in the main bathroom that needed to be fixed, although it still functioned.
  3. The central air conditioning system was broken, so the individual bedrooms had no temperature control. The owner installed new air conditionings in the living room, so the temperature was not really a problem. We just needed to use circular fans to blow the cool air from the living room into the individual bedrooms. Not really affecting our living there, but it gave us a feeling that the place was falling apart.

• Novi from United States – 25 April 2023 (9/10)

  We are close families of 14 ppl with the youngest one is 2 yrs old. This type of accommodation suits us better than hotel rooms. The unit is very spacious. It's in a quiet neighborhood.
  
  After eating out for more than 10 days, we missed home cooked food. There is a cheap supermarket which is just 4 mins walking distance.
  
  Excellent internet speed!
  
  Great communication with the staff (note, no staff at the premise).
  
  What could be improved: As this is more like an airbnb type of accommodations, no staff could accept your luggage if you want to send your luggage.
  
  It would be great if the unit had more pots and pans. Staying in many airbnb in the US & Australia, we are used to many kitchenware in the property.
  
  The nearest public transport is 3-4 mins walk to a tram station. Otherwise, 11-14 mins walk to train stations. It takes longer if you have elderly and kids.
  
  Overall, we are still pretty happy. We had a great time with the family.

• Andrea from Australia – 10 January 2023 (8/10)

  Very spacious and clean
  
  What could be improved: Walls very thin, not that soundproof. Could hear neighbours socialising especially very late at night

• Sylvain from Japan – 11 October 2022 (9/10)

  nice apartment especially the onsen outside
  
  What could be improved: location isnt the best but it’s manageable

• Louise from Australia – 13 April 2025 (8/10)

  The place was nice , a few stains on the furniture/ looked a bit ‘tired’
  Location not great

• Rui from Australia – 30 March 2025 (8/10)

  Big open area for the family
  Enough beds and toilets
  
  What could be improved: Small streets, hard to navigate to
  Hard to park big cars into the accommodation
  Car park is first come first serve
  Washer/dryer did not sufficiently dry the clothes

• 明波 from China – 14 August 2023 (8/10)

  The bed is very comfortable.
  
  What could be improved: If a screen is added to the bed in the lobby, privacy would be better. Perhaps it would be better if the carpet were converted into a floor.

• Yi from Taiwan – 7 July 2023 (9/10)

  The staff response our questions quickly and appropriately, and do lots of help.

• Izabel from Hong Kong – 25 June 2023 (7/10)

  It was clean
  
  What could be improved: The air conditioning at the living room was very bad…

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities