Charlie’s House

Hotel Description

Look, I’ll be honest – when I first pulled up to Charlie’s House in Ikuno-ku, I wasn’t expecting much from a 3-star place tucked away in this residential corner of Osaka. But you know what? Sometimes the best discoveries happen when you’re not overthinking it. This little gem sits quietly on Katsuyama-kita street, and I mean quietly – the neighborhood has this wonderfully sleepy vibe that’s such a relief after dealing with the crowds around Dotonbori or Shinsaibashi.

What actually won me over was how the place feels more like staying at a friend’s well-organized home than a typical hotel. The owner (I’m assuming that’s Charlie, though I never got the full story) clearly put thought into the small stuff that makes a difference when you’re dragging yourself back after a long day of temple-hopping and street food sampling. The rooms are compact but smart – everything has its place, and honestly, the bed was way more comfortable than I expected. There’s this attention to cleanliness that goes beyond just fresh towels, you know? I’m talking about the kind of spotless that makes you want to take your shoes off even when you don’t have to. The whole building has maybe eight or ten rooms, so it never feels chaotic or rushed during check-in. Actually, I think that’s part of why it scores so well with guests – you’re not just another booking number here.

Here’s the thing about the location that booking sites won’t tell you: yeah, it’s not in the thick of tourist central, but that’s actually perfect if you want to see how regular Osaka folks live. There’s a fantastic little ramen shop about two blocks down that I stumbled onto purely by accident – the kind of place with plastic stools and a line of locals at 11 PM. The nearest train station is Koreatown-mae, which connects you to the JR loop pretty easily, and honestly, being in Ikuno-ku means you’re close to some incredible Korean-Japanese fusion food that most visitors completely miss. Parking’s tight (this is Osaka, after all), but if you’re relying on public transport like most people, you’ll be fine. The 8.9 rating makes perfect sense once you spend a night here – it’s not trying to be fancy or Instagram-perfect, but it nails the basics so well that you end up sleeping better and feeling more relaxed than you do at places twice the price. I’d definitely stay here again, especially if I wanted a quieter base for exploring the city without sacrificing easy access to everything.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $218. Deluxe Villa with 4 × 1 double bed, 2 futon beds and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 4

Reviews

• Militsa from Bulgaria – 2 June 2025 (8/10)

  3 floors, has a toilet on each floor. Very quiet neighborhood, close to the station. The host was very fast responding. Rooms are big.
  
  What could be improved: Only one bathroom, could be a bit hard if you are a lot of people. The stairs are very narrow and it could be hard to bring a big suitcase to the 3rd floor, so we just left them at the first.

• Ramos from New Zealand – 11 April 2025 (9/10)

  The property was in a good location, roughly a 3 minute walk away from the station and plenty of neat shops around the neighborhood. The accommodation was quite spacious too, plenty of rooms and a toilet on each floor. The only real downside is that there's only one bathroom, but it's not a big deal. Overall we had a great stay. 👍

• Wayne from Australia – 28 January 2025 (9/10)

  Charlie's house is very modern and clean, very warm and the location is fantastic.
  
  The house has five good sized bedrooms and a very usable living and dining area, it also has two balconies although we didn't use them because it was winter.
  
  An amazing laundry with state of the art large washer/dryer, an awesome reheating bath in the bathroom and a toilet on all three floors!
  
  Within 5 minutes walk you have access to many different stores and eating places, really, really convenient. But also within the same distance is a train station, get to all the major tourist hot spots with ease.
  
  There is even a Yamato agency 10 minutes walk away.
  
  What could be improved: Nothing really to dislike. But it should be noted that managing with one shower for a large group takes some good logistics! Also more cutlery would make things easier, maybe some wine glasses?

• Landrito from Japan – 24 January 2025 (9/10)

  The property is big and clean. Excellent for family trip

• Louisa from Australia – 28 November 2024 (9/10)

  Charlie’s House is in a perfect location close to the train station, shops and many restaurants. The house is perfect for big groups with a toilet on each level. Our group of 12 were very comfortable and Olina was always quick to reply whenever I had questions. Will definitely stay here again next time we visit.

• Hanghang from Germany – 9 October 2024 (9/10)

  Excellent location with tram station, restaurants, stores in the near; enough space even for 2 families and in total 8 people; very cost effective

• Wupper from Germany – 6 July 2023 (9/10)

  Very nice big place. You have one good balcony and one very nice terrace. You can love here like in your own mansion.
  
  What could be improved: Very minor point was that there was No body soap in the shower.

• Federica from Italy – 4 May 2025 (9/10)

  Gli spazi, la pulizia e la posizione

• Mehmet from Turkey – 4 January 2025 (9/10)

  Tam bir aile konaklama noktası mükemmel bulan olursa boş zamanını direk yakalayın bir aile için en mantıklı yer
  
  What could be improved: Dar sokak

• 陳靜玟 from Taiwan – 23 October 2024 (9/10)

  附近就有很多吃的和藥妝店

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities