Osaka’s amazing budget-luxury hotel has free takoyaki, craft beer, and comedy shows

To truly experience the city, OMO7 Osaka is a dream stay for any traveler.

When you go traveling in Japan, there are a variety of options from which to choose from, be it hot spring inns or oversized Poké Balls. For our Japanese-language reporter Natsuno Futon, just having a bed and a roof over her head is enough to keep her happy, but several of her friends continued to sing the praises of the OMO brand of hotels run by Hoshino Resorts (operator of unique Japanese hotels like Nara Prison and Tomamu Ice Village), with one friend in particular passionately recommending OMO7 Osaka, and since Natsuno had some plans to visit Osaka, she took this opportunity to try it out.

OMO is based on the concept of an “exciting city center hotel” that is more than simply a place to spend time, but is packed with information and activities to enjoy the city. In fact, Natsuno’s friend has even been on a trip where its entire purpose was to stay at the hotel. The brand has a current total of 18 properties nationwide that are sub-divided into five different categories: OMO1, OMO3, OMO5, OMO7, and Airport, with each type offering different services. The former OMO1 hotels were capsule hotels for minimalistic travelers and provided local guide activities, a neighborhood map, and a comfortable common space for relaxation, but as of September 2026, there are no OMO1 hotels in operation.

The OMO3 basic hotels build on OMO1, although transitioning into individual guest rooms rather than capsules, by also including a grab-and-go breakfast, being good for casual and solo travel, and OMO5 boutique hotels feature a cafe with breakfast options, great for couples:

• OMO3 Asakusa
• OMO3 Tokyo Akasaka
• OMO3 Kyoto Toji
• OMO5 Otaru
• OMO5 Hakodate
• OMO5 Tokyo Otsuka
• OMO5 Tokyo Gotanda
• OMO5 Yokohama Bashamichi
• OMO5 Kanazawa Katamachi
• OMO5 Kyoto Gion
• OMO5 Kyoto Sanjo
• OMO5 Kumamoto
• OMO5 Okinawa Naha

▼ The sign in front of OMO5 Gotanda in Tokyo

OMO7 is the brand’s full-service hotels, offering extensive in-house facilities, such as breakfast buffets, and a cafe, restaurant, or banquet hall:

• OMO7 Asahikawa
• OMO7 Yokohama
• OMO7 Osaka
• OMO7 Kochi

Finally, there’s the sole OMO Airport, located right next to Kansai International Airport, with an express buffet, and spa and fitness options.

As Natsuno was looking at the options available to her, she was initially planning on a room-only plan without meals, but there were also family plans with half-price for elementary school students and below, and early bird prices, so it came to about 25,000 yen (US$158.41) for a family of two adults and two children for a single night.

According to Natsuno’s friend, it’s a complete waste if you don’t take advantage of the various activities and enjoy it to the fullest from check-in to check-out, so with that in mind, Natsuno reserved the free guided tour of the nearby Shinsekai area in advance.

The nearest station is Shin-Imamiya Station on the JR and Nankai Railway lines, or the Dobutsuen-mae Station on the Osaka Metro, but this time Natsuno went by JR, and the hotel turned out to be so close that you could see it right from the station platform.

Spreading out in front of the hotel is Miyagurin, a massive green space of about 7,600 square meters (about 1.88 acres) with deck terraces and walking paths surrounding the lawn area, which gives it a sense of openness that makes it hard to believe it’s right next to the station in one of Japan’s biggest cities.

In the common space OMO Base inside the building, there is a gigantic board displaying a map of the surrounding neighborhood.

It introduces spots and shops not often found in guidebooks, gathered by staff who have actually walked around the city, so it serves as a base for exploring the city in a way that you might not have found otherwise.

There are also unique photo items, such as leopard print outfits of the infamous Osaka Obachan aunties, and food samples of kushikatsu (deep-fried skewers).

Also, the quintessential Osaka beverage mixed juice was prepared as a welcome drink. Originating in Shinsekai, the exact same neighborhood as the hotel, classic Osaka mixed juice incorporates milk, crushed ice, and fruits, giving it a thick and rich milkshake-like texture.

Even though the Osakan vibe was embedded throughout, the overall atmosphere didn’t feel cluttered, but rather refined, making for a truly exquisite balance.

Before check-in, it’s possible to leave your luggage in one of the free self-service lockers, decorated by various types of kushikatsu.

There are many wonderful rooms within the hotel, but…

… the room that Natsuno stayed in was the Dandan Room, and she stepped through the door with excitement and nervous anticipation.

Natsuno was greeted with a space resembling a secret base, with beds arranged in two levels, both upper and lower, like a fancy bunk bed.

While certainly looking like a room that kids would instantly fall in love with, Natsuno couldn’t help but admit that she also loved the room a lot.

Despite how large the furniture was, it didn’t feel cramped, and by the window was a spacious sofa that could be unfolded and used as a bed. Natsuno remarked on how stylish it was, and how it was the kind of space that would make you think, “I want to live in a house like this.”

From a parent’s perspective, the fact that the upper bunk is securely enclosed gave Natsuno peace of mind for when her children were sleeping there, and having a large space for luggage was also fantastic.

With a family, the entryway easily gets cluttered with the assortment of shoes being left there, but in this room, the entryway was spacious enough that this wouldn’t become a problem, and having separate bathroom and toilet facilities was a welcome addition.

Plus, the room came stocked with Osaka-style coffee and candies.

Stylish yet easy to use, and on top of that, it brings a sense of excitement. Natsuno soon felt completely comfortable relaxing in her room.

Usually costing an additional 1,000 yen, Natsuno got a glimpse of the public bath area that almost felt like it was an art museum. Even better was that the hotel does not discriminate based on tattoos, allowing tattooed customers use of the bathing facilities, unless the hotel feels the tattoos might cause discomfort to other guests.

However, the true potential of OMO7 Osaka is not limited to just this.

Natsuno had signed up for the free tour exploring Shinsekai, including the Tsutenkaku Tower and Janjan Yokocho, an alley crowded with little eateries and wonders of the past.

The tour was led by a Go-Kinjo (“Neighborhood”) Guide OMO Ranger who knows the area inside out.

The Ranger pointed out details you would miss if you walked by yourselves, recommended shops, and even places that might look a bit intimidating to enter.

Along the way, there was even an experience where you wear clothing typical of an Osaka Obachan to take photos and receive ame-chan (“candies”) at the end. The tour was a wonderfully fun experience and Natsuno highly recommends everyone try it out if they have the time.

There are other activities you can join without reservations, as well as ones that require bookings or have a fee. Natsuno’s friend apparently joined a tour to enjoy kushikatsu and a morning tour themed around dashi (soup stock), which they claimed was “awesome.” Rather than just staying overnight, the hotel creates an opportunity to step out into the town.

At night, Natsuno headed to the guests-only event Osaka Pikapika Night.

When night falls, lantern lights illuminate Miyagurin and Pikapika Yokocho appears, where in addition to delicacies like takoyaki and craft beer, you can also enjoy nostalgic games like target shooting and smart ball, a simpler pinball variant that is also similar to pachinko.

Even for room-only stays, guests elementary school age and above are handed three tickets each, structured so you can choose two items you like from options such as takoyaki, seasonal sweets, or craft beer, and choose one of the games.

To Natsuno, it did not have the atmosphere of a mere cheap service added on as a tacky marketing ploy. The space itself was special: the lawn, the hotel’s giant exterior wall, and the lantern lights all seemed to become one, making it enjoyable just being there.

On top of that, what Natsuno personally loved the most was the main event: Kotekote Show Time.

Comedians from the entertainment company Yoshimoto Kogyo (home to groups like Downtown, Kamaitachi, Chidori, and even All Hanshin Kyojin) and OMO Rangers appear, putting on comedy live shows and a giant bingo utilizing the exterior surface of the hotel wall, which of course hotel guests can enjoy for free as well.

Children and adults alike get excited together, and you can even participate in a simple Osaka-style bon dance. At the end, Natsuno even got a commemorative photo taken with the comedian group Ambitious. It was all too much fun.

Check-out the following day was at 11:00 a.m., so Natsuno spent the morning relaxing, reading books in the facility’s Library Lounge and trying out different stylish chairs to compare them.

Even though she was just relaxing inside the hotel, Natsuno felt like she was spending time a little more mindfully than usual, and experiencing the essence of Osaka at the same time.

In the end, Natsuno stayed right up until the check-out deadline, leaving the hotel while thinking, “I don’t want to go home at all.”

After checking out, soap bubbles and a ring toss game appeared, to which Natsuno really couldn’t say no to having a go at.

On her way out, Natsuno made sure to take a copy of the free booklet that introduces OMO locations nationwide.

Now, Natsuno feels like she can completely understand why her friend stays at one OMO after another. It seems that her friend is now targeting OMO5 Kanazawa Katamachi, but Natsuno has yet to decide where she will end up going, now having become a total fan of OMO.

Hotel information
OMO7 Osaka by Hoshino Resort / OMO7大阪 by 星野リゾート
Address: Osaka-fu, Osaka-shi, Naniwa-ku, Ebisunishim 3-chome, 16-ban, 30-go
大阪府大阪市浪速区恵美須西3丁目16番30号
Website
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