Hotel Daiwa Roynet Osaka-Kitahama (Osaka, Japan)

Rooms are comfortable and extremely clean. Maybe a bit on the small side, but that's the way things are here. Beds are also comfortable and the Wi-Fi comes without the usual setting up dramas.

Location is a winner.This is the business district so very busy during the day … and thankfully quiet at night. There are an incredible number of restaurant options and Kitahama station is right next door. This connects to the Keihan Line. The location scores on a number of points.

Members of staff are friendly and helpful. You'll be unlucky to come across one who doesn't speak a word of English. All departments appear to run smoothly, adding to the atmosphere of relaxation for the benefit of guests.

Check out the expensive early check-in! This is a significant extra cost and is a very short-sighted policy as it places the incoming guest in a hostile frame of mind.

The self-operated laundry is easy to use but time consuming; the process can take around two hours. Also, there aren't enough machines to cater for the number of guests, so that can result in further delays. There are more cleaning problems when the cleaning staff leave their equipment in the corridor. This creates an obstacle course for guests needing to get to the lift.

This is the business district so there's an early morning and late afternoon bottle-neck on the subways and roads. Avoid these periods if possible and reduce the hassle and stress!