During our two-week visit to Japan, we stayed at U-En for the four-day Osaka leg of our journey. We fell in love with the place immediately! The building itself is beautiful, a little rustic with the vine-covered outer walls. The interior has so much character. The two of us shared a private room ($55/night) which was just big enough for the futon and our luggage. We didn't plan to spend much of the day in the room anyway, so this arrangement was fine.

The staff is helpful and friendly -- we felt like we were staying in a room at a friend's house rather than at a hotel. The first floor is a cafe in the morning/afternoon and a bar in the evening, so it was easy to get breakfast or wrap up the day with a drink. The walls are well sound-proofed. You can really only hear people talking in the hallways, and since the hallways are narrow without anyplace to sit down, nobody lingers there very long.

If you are looking for luxury or lots of space, U-En is not your best bet. If you are very tall or broad, you may have difficulty with the shower room, which is a short, narrow sit-down affair. But for an authentic Japanese experience, U-En is a great choice.