The place has a fun, community vibe. The owner obviously put a lot of time and effort into retaining the original architecture that reflects the Matsumoto Castle nearby. But he also updated the facilities to meet the needs of a variety of ages of modern travelers. Everything was really awesome - especially for a hostel. I was nervous about being on the top bunk, but it has the most easy, stable ladder to climb up, I need not have been concerned. I was in a lot of long sessions for work and the owner even offered to have his staff do my laundry for free, although I ended up having time to do it myself. Walking distance to the downtown landmarks and plenty of restaurants. Right along several bus lines. The owner took a lot of time creating maps of all the surrounding regional attractions and transportation schedules to get there. It's a well-organized business. Altogether a wonderful, hidden gem and I truly hope to return.

Only situation that came up was a neighboring bunkmate who got ticked off with another one who was snoring. She was knocking on the wall and swearing in French until 2 am. Not sure why she just didn't use the supplied earplugs. She only succeeded in waking everyone else but the person snoring. Not the host's fault. I've been in some mid-range and crappy hostels. As I said, this was, by far, the best hostel I've experienced globally.

Location: 10 minutes walk from the bus and train station, close to lots of cute bars and coffee places. 7eleven 5 min walk and close to a nice temple. The hostel itself is beautiful and it makes you feel like you are at home. The building (ex high class restaurant) is very well kept, everything is clean and everything works. Washing machine and dryer available 👍 Super nice common area and fully furnished kitchen (even with different spices available). Free coffee and tea. But the best part were the owner and the staff! They made us feel very welcome and they helped us with anything we needed. The also made a book and cards with tips on where to eat and what to do in the surroundings (with a really nice design). Thank you again! 100% recommended!

Nothing.

Matsumoto is a very pleasant city and Couch Potato Hostel is an excellent base for its discovery. The energy of the place is wonderful. Because of all the effort of owner. It is located short walk from station (cca 13min) and few minutes to castle. Everything is around the block. Our private room was really nice. And beds (futons) were really comfortable amd thick. Shared bathrooms were clean. I really liked the booklet, prepared by owner and placed in shared kitchen, in which he presents his choices for restaurants, bars, icecream. You can use washing machine. You can use refrigerator. You can bring in baggage before check in. There are also 4 bikes on disposal to use!

Nothing. All was good.

This place is right close to the castle and not far from the train station. It only stays open for check in til 930pm so we had to hurry the day we arrived but they waited for us. Everyone is respectful of noise since there are quite a lot of people all staying in a smaller space. Bunk beds were private with curtains good space. The mats to sleep on were just ok. Mine was thin in the middle from over use so it was hard. But the others in my group said there matts were fine. The blankets were great. Ac worked good in our room. Plug ins galore. Room locked securely with a key code. Washer was free. With places to hang ur clothes to dry or a dryer for 300 yen. It was 100 yen for a towel. We went to kamicochi it was nice we saw monkeys with babies at the Meiji bridge. But we went at the 530 am express bus and it was cold at 7 when we got there. We went April 18. Still snow on the ground and not much water yet in the rivers. It would have been better to go later in the season though the mountains were beautiful and the walk was nice we needed to dress warmer.

There are only two showers for the whole place. And 4 washrooms. The showers were private and good pressure but always busy. Bathrooms were clean and good.

The girl that was working here truly went above and beyond (she was alone for the time I was there), she was both very helpful but also just very nice and seemed genuinely interested in what we were doing during our stay. I liked that there was some space around the futon to place luggage/space to change behind curtains etc. The place was kept very clean!

There was no bench to take on/off shoes, I was stupid and didn’t bring easy shoes to put on/off to Japan so this was a bit of a struggle for me, but easily fixed by having easier shoes 😂😂

The location is excellent - very easy to access from the main station. The hostel was very bright and had a nice rustic design to it. Everything was spotless. The staff was very kind and always happy to help. There’s tons of maps and guide books available to help you find the best spots! Loved it!

The second floor was quite cold. Note though that my room came with its own heating which worked super well so the cold comment only applies to the shared areas (bathroom). They do however provide heaters even in the bathroom to deal with the cold so I didn’t feel it was a major issue.

I had a wonderful stay at this charming traditional Japanese-style hostel that felt like a cozy ryokan. The atmosphere was peaceful and authentically Japanese, with beautiful wooden interiors and tatami rooms that added a special touch to the experience. The staff were incredibly friendly, welcoming, and helpful throughout my stay. It was especially appreciated that they spoke English so well, which made communication easy and comfortable. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone looking for a warm, cultural, and memorable stay in Japan.

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Staff!! Interior design!! Graphic design!! The GOAT!! If you come empty handed and with no plans, the stiiiinking cute hand drawn map has the CUTEST recommendations for everything from restaurants, local jazz bars and onsens complete with details such as if you need to bring soap and tattoo friendliness for each one!! Everything was so well thought out and everything was personable and homely. I recommend half a day to just explore all the fun things inside the hostel itself - there are unique instruments and interior design details that will make your time worthwhile. The beds themselves were also very big, I could almost half stand up in them. Take-san was so so kind and sweet 🫰🫶🥹 He has the most chill vibes which set the welcoming culture across the whole establishment. Mayu was also so sweet 🫶🫰🥹 Would come back to Matsumoto just to stay here tbh, I wished I had booked for more nights 😌 You can also leave your bag there for a bit after checking out while you go explore, which was very handy!!

The staff was so friendly! They were two young people who spoke English well and were giving you advice about the area and easy to hang around with. The common room was filled with all kinds of instruments you could play and it was amazing! Good place to hang around and meet new people! The building is old and the traditional vibe really helps giving you this cozy Japanese atmosphere. It's also located closely towards the castle!

It was a bit warm and since it's an old building there is no AC. To me that wasn't too much of a problem, but I am a light sleeper, so the fan that was in our 4 person room was a bit noisy. Otherwise amazing place considering the price!

I had an absolutely wonderful stay here! I felt so relaxed and comfortable that I extended my stay by two nights. The owner provides excellent recommendations for activities and public transport, making it easy to explore the area. The atmosphere is very sociable, and the team does a fantastic job of engaging everyone. One night, we all enjoyed a takoyaki dinner together, where we split the cost of ingredients, making it a very affordable and delicious experience. The beds in the dorm were incredibly comfy, and there was plenty of space to store luggage. Overall, it was a fantastic experience, and I highly recommend staying here!