My single room was about 3 x 6 metres in size and contained a single mattress in the middle of the floor, a small fridge, a color TV, a wall-mounted air-conditioning unit, and two coat hangers hanging from hooks on the wall. No meals are served but there are some vending machines in the small lobby containing beverages, snacks, and noodles. Hot water is available from reception and there are two 24 hour convenience stores in the immediate vicinity.

While the Chuo is cheap and in an excellent location there are a few drawbacks to staying here. The doors close at 11:30 pm, there isn't a great deal of English spoken, and showers can only be taken from 4 - 7:30pm and 9:40 - 10:40pm(men) and 8pm - 9:30pm(women). This last point isn't as bad as it sounds as the twin rooms have private facilities and the communal baths are not so much showers as Korean-style public baths encompassing a large, square tub of hot water with shower cubicles attached. That said, it still wasn't much fun trying to wash myself over the sink in the communal bathroom at 7:30 the next morning.

You can reach the Chuo by taking a JR train to Shin-Imamiya Station, which is on a direct line from Kansai Airport. Come out of the East exit, cross at the Zebra crossing immediately in front of you and the hotel is just up the street on the left. Alternatively, take the subway to Dobutsuen-Mae Station, which is on both the Midosuji and Sakaisuji lines. Come out of Exit 3, turn over your right shoulder and the hotel is about 20 metres up the street.