
Japan has a reputation for cool gadgets and efficient interiors, but this is on a whole new level!
Choosing a hotel is often a matter of compromises. For example, the GR Hotel Esaka, located in Osaka Prefecture, is a manageable seven-minute walk from the nearest train station, and rates for its single rooms start at just 3,000 yen (US$28) a night, making it a great travel bargain.
However, those single rooms, as pictured above, aren’t exactly spacious. They’re only 12 square meters (129 square feet), and most of the floor space is taken up by the semi-double bed.
But before you write the GR Hotel Esaka off, take a closer look at that picture. Notice those two posts rising from the corners of the bed? They’re way too big to be part of the bedframe, and in fact, they have a completely different, totally awesome purpose. As shown in this video from Japanese Twitter user @k_me0x0, at the push of a button…
今日から泊まるホテルのベッドが最高にアガる pic.twitter.com/DyyPfMmWKP
— めふぃー (@k_me0x0) May 9, 2018
…the bed rises up to the ceiling, giving you more space to move about and relax until you’re ready to go to sleep!
The hotel says almost all of its “Single Type A” rooms are equipped with these beds (which don’t actually move as quickly as in @k_me0x0’s time-lapse photo series). Even in space-efficient Japan, this is an extremely rare amenity, and other Twitter users were left in awe of the clever technology (though one concerned commenter compared it to a booby trap from the Resident Evil video game series).
Unfortunately, the bed likely isn’t designed to support a person’s weight, so riding it probably isn’t a good idea (and since it rises up right to the ceiling, you’d end up banging your head anyway). Still, it’s an awesome feature that’ll have you wanting to invite all your friends to your tiny little hotel room to see it, before heading to the in-hotel hot spring for a relaxing soak.
Between the GR Hotel Esaka and 8,000-yen hotel in Shizuoka with the unlimited crab and alcoholic drinks, we can’t wait for the next three-day weekend so we can stay at both.
Hotel information
GR Hotel Esaka / ジーアールホテル江坂
Address: Osaka-fu, Suita-shi, Esaka-cho, 2-1-63
大阪府吹田市江坂町2−1−63
Website
Reservations (Jalan)
Sources: Twitter/@k_me0x0 via Hachima Kiko, Jalan
Top image: GR Hotel Esaka
Insert images: Jalan/ GR Hotel Esaka, GR Hotel Esaka



Japanese luxury hotel’s new month-long stay plan lets you live Yokohama life with amazing twist
Perfect-location Osaka hotel’s rates start at just 15 bucks, give you no reason not to visit
Japanese hotel offering sports car touge tours, no Japanese-language ability required
This gigantic judo dojo-sized hotel room will make you feel like royalty, but it’s disappearing soon
Japanese hotel offering 183-night stay plan for an incredibly low price
Nike x One Piece collection brings Devil Fruits to sneakers and streetwear in Japan
Nephew of Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki serves up Totoro Shaved Ice in Tokyo
Winnie the Pooh cosplays as Yuzuru Hanyu for new plushie collaboration
Nagoya’s famous Shinkansen platform noodle shop has other, better branches nearby
Japan’s double-decker portable rice cooker/bento maker is better than ever with new version
Osaka Starbucks has one of the city’s coolest photo vantage points, but it’s going away soon
We recommend not buying one pack of Japan’s new convenience store corn soup-flavor fried chicken
Narita Airport Transit & Stay Program returns after six years with free tours and festival experiences
Ohaw? Ruibe? Pocche? While traveling in Japan’s north, we try Ainu cuisine for the first time
Data suggests increased bear sightings have led to a decrease in mountain climbers across Japan
7-year-old boy left behind on Mt. Fuji by his own dad
Sushi Bus: Japan’s first conveyor-belt bus lets you eat sushi while sightseeing around Tokyo
12-year-old British girl who went missing in Tokyo found safe after visiting anime sites around Yokohama
Studio Ghibli unveils new interactive stationery dioramas that bring anime movies to life on your desk
Studio Ghibli composer Jo Hisaishi just set three Guinness Records
Anime fans can now wear a Seiko watch inspired by Japan’s One Piece Shinkansen
7-Eleven Japan brings back best-selling flat croissant that became a hit on social media
Foreign hiker on Mt. Fuji loses consciousness and dies, becoming climbing season’s second fatality
Universal Studios Japan partners with manga horror master Junji Ito’s Tomie
Japanese workers reveal their top five mysterious rules they wish would disappear【Survey】
Air-conditioned dress shirts arrive in Japan to save working professionals from sweltering heat
Pokémon Center Online designates first Pokémon items that will require Japanese ID card to buy
Japanese toilet aims to attract foreign tourists but not everybody is happy about it
Tokyo’s newest viral dessert is like a Japanese parfait inside a bread bun [Taste test]
New Japanese vending machine at Shinkansen station sells cups of ice on platform
Study finds hundreds of people in Indonesia legally named after Naruto, Inuyasha, other anime stars
Japanese vending machine sells freshly squeezed lemon juice with a futuristic light show
Japan announces sudden 400-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Studio Ghibli has a new anime out, and there’s only one place in the world where you can see it
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Tokyo subway installing new ticket gates that don’t accept payment through Suica or other IC cards
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Salomon releases Japan-exclusive Mt. Fuji hiking gear that doubles as an amazing souvenir
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japanese hotel gives you a beer tap in your room, 10 liters of craft beer to drink for free
Japan’s first hotel with a human washing machine is now ready for you to come and bathe in it