Nothing. Perfect in every way.

Great hostel with a great vibe. One of our favorite stays so far on our trip. Staff are very welcoming and helpful. Lots of in-house made local guides with cute potato characters :) We were sad to leave this location as we enjoyed it so much!

Stayed in September 2025

Friendly and helpful staff. Great location.

Stayed in August 2025

Nothing.

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!

Stayed in August 2025

Really good vibes. Has that European style hostel feel with a Japanese look. Friendly and helpful staff.

Stayed in August 2025

None

Home feels

Stayed in July 2025

Perfect stay! Warm atmosphere and wonderful position

Stayed in August 2025

Great vibe. Feels like family. Quiet time at night

Stayed in August 2025

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.

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.

Stayed in August 2025

Could use more sinks. Many steps up and down that could be better marked in yellow or white

Atmosphere. Close to matsumoto castle

Stayed in July 2025

Nothing. All was good.

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!

Stayed in July 2025

One of the best hostels I’ve ever stayed. The coolest staff make you feel like family. Everything is always very clean. Traditional tatami mat beds are very comfortable. 10-15min walk to main station.

Stayed in June 2025

Excellent blend of tradition and comfort

Stayed in July 2025

This is genuinly the nicest Hostel I ever stayed in! It's so cozy, you get to meet people and the staff is soo lovely and passionate about the region, giving amazing recommendations for hikes, food and activities It's very clean and the futon beds are super comfy :)

Stayed in July 2025

Cosy place where you like to stay and feel at home. The staff is very welcoming and helpful. The best stay during my Japan Visit

Stayed in June 2025

No lift

Very friendly and considerate owner and clean facility

Stayed in June 2025

The hostel team is super nice and welcoming!

Stayed in June 2025

🤷🏼‍♂️

The right size to meet people. The bed was confortable ❤️, the laundry service is free as long as you don’t use the dryer ❤️ +The owners are lovely

Stayed in June 2025

Best hostel I’ve been been to hands down - generally Japanese hostels are best in class but couch potato really goes over above to make sure you have the best experience. They are so attentive and considerate plus the hostel is so traditional and cosy - 10/10 aesthetics.

Stayed in June 2025

The door of the room can be a bit taller.

The staff are very nice and the facilities are very clean.

Stayed in June 2025

Very convenient location, clean, with a kitchen area for cooking.

Stayed in June 2025

I cannot get used to futon.

Nice host. Nice common area. Nice location

Stayed in May 2025

Amazing vibe and nice hostel with very helpfull staff.

Stayed in May 2025

Loved the vibe! And the staff were very friendly and kind. Nice kitchen, musical instruments everywhere, and extremely clean. Also I loved the free bicycles, free coffee, and free use of the washing machine. These little bonuses make Couch Potato exceptional.

Stayed in May 2025

Nothing

We order the hostel at the last minute because of mistake and we needed something quick that available. The hostel was above and beyond our expectations! The location was great! (3 minutes walk from matsumoto castle) and the beds were super comfy!! The staff was so friendly and fun to talk to!

Stayed in May 2025