Situated on the banks of the cherry-tree-lined Okawa, this property is next to the Osaka Amenity Park (OAP) office building on the eastern side of the city center, 300 m south of Sakuranomiya Station. The hotel is Imperial's slick entry here, comparable to the best local offerings as far as facilities and prices are concerned. Its bold styling shows the same Frank Lloyd Wright influence on display in the Tokyo Imperial, and like at its Tokyo sister, the bilingual staff graciously offers superior service.
The hotel houses nine restaurants and bars, with an additional 16 in the adjoining OAP shopping and business complex. The restaurants here feature some of the most colorful and imaginative decor in town and include the top-floor teppanyaki restaurant Kamon, an elegant French restaurant, Les Saisons, with
sweeping views, and a classic Chinese restaurant in a neo-Chinoise setting. Casual, lighthearted dining is in The Flying Tomato Cafe, where well-heeled Osaka ladies lunch amid simple decor, colorful Murano light fixtures and murals of, well, big red tomatoes. Those in search of a buffet breakfast or lunch or classic high tea head to The Park, a tiered, high-ceilinged restaurant with a glass wall yielding views of a Japanese garden; in the evenings, live jazz welcomes those who come for an a la carte dinner. Two more Japanese restaurants round out the dining options; room service is available around the clock. Like its Tokyo sibling, this hotel has an Old Imperial Bar in homage to Wright, and the 23-floor Rainbow Lounge offers views of the city.
A full-service fitness room, an indoor pool, three 
outdoor tennis courts and a virtual driving range with a real golf pro constitute the city's most comprehensive hotel health center. Shoppers praise the collection of high-end boutiques in the hotel and the OAP, which they can peruse while their little ones are attended at the hotel's daycare center. Up to 1,500 can gather for cocktails in the largest of 20 meeting rooms, and the business center can handle all details. The Patapata de la Salsa is a rental disco with Latin decor. The garage has 500 spaces, and bicycles are on loan at no charge—the castle is a 10-minute cycle away. Shuttle buses run to the station, and an independent launch threads visitors through nearby canals.
The high-ceilinged guest rooms, with views of the river, are equipped to deluxe standards with electric drapes, Internet access, TVs, fax machines, 
minibars and safes. Beautiful marble baths feature full-size tubs, stall showers, bidet toilets, scales, vanity stools and hair dryers. Imperial-floor rooms have secured elevator access, special floor attendants, safes large enough for laptops and complete with electric hookups, and upgraded services such as complimentary mineral water and welcome drinks. Public facilities are easily accessible for wheelchairs, one guest room is equipped for the handicapped, and 119 rooms are smoke-free.
The Imperial Hotel Osaka is more convenient than the New Otani and offers a higher level of service and facilities. Westerners used to the "client is king" philosophy will not be disappointed here.
