Located in the modern Shin-Umeda development, this property is 500 m southwest of Osaka Station. This hotel is the acknowledged leader here (with the highest occupancy rate in the city), and it sets the high-water mark as far as rates are concerned. The skyscraper architecture is thoroughly modern, but the traditional interior, a grand old-world confection, is not. In fact, there is little difference between this Ritz-Carlton and others in this chain that favor a classic approach, right down to the gilt-framed equestrian and landscape paintings (a decorating trend that Tokyo's Ritz-Carlton bucked in favor of a modern setting). This property is a big, exotic hit with the Japanese, however, and its list of "best" awards runs to pages. No wonder, then, that public rooms can be crowded (especially the little boutique selling R-C paraphernalia).
Dark wood walls, rose marble floors scattered with Oriental rugs, Venetian chandeliers, antique furniture, a mantelpiece of carved marble, a grandfather clock, huge floral bouquets and exquisite porcelain embellish the small reception lobby and lounge. Guests dine alongside Osaka's elite in beautiful restaurants that win acclaim from locals and media alike for their fine service and delectable, justifiably expensive food.
Splendido—the hotel's "casual" dining venue that would fetch a premier ranking in most hotels—is designed as a Tuscany villa, the heart of which is the open kitchen with a Napoli-style pizza oven. In nice weather, diners move onto the adjoining patio, a fine place to feast on classic Italian cuisine with a contemporary twist. More formal fare is in the fifth-floor signature restaurant La Baie, offering creative interpretations of traditional French regional recipes and a 400-bottle wine list (voted outstanding by Wine Spectator magazine). Across the garden terrace, guests can feast on sushi, tempura, teppanyaki and kaiseki set meals at Hanagatami or on Cantonese dishes and dim sum prepared by Hong Kong chefs at Xiang Tao.
The opulent lobby lounge serves tea to the strains of a string quartet in the afternoon and cocktails accompanied by live jazz in the evening. A second lounge on the fifth floor lures high-end tipplers and puffers with a prodigious selection of champagnes by the glass, 110 kinds of whisky, 115 kinds of martinis, 50 brands of cigars from around the world, and a jazz pianist. A wine bar offers more than 25 different kinds of wine by the glass. A gourmet shop sells chocolates, pastries, jams, wines and teas. Room service is on call 24 hours a day.
The ballroom accommodates 2,000 for a buffet and is often used for weddings. Guests can while away free time in a smart shopping arcade. Alternatively, they can visit the sixth-floor fitness center that features a gym with cardiovascular equipment and weights, saunas and steam rooms, indoor and outdoor whirlpools, and a three-lane indoor lap pool with a furnished, landscaped patio. Use of the gym, whirlpools and pool is free, unusual in Japan, but a modest fee is charged for the steam rooms and saunas. The spa is the only one in Japan to use the famed Swiss La Prairie products. Parking is expensive, and an airport shuttle stops nearby a few times each day.
Lodgings, on floors 24-37, compete with The Westin's for the title of Osaka's largest but surpass them in luxury. Recently remodeled rooms feature Baker furniture (purveyors to the White House), including large desks with a docking station for a computer, iPod hookups to the sound system, armoires that hide appliances, comfortable armchairs fronted by ottomans, fine brocade drapes, and goose-down comforters topping dual-hardness mattresses that can be flipped to accommodate guest preference. All rooms have cordless phones; nightstand electrical outlets (handy for charging cell phones); 37-inch TVs with pay movies on demand; DVD and CD players (the lounge has a CD library); minibars; both pajamas and yukata plus robes; and safes. Big, beautiful marble baths have dual basins, deep tubs separated from shower stalls, magnifying mirrors and scales. Club rooms add a private lounge with kimono-clad staffers and five complimentary culinary and beverage presentations daily, as well as in-room extras such as fax machines and bath TVs. One room is designed for the handicapped, and 160 rooms are for nonsmokers.
This is the best hotel in Osaka, no matter how familiar it strikes Americans; if you want to get away from familiarity, try the Hankyu International instead. Still, this hotel's professional, multilingual staff, extra-large guest quarters, intimacy and opulence are all unmatched in the Kansai region.