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Absolutely amazing. Self check-in without any issues. Unique tree house design and very tidy. 10 min walking from the stations but reasonable. Washing machine has drying function with detergent and softener are provided. We brought a bag for dirty clothes but we didn't even use it. Would be nice if bike renting is available.

This time I stayed in Osaka for 12 days, accompanied my daughter to attend a short-term art course, stayed in 3 hotels, and stayed in Four Seasons for the last three nights. The service is better than InterContinental. The staff will greet the guests when they enter and leave. It's good! We booked a tatami room on the 28th floor, and the check-in was also on the 28th floor. The service is like the executive floor with dedicated service. The staff are from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Shanghai. I like to drink tea. The handmade tea they make is delicious. When I have time, I run to ask the staff to make tea for me. After 5 pm, you can also have a glass of wine (free) to enjoy the sunset. Small desserts are also provided. Ctrip shows that breakfast is not included, but it is actually included in the store. You can choose to eat a box Japanese breakfast on the 28th floor or a semi-buffet on the first floor. The breakfast is delicious and rich! We have tried the French restaurant on the first floor for lunch and dinner, which is very good! Afternoon tea requires reservations. There are many Japanese! The 37th floor is a Chinese restaurant that I didn't try. In addition, the sushi restaurant has not opened yet!

The location is relatively convenient. It's convenient to take the subway, go shopping, and go anywhere. The room is quite big. If you arrive early, it's very convenient to store your luggage at the front desk. The service attitude at the front desk is also very kind.

We stayed here as a family of 4 - first time in Osaka. We loved it! We enjoyed walking to the markets, near two railway stations and lots of great options to eat nearby. The rooms are spacious and we loved the fact we had a mini kitchen and the kids found the bunk beds comfortable. The area around Namba is so lively and kid friendly too. We would buy breakfast at the Lawson across the road and even eat at the places next door. They provide soft drinks for free in the afternoon and coffee from 7am. I can't fault this hotel for value and location. You won't regret it! Even getting to Universal on the train was easy. Was safe to walk around at night with kids. Staff very helpful as well.

Although I was not staying at the W, the MIXup cafe is a fun spot in the middle of Osaka to have a tea or coffee and their amazing dessert(s). I was looking to try their seasonal dessert, the strawberry mille feuille, although it was already sold out when I arrived. This gives me another reason to return soon! The staff was so friendly and helpful. Upon arrival, I was swiftly shown to my table that I reserved ahead of time (thanks, Marriott Bonvoy), and was walked through the menu and how their orders work. Many teas to choose from, and the cake I chose was plated so beautifully. The chantilly cream with the berries - out of this world! The entire experience was smooth, and I was delighted with the level of service provided. In a way, this is ”normal” and expected for Japan, but I want to highlight that I really enjoyed this visit and look forward to going back.

Context & Disclaimer: I'm a very objective travel reviewer as someone who has a fair share of business and leisure stays. I leave reviews to help hotels improve their standards and also to help my fellow travellers make the best travel decisions for themselves. I've stayed at luxury to mid-range properties around the world including recent stays at the Prince Gallery Tokyo, Ritz-Carlton Tokyo, Ritz-Carlton Toronto, JW Marriott Hong Kong. This review also follows a recent stay at the Prince Gallery Tokyo where the standards were exceptionally high. I haven't reviewed them yet but will do so shortly. Japan is known for its warm hospitality and careful attention to detail. At high-end hotels, they go over the top particularly to make your experience a unique one, so when you're paying $700+/night for the Ritz you expect high standards. Especially when every luxury hotelier in Tokyo has said the RC Osaka was just recently awarded its 5* My guest journey starts off rocky and torpedoes downhill. Check-In 1 - it's been raining in Osaka all day and we walked into the hotel from the outside. No one to greet us or take our luggage. Not a single person to be found. 2 - I'm soaking wet and struggling to find the check-in lobby. I must've seen 3 staff members look at me and not offer help or ask if I need any assistance. 3 - I finally find the check-in lobby where it's a giant zoo and RC staff directing traffic like its 5pm at Shibuya crossing. An absolute loud mess. I'm still soaking wet with my glasses and both pieces of luggage, and a staff member asks me if I'm checking in or checking out. What??? 0 attention to detail right there. Anyway, she directs me to wait in line. 4 - At the RC Tokyo & Prince Gallery Tokyo and any luxury hotel that operates like one (e.g., Four Seasons), takes your luggage and ask for your name. By the time you make it to check-in, they greet you by name and help you get settled in. If you book a room on the club floor, they ask if you'd like to check-in there privately. Yes I booked a Club Room, and so I waited about 10 minutes dripping wet before asking someone if I could please check-in via the Club Lounge. 5 - We're making our way to the Club Lounge, with the attendant dragging our luggage along the way which makes lots of noise. 6 - Finally check-in with no problems. The Room 7 - I understand that this is a Victorian-style property and some of the room and structure might be dated. But I can't believe that the bathtub is something from a Residence Inn or Courtyard Marriott. The shower is equally not up to par with the RC brand. 8 - Toiletries. I'm not sure if this is RC making a push for sustainability, but soap, shampoo, and conditioner are given to guests in large bottle format, again like at a Residence Inn or Courtyard Marriott, instead of small individual bottles. Not a big deal, but just not up to par with other luxury hotels or RC standards across Japan. What if someone spit in there? Back to the lounge

Concierge: We emailed the hotel weeks in advance of our stay to assist with bookings. Weeks would pass before they would respond, and multiple follow up emails were required to get a response. They did successfully book one 3 Michelin star restaurant to which we owe them significant credit. However, when we arrived and asked basic requests such as where to find restaurants or stores, the concierge was usually very short and had no suggestions. We were better off consulting Google maps. And this for a 5 star concierge service? In addition, the English skills of many of the concierge staff were extremely limited. While I know some Japanese, it should not be required at a hotel of this calibre. In fact, when visiting Japan, a 5 star hotel should have fluent English speakers for most front facing staff. Hotel Condition: The hotel has significant and noticeable wear and tear. We were in a Grand Deluxe Suite and when I arrived, a man was literally gluing on a piece of the door that had torn off. The woodwork throughout the suite was heavily scratched and dented including tables. The carpet was worn thin, and the sofa's velvet exterior was worn. In any event, for a hotel suite whose copay was $500+ per night, this was disappointing. Check out Process: The check out process was extremely troubling and disappointing. We asked for a Butler to assist with bags multiple times, and even after 45 minutes they did not come up to our room to collect our bags. This resulted in us having to drag our bags down to the lobby ourselves, as we were rushing for a Shinkansen train. Normally, this would have been fine, but we had a lot of luggage. The significantly wait time for luggage assistance is not characteristic of a St. Regis. Hidden Taxes and No Final Folio Provided: The hotel has some hidden taxes associated with rooms that have copays for upgrades. While we expected to pay 50,000 yen per night + about 37,000 yen in total taxes (about 5600 yen per night in tax), we did not expect too many additional taxes. Yet there was another 6500 or so taxes per night in taxes we were assessed. Even after numerous attempts, the hotel never sent a final folio nor explained the charges which is all I asked. General Impressions: The hotel seems poorly managed with a ”choatic” vibe in which there is not only no personalized guests are vying for the attention for concierge staff who are stretched too thin with minimal English skills. While I understand this is a busy time for the hotel, the hotel should not be having any difficulty meeting basic demands of elite members even when they are at capacity. The hotel felt more like a 3-4 star hotel than a St. Regis. Among St. Regis hotels, this one was a major disappointment.

The Osaka Station Hotel is brand new, opening just a few months ago. And yet our stay was comprehensive, warm, and perfect. In fact I’d go so far as to say that this is the new gold standard for Osaka. Firstly, the hotel occupies the top part of the newly opened JP Tower. I love that the tower is connected to Osaka Station and the Osaka-Umeda underground network, making it a breeze to get to by transit even if it’s raining. The hotel entrance from the mall side is subtle and tucked underneath the main mall escalators. Behind a sliding door and corridor are plenty of shuttle elevators to whisk you up to the hotel lobby. The lobby continues the modern and open aesthetic. It’s grand but not lavish, which is what I appreciate the most. After a quick check in process, there is another bank of elevators that takes you to the hotel floors. The rooms are very spacious by Osaka standards. They are very comparable to high end rooms in North America, and the decor absolutely screams “new Autograph hotel” in a positive way. Our room was quiet and warm. The bathroom is open concept and while the toilet (which features a state of the art Toto toilet even with auto toilet seat up down) is roomed off, the combo shower and tub is behind glass which may mean special arrangements if you’re sharing a room with anyone but your significant other. The room and bath amenities are very plentiful. Our room had a welcome box with some famous Osaka golden candy and some kelp tea (which was delicious but did take getting used to). The tea was absolutely delicious and I especially appreciated that wooden hair brushes were provided. Our stay included buffet breakfast at the Hotel restaurant on the hotel lobby floor, but also access to the Private Club Floor lounge. Both were excellent and definitely the best we’ve experienced at any Marriott hotel. The breakfast was very comprehensive with Japanese and Western options, from Clam Miso Soup and chef-prepared Sushi to pastries and fresh fruit. The views were great and the staff went above and beyond to keep guests comfortable. The private club floor lounge was even better in that it was quieter and had lots of delicious drinks and snacks all day. Reflecting on our stay, I found it funny that around the area, everyone seems to call this the “Autograph hotel”, probably because it’s the only one (so far?) in Osaka, but also as if it was it was another word for “Ritz” or “St Regis”. In the US, Autograph hotels under the Marriott branding are one-off and unique but usually not 5-stars. After staying here, I am convinced that not only does this Autograph hotel knock every other Autograph hotel I’ve stayed at out of the park, but it easily passes off as (and probably surpasses) any other modern Ritz or St Regis, and could have been branded as such. This is hands down the best hotel we’ve stayed at, better and more comfortable than Bora Bora. I can’t wait to be back.