NEXT LEVEL TRAVEL
Next Level Travel: Osaka's Gilded Getaways
by Jocelyn Tan
28 Apr 2025
28 Apr 2025
All eyes are on Osaka for Expo 2025. If you’re planning to visit the city to join in on the celebrations, you can opt to stay at the newly opened Four Seasons, which brings contemporary refinement, or at the Ritz-Carlton, which continues to set the gold standard in classic luxury.
- RITZ-CARLTON OSAKA
- FOUR SEASONS HOTEL OSAKA
Why stay here
In a city known for its constant evolution, The Ritz-Carlton Osaka remains a beacon of enduring luxury. But while its legacy is built on time-honoured service and European elegance, this is a hotel that refuses to rest on tradition alone. A recent renovation in 2024 has breathed fresh life into its spaces, refining its classic grandeur with modern sophistication – an evolution rather than a reinvention, ensuring that it remains as relevant today as when it first opened in 1997. Even so, there’s a newfound lightness – contemporary touches woven seamlessly into the fabric of its old-world charm.
Its location in Umeda only adds to its appeal. Linked to Umeda station via an underground passage, the hotel offers seamless access to the city’s bustling shopping streets, high-end department stores, and vibrant dining scene.
At many hotels, hospitality is an expectation; here, it feels like second nature – effortlessly intuitive and deeply personal. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Club Lounge, where returning after a day in the city feels like coming home. Make no mistake however, the level of attention to detail is unintrusive to your experience: Staff remembering not just your name, but how you like your coffee, a casual mention of where you’re heading to, and whether you prefer your table by the window or tucked away in a quieter corner.
Hanagatami
Dining
The property has long been regarded as one of the city’s definitive dining destinations, and its collection of restaurants reflects both its European heritage and its deep respect for Japanese culinary traditions. At La Baie, the hotel’s Michelin-starred French fine dining restaurant, classic techniques meet Japanese seasonality in dishes that are both intricate and deeply satisfying. The setting – elegant yet understated – feels like an intimate Parisian salon, where chandeliers cast a golden glow over exquisite plates of foie gras, caviar, and expertly paired wines. Meanwhile, Hanagatami is a haven for tempura lovers, offering a dedicated tempura course meal that showcases the artistry of deep-frying at its most refined.
However, some of the most indulgent dining experiences at The Ritz-Carlton Osaka happen inside the Club Lounge, where guests with Club Level access can enjoy five daily culinary presentations. Breakfast, midday snacks, afternoon tea, hors d’oeuvres, and evening desserts are all served in an intimate, private setting – each spread reflecting the same meticulous attention to quality and detail found in the hotel’s restaurants.
Rooms
The beauty of the rooms at Ritz-Carlton Osaka is in their quiet individuality. Unlike the uniformity found in many high-end hotels, here, each armchair and sofa is distinct – different fabrics, different silhouettes – yet they feel perfectly in harmony, tied together by a design language that speaks of heritage and craftsmanship. The classic old-school skirting at the base of the furniture adds a nostalgic charm, a reminder that some details never go out of style.
But timeless elegance doesn’t mean outdated convenience. Modern travellers will appreciate the USB ports discreetly built into the bed frame, making it effortless to charge devices without disrupting the room’s aesthetic. The bathroom experience is equally considered. The freestanding tub is more than just a feature – it’s an invitation to unwind, with a movable headrest allowing guests to sink into deep relaxation in whatever feels most comfortable to them.
(Related: Let these off-the-beaten-path properties help you find zen in Japan)
- RITZ-CARLTON OSAKA
- FOUR SEASONS HOTEL OSAKA
FOUR SEASONS HOTEL OSAKA
Why stay here
Some hotels whisper luxury, while others declare it with confidence. Four Seasons Hotel Osaka, the city’s newest five-star arrival, does both. Opened in August 2024 in the exclusive Dojima district, it is a masterclass in understated opulence – deliberate in its elegance, restrained in its grandeur.
The design is a quiet nod to Osaka’s history as a merchant city, where the rhythm of commerce once flowed along the Yodo River. Inside, it translates to a palette of soft earth tones, fluid architectural lines, and textures that shift between the organic and the polished, much like the city itself. This is not the kind of hotel that overwhelms with grandeur; instead, it invites guests to exhale, slow down, and experience a quieter, more personal sense of luxury.
Dining
The property presents a carefully orchestrated collection of experiences when it comes to dining, each shaped by impeccable technique and a deep respect for provenance. At Jiang Nan Chun, Cantonese cuisine is given a refined interpretation, served against the backdrop of the Osaka skyline. The restaurant stays true to its roots with dishes that showcase the precision of Chinese culinary traditions, while subtly incorporating local ingredients. Meanwhile, Sushi L’Abysse Osaka Yannick Alléno brings together two of the world’s most revered culinary cultures – Japanese and French – in an omakase experience that is at once unexpected and deeply reverential. Here, Yannick Alléno’s haute cuisine expertise meets Yasuda Itaru’s Edomae-style sushi mastery, creating a menu that is equal parts tradition and innovation.
For a more relaxed yet equally refined option, Jardin offers a contemporary take on the French bistro, with an airy, sunlit dining room that opens onto a beautifully landscaped terrace. Whether enjoyed over a long, unhurried breakfast or a quick afternoon coffee, it is a space designed for indulgence without pretense. In the evenings, Bar Bota, perched high on the 37th floor, transforms into an intimate retreat, where the cityscape unfolds in glittering layers below. The bar’s concept celebrates Japan’s artisanal spirit-making heritage, with a focus on precision-crafted cocktails.
Rooms
The 175 guest rooms and suites embody a kind of Japanese minimalism reinterpreted for modern luxury, where every element feels considered, every texture deliberate. The interiors play with soft neutrals, light wood tones, and sculptural forms, creating a sanctuary-like space that feels worlds away from the energy of the city below. There is no unnecessary ornamentation here—only perfectly proportioned spaces, thoughtful lighting, and materials chosen as much for their tactile appeal as for their visual harmony.
For a deeper cultural immersion, the Gensui floor on level 28 offers a collection of ryokan-inspired rooms, blending the tradition of Japanese inns with contemporary comforts. Here, tatami flooring, shoji screens, and low-profile furnishings create an ambience that is meditative yet luxurious – a rare opportunity to experience authentic Japanese hospitality within the framework of a five-star hotel.
Back
