Everyday, Luxury Travel, Asia, Japan

First Class Service at The St. Regis Hotel, Osaka

July 5, 2016

Though our time in Japan was relatively short, I felt I couldn’t miss out on visiting Osaka. The second largest city in Japan and with the nickname ‘The Nation’s Kitchen’ it seemed wrong not to spend at least one night there, eating our way around. There will be more about what we ate in another post but first I wanted to tell you about our hotel, The St. Regis Osaka.
A five star hotel located on elegant Mido-suji street, the ‘Champs-Elysées of Osaka, The St. Regis Osaka was perfectly placed for all our shopping and eating needs. Though I did think our Grand Deluxe room could have done with a lick of paint, it was still beautifully appointed. Little details have been designed by Japanese artists and I loved the cherry blossom motifs on the wall, the beautiful bed spread made from Kyoto silks and the sumptuous velvet cushions.
With a room on the 14th floor we had a fabulous view across the city of Osaka directly from our bed.
The amenities were top-notch too with a Nespresso machine, 42 inch TV and a well-stocked mini bar. I’ve discovered that it’s important to judge a hotel on its pillow menu 😉 and The St. Regis passed the test, offering eleven different types of pillow!

A bathroom with a twin vanity, rainforest shower and a bath with a TV also did rather nicely for our one night stay. Best of all the room came with a dedicated butler who prepared us green tea on arrival and had booked our restaurant for the evening for us. She gave us full details and a map for our booking as well as places that we could explore and recommended restaurants for lunch during our short time in the city.

Obvs after getting all the pictures of the hotel room, we went to explore the rest of the space. My favourite bit was the Japanese garden with a fabulous view of the city and outdoor seating from the bar.

Just like in Tokyo, I loved the contrast between the calm Zen garden and the tall skyscrapers rising in the background.
As with many hotels in Japan and the rest of Asia, the lobby and reception is located above another building and it can be found on the 12th floor. Of course, this means that as soon as you arrive at the hotel there is a fabulous view of your city before your eyes leaving you inching to explore.

The lobby space had a soaring ceiling and it was a beautiful bright space that combined Japanese artwork with plush sofas and perfectly polished wood.
The bar is also a very comfortable space…bringing the song ‘Blue Velvet’ to mind, I loved the Japanese touches such as the blossoms on the carpet and the huge canvas behind the bar. The Bloody Mary cocktail is a key part of the St. Regis experience. Having been created in 1934 at the first St. Regis Hotel in New York, each hotel includes its own take on the original recipe of vodka and tomato juice. The Shogun Mary is the signature of The St. Regis Osaka and includes the addition of yuzu and wasabi to further spice up the cocktail blend.
As I’m not a big fan of a Bloody Mary, I chose my own signature drink from the bar; a glass of champagne.
There are two dining options at The St. Regis Osaka and you can choose Northern Italian cuisine at La Veduta or French Bistro food at Rue D’or. We didn’t try either of them as I really didn’t want to visit the Kitchen of Japan only to eat European food at a hotel restaurant. However, I imagine the food is great and good for business travellers. Breakfast is also served at La Veduta but we didn’t get to try it due to an early flight the next day.

The gym is on the 14th floor and has a spectacular view of city while the SOTHYS spa is available for all your pampering needs.
I must say, that though I wasn’t blown away by the interior of The St. Regis Osaka, I was incredibly impressed with the service. Our butler catered to all our needs and very promptly arranged our transfers to the airport, restaurant bookings and swiftly handled our check in and check out plus I’m rather easily pleased by welcome chocolates. We only stayed one night in the city and the St. Regis Osaka was the perfect choice in terms of location and luxury accommodation.