Experience Osaka with The Ritz-Carlton

There’s no doubt that “The Ritz-Carlton” invokes images of luxury, elegance, impeccable hospitality… the list could go on, for having spent decades crafting unforgettable travel experiences and delivering world class service, Ritz-Carlton has become a shining beacon of luxury in hospitality. I can hardly believe that I was lucky enough to stay at The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka during my visit to Osaka and it’s absolutely everything I’ve just mentioned and more. It’s one to write home about, so keep reading!

LOCATION

This beautiful five-star hotel can be found in Umeda, the shopping, transport and business hub of the city, making it practically effortless to travel to whether you’re coming from the airport or elsewhere in Osaka. Club Level access will take your experience to new heights and includes car service from the hotel and within JR Osaka Station area. 

The Room

291 spacious guest rooms and suites can be found on the 24^th through to the 37^th floors, what’s impressive is that all rooms, no matter the type, offer spectacular panoramic views of the city so that you can gaze at the cityscape from the comfort of your bed. After checking in with the wonderful staff at the Concierge and a welcome lunch at the Club Lounge, we were shown into the Club Suite on the 35^th floor. This corner suite with a separate bedroom and parlour modernises 18th-century Georgian-style décor, drawing out an environment that is unique, but one you can still relate to as feeling like home. The team surprised us with such a thoughtful gift waiting on our bed, does it even get more romantic than red heart balloons and rose petals?! It’s tailor made gestures like this that make it not so surprising The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka is held in such high esteem!

Club Lounge 

A sure highlight of my stay was Club Lounge access and the countless food presentations, services and activities - their sole purpose to enhance your experience so that you can make the most out of your visit. To hear it referred to as a “hotel within a hotel” perfectly encapsulates the Club Lounge. The residence-style lounge makes it a relaxing haven to enjoy a wide range of food, chat and marvel at the Osaka panorama 142m above ground.

Open 6:30am to 11:30pm, suffice to say we spent a lot of time in the lounge taking advantage of all five food presentations: Breakfast, Light Lunch, Afternoon Tea, Cocktails and Hors d’oeuvres and Cordials and Sweets in the evening will provide you with enough choice to make your head spin. If you’re staying with The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka this Summer, I’d highly recommend the newly launched Weekly Wonder program where you'll encounter experts in various fields invited to provide interactive sessions with Club level guests. Learn how to make a sugar scrub with one of the spa therapists at the hotel, immerse yourself in a traditional Chinese tea ceremony with a Chinese Tea Master, or learn how to create your favourite cocktails with a resident Club bartender. 

We spent a fun evening with Club bartender, Jake John, creating delicious gin concoctions with Ritz-Carlton's own tea leaves. My favourite was the Irish Cream infused gin, topped with a glug of tonic water, stirred with a cinnamon stick for spice, a dash of lime to cut through and a lightly charred sprig of rosemary. Cheers! 

Dining

Osaka is known as a city for foodies, and while street food at Dotonbori is a must try, you can count on The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka to cater for the finer things. From French, to Chinese, to Italian and Japanese cuisine at six different restaurants, including Michelin-starred "La Baie", there's fine dining for all tastes.

We made for dinner at Hanagatami, inspired by a tranquil Japanese garden, this restaurant boasts separate dining areas to celebrate five traditional Japanese cuisines: sushi, tempura, teppanyaki, kaiseki and Sumibiyaki. Can you tell that choice is the name of the game here! We decided on teppanyaki and whilst this was my first teppenyaki experience in Japan, I can already tell that no other experience will compare! What's more, as a recently refurbished restaurant, rather than work elsewhere, the chefs used the upgrade time to travel around Japan to refine their craft, to learn and to source the best ingredients for their menus. A commitment to deliver outstanding food using the best produce Japan has to offer, from a heart of learning and experience is so admirable. The food was phenomenal.  

The morning we arrived at the The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka, the city was hit by a 6.1 earthquake (one of the most bizarre and frightening moments of my life), transport was down, lifts weren't working, the hotel was getting busier by the second. Still, all staff were committed to going above and beyond for their guests and to not taking away from the Ritz-Carlton experience. So most importantly, thank you The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka team, for not only ensuring that the safety of your guests is of paramount importance, but for making my stay as comfortable as comfortable could be. For seamless hospitality from check in to check out and for luxury that yes, you'd expect, but that you'd also feel completely pampered and overwhelmed with (in the best way possible).