After a great stay at the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto, we head to Osaka just before the typhoon for a short stay to explore the city.
Reminder of the itinerary :
| # | Type | Review |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flight | Lufthansa Business, Paris Charles-de-Gaulle – Frankfurt, Airbus A321-100 (not reviewed) – Upgrade at the gate |
| 2 | Flight | Lufthansa Business, Frankfurt – Tokyo Haneda, Boeing 747-800i (not reviewed) |
| 3 | Hotel | Prince Gallery Tokyo, a Luxury Collection Hotel (not reviewed report by Bertrand here) |
| 4 | Hotel | The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto |
| 5 | Hotel | Sheraton Grand Hiroshima |
| 6 | Hotel | ANA Crowne Plaza Okayama |
| 7 | Hotel | The Ritz Carlton Tokyo |
| 8 | Flight | Asiana Economy, Tokyo Haneda – Seoul Incheon, Airbus A321-100 (not reviewed) |
| 9 | Flight | Lufthansa Business, Seoul Incheon – Frankfurt, Boeing 747-400 (not reviewed) – Upgrade at the gate |
| 10 | Hotel | Moxy Frankfurt Airport |
| 11 | Flight | Lufthansa Economy, Frankfurt – Paris Charles-de-Gaulle, Airbus A320-100 (not reviewed) |
We arrived in Osaka at the end of the afternoon, after a short trip in a classic train in Green Class, rather old-fashioned but very charming, and which has the advantage of arriving at the central station of Osaka and not at Shin-Osaka, the high-speed train station located on the outskirts.
Booking
We made this booking via the Marriott Bonvoy app. The number of points requested was too high in relation to the public price, so I chose to book at St. Regis Osaka in cash for a little over 25,000 Yen per night, + taxes.
Arrival
After a train ride from Kyoto, we arrive at the hotel by metro in the late afternoon. The typhoon is announced for the next day and already there are multiple announcements in the metro.
As always in Japan, the underground has exceptional signage, and the hotel and its exit are very easily indicated, and accessible by lifts and escalators.
We enter the hotel and are greeted warmly by the doormen, who escort us to the lift. Our luggage is also taken care of.
We carry out the check-in procedure seated. We are told that we have been upgraded to a Grand Deluxe room. I choose breakfast as the Ambassador benefit.
We are then escorted to our room. A good welcome, but not more than you would expect in a St. Regis property.
Room
Our room was located on the 22nd floor of the property, with a magnificent view of the whole city.
And the timelapse video of the typhoon:
The entrance is quite spacious.
On the right is the bathroom, which is very spacious. It has two basins, a bath and a very large shower. The toilet is a separate area through a door in this bathroom, which also has the dressing room.
The room is also very spacious. The minibar is very well stocked, and well hidden in a very nice cabinet, which also contains the espresso machine and the kettle.
The desk is on the other side of the room, and is also large.
The bed will be very comfortable, and faces the magnificent view of which we will not get bored, and which will allow us to admire the passage of the Typhoon over the city.
Finally, the visit of this very large room in video:
Hotel facilities
The hotel’s lobby is particularly elegant. It has a huge terrace, which one imagines was the site of a potential pool that was never created.
The hotel does not have a swimming pool or spa.
It has a fitness room which we will not use during our stay.
Food options
The hotel has 3 restaurants which were all open when we visited. We tried two: the main restaurant on the lobby level for breakfast, and the Parisian brasserie on the street level for dinner.
Restaurant La Veduta – Breakfast service
Breakfast is served at the La Veduta restaurant, located on the lobby level. Breakfast is served from 7am to 10am, so late risers beware.
On the first day, it was very crowded and we had to wait about fifteen minutes before being seated.
In order to increase the capacity of the restaurant, the St. Regis Bar is used, and that’s where we will be placed. The service will be mediocre at best, with an unmotivated waiter (never seen that in Japan) who will take our order halfway, and whom we will have to ask again several times. The second morning will be perfect with excellent service.
The buffet is interesting with an Italian twist, the chef being from Italy. The items are of high quality and there are plenty of preparation stations in front of the guests. The cloches are well maintained.
Restaurant Rue d’or – Dinner service
On our second evening, mainly because of the typhoon, we chose to stay for dinner in the hotel, in the Parisian brasserie on the ground floor.
We had made a reservation by phone during the day.
On our arrival, at about 7.30 pm, we are installed near the window by the room manager (who is under a little pressure to receive a French person).
The menu is interesting, with French classics like pan-fried foie gras and beef tartare.
We choose a foie gras and a piece of beef, both of which were excellent. Of course we are not in France, but the Japanese precision will make these dishes wonderful for a very acceptable price.
Departure
The departure formalities were simple, and we slightly advanced the departure to anticipate possible problems linked to the typhoon of the day before… But everything went like clockwork!
Bottom line
A good stay, even if it will not remain in the annals of my stays at St. Regis properties. This is perhaps due to a service that is not sufficiently present and not sufficiently personalised. And at a St. Regis price. We will explore other options during our next stay in Osaka.
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