The luxury hotel that makes you feel like you're floating above Osaka

Times

2 days ago

The Conrad Osaka gives you the sense that you're floating above the noise of the city below — and not just because you're at the top of one of its tallest buildings. You enter through a glossy black corridor with marble floors, suffused with a refreshing woody fragrance, before taking the lift up to the 40th-floor lobby. Here, jaw-dropping views down the river towards Osaka Bay await. Rooms are ultra-modern and spacious, while the four excellent dining and bar options mean you could easily be tempted not to stray far from the hotel. The elegance, natural light and attentive but never overbearing service extend across the property, making it a luxurious but never pretentious or stuffy place to stay in lively, down-to-earth Osaka.
This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue
Score 9/10Every one of Conrad Osaka's 164 rooms and suites is at least 50 sq m, and their size and floor-to-ceiling windows mean the cosy design doesn't feel cramped, but rather sophisticated. That impression is enhanced by warm, well-considered lighting, which includes spotlights to emphasise the display in the tokonoma — a traditional alcove reserved for special items such as artwork, scrolls or flower arrangements.
Rooms range from deluxe and premium view (both twin or king) to the 66 sq m king executive; suites from the 66 sq m junior corner Site to the 100 sq m executive and executive corner suites, and the 220 sq m conrad penthouse. All have double vanity units, luxurious toiletries and elegant bathrooms with handheld and waterfall showers plus a circular soaking tub. Rooms also feature bedside touchscreen control panels from which you can open and close the curtains and adjust the temperature.Score 8/10Osaka is such a food-focused city that you could have forgiven the Conrad if it had kept the dining options to a minimum. Instead, the choices make staying in just as tempting as going out, with four restaurants on the 40th floor. Kura serves grilled dishes, theatrically prepared in front of you at a teppan, and sushi served at an elegant cypress counter. The set menus feature high-quality, locally sourced ingredients, such as wagyu from Kobe and Shiga or fish caught in the waters off Osaka.
C Grill restaurant also highlights local fish and seafood, in a space reminiscent of a New York-style grill — exposed brickwork, high counter seats, black-and-white prints, and wine collection on display. Seasonality and sustainability are always factored in, with fresh oysters and lobster only at specific times of year.
On the other side of the lobby is Atmos, an airy, high-ceilinged, all-day restaurant, where you can start the day with an excellent buffet breakfast. There are three more buffet menus served throughout the day — lunch, themed desserts, and dinner.
Finally, 40 Sky Bar and Lounge offers delicious cocktails — both original creations and classics — as well as snacks and à la carte meals. It's especially popular for its afternoon teas, which feature inventive dishes such as Omi duck with Arima sansho, truffle ricotta and citrus confit. The dining area is spread over different levels between the spectacular city view and cascading curtains of glass that catch and refract the light.
• More great hotels in Osaka• What to do in Osaka
Score 9/10
The Conrad Spa offers treatments such as massages and facials, as well as access to saunas, steam rooms and salon services. There's a 50-minute massage and a 50-minute foot treatment, but everything else lasts an hour and upwards, giving you plenty of time to luxuriate in the private rooms and the peaceful, cream-toned relaxation room with light bites and drinks.
There's also a 24-hour gym and a pool that's open from 6am to 10pm and has waterside loungers and gorgeous views towards the east. Guests with tattoos will have to cover them with skin-coloured patches, as some in Japan view them as taboo.
Hilton Diamond members and guests staying in Executive rooms have access to the executive lounge. This elegant, low-lit space features the hotel's signature floor-to-ceiling windows, and all-day food and drinks.
Guests can book bespoke experiences (at an extra cost), which range from knife-making classes to a cruise on the Dojima River in cherry blossom season.
Score 8/10The Conrad is in central Osaka, but it's peaceful enough at night to allow full rest and recuperation after a long day of sightseeing. It's 15 minutes' walk from the chaos of the Osaka-Umeda transport hub, just over the Dojima River in the centre of Nakanoshima. This near-two-mile sandbank is home to some attractive historic buildings, a landscaped park and several museums, including the National Museum of Art, the Museum of Oriental Ceramics and, in the same building as the Conrad, the Nakanoshima Kosetsu Museum.
The tower is connected to Watanabebashi station on the Nakanoshima line, and to Higobashi subway station, which connects you to the major transport hubs around Osaka-Umeda and Namba. Kitashinchi, just north of the river and within ten minutes' walk of the hotel, is one of Osaka's premier high-end nightlife districts.
Price room-only doubles from £356Restaurant mains from £17Family-friendly YAccessible N
Rebecca Hallett was a guest of Conrad Osaka (hilton.com)
• Tokyo v Osaka: which is better?• Most beautiful places in Japan