Four Seasons Hotel Osaka

The Four Seasons Hotel Osaka, a recipient of the prestigious Michelin One Key, offers a luxurious and distinctive experience that blends traditional Japanese hospitality with modern elegance. Opened in August 2024, the hotel is quickly establishing itself as a beacon of luxury in Osaka's dynamic cityscape.

1. Overall Rating & Sentiment

The general consensus for Four Seasons Hotel Osaka is overwhelmingly positive, with guests frequently describing their stays as "amazing," "excellent," and "impeccable." Many guests highlight the hotel's ability to deliver the expected Four Seasons standard while beautifully incorporating Japan's unique culture and hospitality. The hotel is considered a significant addition to Osaka's luxury hotel scene.

2. Key Highlights

Guests consistently praise several standout features of the Four Seasons Hotel Osaka:

• Design & Ambiance: The hotel's design, a collaboration between three Japanese design leaders, offers a modern take on traditional Japanese aesthetics. It boasts grand lacquerware art pieces and elevators that evoke torii gates, creating a serene and stylish atmosphere.
• Unique Ryokan Experience: A dedicated 28th floor, known as Gensui, offers a "modern ryokan" experience with tatami rooms, futon-style beds, and a private Sabo tea lounge. This provides a distinctive cultural immersion rarely found in luxury hotels.
• Panoramic Views: Situated in the One Dojima skyscraper, the hotel's rooms, pool, and top-floor restaurants and bars offer breathtaking sky-high views of Osaka and the distant mountains.
• Exceptional Facilities: The spa, with its Ofuru baths and a 16-meter infinity pool on the 36th floor, is a major draw. The gym is also well-equipped and offers inspiring views.

3. Room Quality

The hotel features 154 guest rooms and suites, located from the 29th to 35th floors, ensuring spectacular city views.

• Western-style Rooms: These rooms, starting around 500 square feet, are described as spacious, contemporary, light, and comfortable. They feature floor-to-ceiling windows, delicate latticework, and square soaking tubs. Bathrooms are often dark and moody with slate greys and walnut tones, featuring luxurious bathing areas with onsen-style tubs in front of windows. Amenities include high-tech Toto toilets, Natura Bisse products, yukatas, and curated mini-bars. The bedding, from 400-year-old Nishikawa in Tokyo, is firm and comfortable.
• Ryokan-style Rooms (Gensui Floor): Located on the 28th floor, these 21 tatami rooms and suites (18 ryokan rooms) offer a traditional Japanese experience. They feature tatami floors, futon-style platform beds (with specially made mattresses that can be topped for extra comfort), sliding screens, and walls lined in washi paper. The bathrooms are clad in slate black stone. Guests on this floor have exclusive access to the Sabo tea lounge.

4. Dining Experience

The Four Seasons Hotel Osaka offers exceptional dining experiences under the leadership of Director of Food and Beverage Sebastian Gassen and Executive Chef Paolo Pelosi.

• Jardin: This all-day French bistro on the ground floor offers a gorgeous breakfast buffet and an à la carte menu, with the option for terrace seating. The breakfast buffet is praised as a "feast," and the baked goods, especially the flaky croissants, are highly recommended.
• Jiang Nan Chun: Located on the 37th floor, this Cantonese restaurant, led by Chef Raymond Wong Wai Man, offers gourmet cuisine and a stunning tasting menu with unexpected textures and flavors. Private dining options are also available.
• L'Abysse: Also on the 37th floor, this restaurant features French chef Yannick Alleno and Japanese chef Itaru Yasuda, offering a unique blend of French and omakase-style sushi, with chef Yasuda adding innovative twists to traditional sushi.
• Bar Bota: The bar on the top floor provides bespoke cocktails and mesmerizing sky-high views of Osaka.
• Farine: An artisanal bakery on the ground floor, popular with locals, offers coffee, tea, and beautiful pastries.
• Sabo Tea Lounge (Gensui Floor): Exclusive to Gensui floor guests, this lounge offers a Japanese bento breakfast, sake tasting, and Japanese snacks, along with daily cultural activities.

5. Service & Staff

The service at Four Seasons Hotel Osaka is consistently described as friendly, efficient, attentive, and what one would expect from a Four Seasons property.

• Staff members are knowledgeable and come from diverse backgrounds, lending an international flair to the hospitality, which is somewhat new to Japan's industry.
• Guests particularly appreciate the thoughtful touches, such as staff going above and beyond in situations like quickly providing juice and a new keycard to a diabetic guest experiencing low blood sugar.
• The concierge service is also highly praised for being helpful and efficient in organizing activities.
• The dedicated concierge and tea master on the Gensui floor are noted for their attentive service during check-in and throughout the stay.

6. Location & Accessibility

The hotel is located in the vibrant Dojima neighborhood, part of the One Dojima Project, a new luxury lifestyle destination.

• The Dojima area blends traditional and modern elements, with historical sites alongside futuristic architecture.
• It is just minutes from the major rail hub JR Osaka Station, providing easy access to the city's attractions and amenities. While the immediate surroundings are described as a "quieter district" or "a little sleepy" compared to central Osaka, its proximity to public transport makes it easily accessible.
• The hotel is also near attractions like Dojima Yakushido (a 5-minute walk) and Herbis Plaza ENT (500 meters).
• The property is wheelchair accessible, with wide doors in restaurants and the bar, and four accessible guest rooms, though stairs to the pool and onsen might pose a challenge for those with limited mobility.

7. Value & Pricing

The Four Seasons Hotel Osaka is considered a high-end luxury property, with rates reflecting its brand and offerings.

• Rates for traditional rooms start around $651 per night, while Gensui modern ryokan-floor rooms start around $807. Kayak has shown prices in the range of $635 per night in the last two weeks.
• Despite the high price point, some guests feel the value makes sense, noting that it's a "bargain" considering the facilities and quality.
• As of its opening, the hotel was not yet part of major credit card booking programs (like Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts), meaning elite-like perks might not be available through these channels, though this is expected to change. The Four Seasons brand also does not currently have a loyalty program.

8. Common Complaints

While reviews are overwhelmingly positive, a few minor points have been noted:

• Location Quietness: Some guests find the immediate Dojima neighborhood a "little sleepy" or set back from the city's main hustle and bustle, though its proximity to JR Osaka Station mitigates this.
• Ryokan Room Suitability: The tatami rooms, while unique, might be challenging for families with children or individuals with bad knees due to the seating arrangements.
• Bed Sizes: In standard rooms, beds are typically doubles, which is common in Japan even in luxury hotels, but might be smaller than some Western guests are accustomed to.
• Plug Outlets: Some rooms primarily feature standard Japanese 2-prong plugs, which may require adapters for 3-pronged devices.
• Early Opening Minor Issues: Given its recent opening, some minor service issues might have been experienced initially, though staff were generally quick to resolve them.

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