Waldorf Astoria Osaka Lodge Evaluation

A magnum of 2015 Moët & Chandon Grand Classic seems nearly as quickly as I sit down for my first meal at Waldorf Astoria Osaka, the Hilton luxurious model’s first resort in Japan. Director of meals and beverage Maximiliano Elias proudly tells me that that is their home Champagne and that Moët & Chandon made magnums completely for the resort, as a result of Champagne tastes higher poured from magnums, and regular-sized bottles would look foolish in opposition to the hovering ceilings of Peacock Alley, the trademark Waldorf Astoria foyer lounge.

“It simply would not have the identical impact,” Elias says with an off-the-cuff shrug. This “go huge or go house” mentality permeates each facet of the resort, from the imposing entryway doorways, to the sweeping marble staircase resulting in Peacock Alley to the generously sized visitor rooms. It is a place of grandeur and celebration, the place it is solely pure to drink Champagne daily, from a magnum-size bottle, no much less.

Employees members I meet all through my keep hail from Argentina, Spain, the Netherlands, and Eire, together with many excited locals, wanting to share their hometown with guests. Osakans are, in my expertise, among the many friendliest Japanese residents—extra talkative and fewer reserved than the folks I’ve met in Tokyo and Hokkaido. One bartender was fast to AirDrop me an in depth observe stuffed with suggestions upon studying this was my first time in Osaka, whereas Toki, my chatty driver who picked me up from the airport, left me a handwritten card upon checkout.

André Fu—the Hong Kong interiors architect behind accommodations reminiscent of The Shangri-La, Tokyo, and Villa La Coste, in Aix-en-Provence, France—has outdone himself with this newest venture. Fu drew Artwork Deco inspiration from the unique Waldorf Astoria New York, which reopens after a large renovation this summer time, together with Osaka’s Yodoko Visitor Home, the one surviving Frank Lloyd Wright residence in Japan. There are refined peacock tail motifs all through the resort, from the geometric patterns in intricate kumiko woodwork headboards to Japanese washi paper designs within the elevator.

Waldorf Astoria Osaka includes two separate buildings related by an indoor walkway to transition from the general public areas and full of life opulence of Peacock Alley to the nice and cozy, homey arrival foyer, revolving round a pure stone fountain, the place the entrance desk is situated together with visitor room elevators. This house is nicknamed “the lantern” for its heat golden glow and jogs my memory of the atrium at Higher Home in Hong Kong, Fu’s first resort venture.

Right here, all the pieces it is advisable to find out about Waldorf Astoria Osaka.

The Rooms

I used to be impressed by the entry-level visitor rooms, which felt extra like junior suites, with spacious walk-in closets, separate soaking tubs and walk-in rain showers, and minibars that includes native snacks and drinks.

All 252 visitor rooms and suites have floor-to-ceiling home windows with automated drapes and sheer linen curtains that may be simply managed from mattress to disclose views of the Osaka Bay, Yodo River, and town skyline. “You are able to do lazy sightseeing from mattress,” says Ewoud Roosjen, Waldorf Astoria Osaka’s industrial director. Many rooms have views of the Umeda Sky Constructing with its well-known glass-enclosed escalators, and Roosjen tells me that rooms on the West facet of the resort have front-row seats for the annual Yodogawa Fireworks Pageant. Considerate particulars just like the angle of the TV tilted completely towards the mattress, a lacquered jewellery field, folded pajamas, and housemade sweets for turndown service make for a pampered and comfy keep.

Three signature suites embrace a Presidential Suite constructed for entertaining with a pure hardwood eating room desk that seats eight, a full kitchen, pantry, and personal bar.

Meals and Drink

Waldorf Astoria Osaka has 4 eating places and bars with Peacock Alley because the putting first impression when the elevator doorways open on the twenty ninth ground. “Peacock Alley is the beating coronary heart of the resort,”  Roosjen says. A light-weight all-day eating menu is out there, together with afternoon tea, pairing candy and savory bites served on Ginori pastel porcelain with a number of Steven Smith Teamaker loose-leaf tea and Champagne.

Jolie Brasserie serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and the spectacular breakfast buffet might have been organized by a meals stylist, together with an beautiful salad bar with greater than a dozen freshly julienned and sliced components, congee accompanied by a plethora of toppings, and a Japanese breakfast set that you simply’d be remiss to skip.

Tsukimi, a teppanyaki spot, is the resort’s signature restaurant. Friends sit proper on the bar and are handled to a research within the precision of grilling meats. Wagyu beef from close by Kobe is proudly served right here, and cooks respectfully current the cow’s noseprint beginning certificates to visitors. There’s additionally a sushi counter inside Tsukimi for individuals who favor uncooked fish to cooked meat.

After dinner, head downstairs to Canes & Tails for a nightcap. The Jazz Age-inspired speakeasy bar is situated behind an unlabeled inexperienced door and twisting hallway with cocktails impressed by F. Scott Fitzgerald guide. After a protracted day of journey, I opted for a tropical non-alcoholic “The Lees of Happiness,” with a flower-shaped amazake ice dice that slowly melted into the drink to melt the bitter flavors with sweetness.

Facilities and Experiences

Upon arrival, each visitor is obtainable private concierge companies by way of Whatsapp. My concierge promptly delivered a yoga mat to my room, helped me find the hidden-away ironing board, and made a few dinner reservations for me. Complimentary shoe shine is obtainable to all visitors, together with free Wi-Fi, and first-come, first-serve entry to the Mercedes-Maybach home automobile. The resort concierge also can manage off-property excursions, like knife-making in Sakai or a conventional tea ceremony expertise.

The thirtieth ground is devoted to well-being, with a library, indoor 82-foot-long pool, health middle with Technogym tools, and spa. The library is a calming retreat that is open 24 hours, serving as a non-public house to work, learn, or take conferences, and you’ll even order in-room eating right here. You can too exercise with skyline views on the health middle with quite a lot of cardio tools, free weights, recent fruit, and fruit-infused water.

The resort has ample superbly designed assembly areas too, related by dramatic corridors, together with two glamorous ballrooms and a shiny and ethereal chapel.

The Spa

Positioned on the thirtieth ground, the intimate spa has 4 therapy rooms and options 4 skincare traces, together with Swiss manufacturers La Prairie and Dr. Burgener and Japanese skincare by Tiaraleen. The intriguing spa menu goes far past commonplace massages, with fascial launch remedy, scalp exfoliation, belly therapeutic massage, infrared heated physique masks, and a magnesium-laden meridien therapeutic massage to fight jet lag. I opted for a two-hour vitality expertise, which started with a foot scrub utilizing native sake, sake lees, and salt whereas I sipped freshly whisked matcha. I began face down with a agency lymphatic therapeutic massage to assist enhance circulation earlier than flipping over for a gua sha facial, all utilizing Tiaraleen merchandise. Males’s and girls’s altering areas are well-appointed with a sauna, steam room, and sizzling tub. These amenities can be found for resort visitors to get pleasure from even with no spa appointment.

Household-friendly Choices

Though there is not a children’ membership, the resort caters to households with fairly just a few connecting rooms and facilities like mini bathrobes and slippers, kids-sized pajamas, small umbrellas, Stokke excessive chairs, and a children’ menu with dishes like pork curry vol-au-vent. “My children had been horrible eaters till we moved to Japan,” says Roosjen, who moved to Osaka from Qatar. “However now they snack on nori paper and eat yakitori hen hearts.” The pool can also be family-friendly with flutterboards and arm floaties upon request. Osaka is a superb house base for households seeking to discover Kyoto (lower than an hour’s drive), Nara, and Common Studios Japan.

Accessibility and Sustainability

Waldorf Astoria Osaka makes use of Hilton’s LightStay platform to measure environmental influence and power effectivity, and affords carbon impartial conferences by Meet with Objective. There aren’t any single-use plastics on property, with full-size refillable Aesop bathtub facilities and complimentary glass bottles of glowing and nonetheless water from Ashigara Seiga replenished every day in each room as a substitute.

The resort options 4 purposefully designed accessible rooms, thoughtfully outfitted with options like computerized doorways, seize bars, and lowered sinks to assist the consolation and independence of visitors with mobility and sensory wants. In public areas, there are Braille elevators, ramp entrances, and accessible facilities together with the assembly rooms, health middle, and swimming pool.

Location 

The resort is on the highest 10 flooring of the fashionable new Grand Inexperienced Osaka growth, which has eating, purchasing, and a terrific onsen (sizzling spring) that is fashionable with locals. It is also subsequent to the 11-acre Umekita Park and throughout the road from JR Osaka Station, for straightforward airport entry and handy day journeys to Kyoto, Kobe, Hiroshima, and Nara by practice. Kansai Worldwide Airport (KIX) is 45 minutes by automobile or practice, and you’ll fly on to Osaka from San Francisco and Los Angeles.

How you can Get the Most Worth Out of Your Keep

Waldorf Astoria Osaka is a part of the Hilton Honors program, and members can earn and redeem factors throughout their keep. Gold members obtain room upgrades based mostly on availability, complimentary breakfast, and a 25-percent low cost in resort eating places, whereas Diamond members additionally get two complimentary cocktails per night time at Peacock Alley. The resort can also be a part of American Categorical Effective Lodges & Resorts, which implies, should you guide with an Amex platinum card, you get early check-in, late check-out, room upgrades based mostly on availability, complimentary breakfast, and a $100 meals and beverage credit score. Nightly charges at Waldorf Astoria Osaka begin from $1,013.