Four Seasons Hotel Osaka, featuring the city’s first contemporary ryokan experience on its own dedicated floor, is a welcome luxury addition to high-end accommodation in this dynamic and popular destination.

Rainer Stampfer.

“With each new hotel opening, we strive to create new and exciting experiences grounded in our genuine care and personalised service, while embracing the unique destinations in which we operate,” said Rainer Stampfer, Four Seasons President, Global Operations, Hotels and Resorts.

“As we continue to expand in the most sought-after Japanese markets, this Hotel uniquely features a contemporary ryokan, dazzling city views from all rooms and among other offerings, authentic Chinese cuisine in a most stylish setting.”

Housed within the new One Dojima multi-use building by architects Nikken Sekkei, interiors of Four Seasons Hotel Osaka are by a trio of Japanese design leaders, Curiosity, Simplicity and Design Studio Spin.

Four Seasons Hotel Osaka is located in the Dojima neighbourhood, home to cozy cafes, hidden bars and scenic waterways as well as important historic sites. Guests can enjoy easy access to numerous other attractions by foot, car or boat, or even by train as a gateway to other cities.

“Osaka is fast becoming a new favourite among regional and global travellers, and our mission is to showcase the city’s treasures – both well-known and hidden gems – while also offering the city’s most relaxed and engaging luxury hospitality experience, whether dining with us, enjoying our spa, attending an event or staying overnight,” said hotel general manager Alastair McAlpine, a Four Seasons veteran of nearly three decades.

Osaka’s first luxury ryokan experience 

Four Seasons Hotel Osaka has debuts the dedicated Gensui floor, a contemporary ryokan experience from the moment guests step off the elevator on the 28th floor, a first for the city.  Welcomed with a cup of green tea by specially trained staff, guests are asked to remove their shoes and provided with slippers, or they can simply enjoy the feel of rush-grass tatami mats on bare feet as they pad to their room or suite.

Alastair McAlpine.

Seating is low-slung, doors slide silently and washi paper headboards look over luxurious futon-style sleeping platforms. Amenities include yukatas (relaxed cotton kimonos), a mini-bar featuring curated selections, and a bathing stool placed in the shower area.  GENSUI guests also enjoy exclusive access to SABO tea lounge, offering bento-style breakfasts, tea rituals, and evening sake and wine.

Four Seasons Hotel Osaka offers 130 more guest rooms and 24 suites, all with elevated city views from the 29th to 35th floors of the Hotel.  While the lavish Presidential, Grand Osaka and Dojima Suites are the pinnacle of luxury, those in-the-know will opt for one of many rooms and suites situated at the building’s curved and angled corners, opening up panoramic views of the city and beyond.

Destination dining and drinking

In a city currently boasting 85 Michelin-starred restaurants, Four Seasons is again raising the bar with a collection of unique dining and drinking concepts overseen by F&B director Sebastian Gassen and Executive Chef Paolo Pelosi.

Paolo Pelosi.

The hotel’s signature restaurant is Jiang Nan Chun, where authentic Cantonese cuisine is presented in a striking setting that emphasizes an interactive dining experience. Also on the 37th floor is destination cocktail emporium Bar Bota.

Led by Executive Sous Chef Hiroaki Nagaishi, Jardin restaurant was conceived as an airy, garden-like space where guests can enjoy an international semi-buffet breakfast each morning, exquisite afternoon tea sets crafted by executive pastry chef Hafiz Razali in the afternoon, and a menu of classic French dishes each evening. Guests can choose from both indoor and outdoor seating at Jardin.

Two additional venues are Farine, an artisanal bakery that offers light lunches, sweet treats and speciality coffees and teas on the go, and CHA, a quiet oasis infused with Japanese touches offering a handpicked selection of Japanese teas, for in-house guests only.  Both are located on the first floor at street level.

Later this year, the hotel will introduce an 18-seat sushi restaurant with a private dining room for up to six guests on the 37th floor.

Spa and Wellness  

Encompassing the entire 36th floor of the Hotel, The Spa at Four Seasons is a sky-high oasis of relaxation, indulgence and wellbeing.  Five spa treatment rooms – including a couple’s room with private bath – all offer lofty city views.  Wellness facilities also include ofuro (Japanese baths that have been an important part of daily life in Osaka for centuries) and sauna, a 16-metre indoor pool that appears to spill through windows into the city’s network of waterways, and a 24/7 fitness centre with motivating floor-to-ceiling views across the city.

Fouth Seasons Hotel Osaka spa.

Meetings and Events  

The versatile second floor event spaces at Four Seasons feature a 220sqm naturally-lit Grand Ballroom that can be divided into two or three smaller spaces.  A Garden Terrace can be reached from the ballroom or the generous pre-function space, ideal for cocktail receptions and meeting breaks.  Restrooms and a cloak room are conveniently adjacent on the same floor, which can be reached either via elevator, or a picture-perfect staircase from the Hotel’s main lobby.

For more intimate gatherings, the 37th floor Sky Salon stands out as an opulent expression of modern Japan, complete with its own open kitchen and bar, as well as a private restroom.  Lustrous finishes and dazzling skyline views suggest high-level business meetings by day and glittering social events by night.