Autograph Collection Hotels in Osaka

The Osaka Station Hotel is brand new, opening just a few months ago. And yet our stay was comprehensive, warm, and perfect. In fact I’d go so far as to say that this is the new gold standard for Osaka. Firstly, the hotel occupies the top part of the newly opened JP Tower. I love that the tower is connected to Osaka Station and the Osaka-Umeda underground network, making it a breeze to get to by transit even if it’s raining. The hotel entrance from the mall side is subtle and tucked underneath the main mall escalators. Behind a sliding door and corridor are plenty of shuttle elevators to whisk you up to the hotel lobby. The lobby continues the modern and open aesthetic. It’s grand but not lavish, which is what I appreciate the most. After a quick check in process, there is another bank of elevators that takes you to the hotel floors. The rooms are very spacious by Osaka standards. They are very comparable to high end rooms in North America, and the decor absolutely screams “new Autograph hotel” in a positive way. Our room was quiet and warm. The bathroom is open concept and while the toilet (which features a state of the art Toto toilet even with auto toilet seat up down) is roomed off, the combo shower and tub is behind glass which may mean special arrangements if you’re sharing a room with anyone but your significant other. The room and bath amenities are very plentiful. Our room had a welcome box with some famous Osaka golden candy and some kelp tea (which was delicious but did take getting used to). The tea was absolutely delicious and I especially appreciated that wooden hair brushes were provided. Our stay included buffet breakfast at the Hotel restaurant on the hotel lobby floor, but also access to the Private Club Floor lounge. Both were excellent and definitely the best we’ve experienced at any Marriott hotel. The breakfast was very comprehensive with Japanese and Western options, from Clam Miso Soup and chef-prepared Sushi to pastries and fresh fruit. The views were great and the staff went above and beyond to keep guests comfortable. The private club floor lounge was even better in that it was quieter and had lots of delicious drinks and snacks all day. Reflecting on our stay, I found it funny that around the area, everyone seems to call this the “Autograph hotel”, probably because it’s the only one (so far?) in Osaka, but also as if it was it was another word for “Ritz” or “St Regis”. In the US, Autograph hotels under the Marriott branding are one-off and unique but usually not 5-stars. After staying here, I am convinced that not only does this Autograph hotel knock every other Autograph hotel I’ve stayed at out of the park, but it easily passes off as (and probably surpasses) any other modern Ritz or St Regis, and could have been branded as such. This is hands down the best hotel we’ve stayed at, better and more comfortable than Bora Bora. I can’t wait to be back.