Some say that the new Conrad is to Osaka what the Park Hyatt is to Tokyo — a landmark property that feels undeniably connected to, and is simultaneously a respite from, the bustling city outside. But while the modern and airy oasis, which opened last year, was certainly designed with the Japanese resort destination in mind, it also takes inspiration from the lofty, ultramodern properties of Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Situated on the 33rd to 40th floors of Osaka’s newest skyscraper, Festival Tower West, the sleek 164-room Conrad Osaka is bathed in tones of silver and walnut, with a few eye-catching pops of red and white.
The arresting lobby gazes over the city’s buzzy Nakanoshima neighbourhood through a floor-to-ceiling wall of windows, while a whimsical white spiral staircase suggests that there are more ethereal design features to be discovered — namely a collection of 389 contemporary artworks. Kyoto-based artist Kohei Nawa’s molecular white bubbles bring your eye skyward in the lobby, while Matsuo Takahiro’s shimmering curtain of crystal shards bring them back down again in the 40th-floor Sky Bar & Lounge.
The spacious rooms and suites, by turns cosy and overtly luxurious, are equally heavenly. Sprawling beds with sleek leather headboards, cherry-red lacquer wall art and tablet-controlled blackout curtains set an international tone, while Japanese touches like matcha tea sets and sobagara pillows (traditional Japanese pillows filled with buckwheat husks) add some more traditional comforts. The rooms’ spa-like bathrooms feature roomy, white, circular soaking tubs and smoky slate walls, while the spa itself delivers ever more sybaritic pleasures. There, guests can relax in yuzu- or sake-infused baths, indulge in an OKO healing head massage, or head to the 20-metre heated indoor pool, sauna, jet bath, and 24-hour exercise room.
The property’s four restaurants and bars are already guest favourites, particularly the all-day-dining Atmos where breakfast is served — think comfort food like homemade tofu, eggs Benedict, and a DIY smoothie station. Kura, the intimate teppanyaki and sushi bar serving haute Japanese specialties, is helping increase Osaka’s epicurean appeal.
