osaka hotels

My wife and I recently stayed in the Ritz-Carlton, Osaka. When we had asked friends where to stay in Osaka, they unanymously said that this was the best hotel in the city... and they were right. This perpetually busy hotel is fantastically well-located in Umeda and is brilliantly appointed. It was perfect in December, right before the holidays. The lobby is furnished with a nod to 18th and 19th Century European opulance. The rooms, by contrast, are classic and very comfortable. The hotel has 4 pretty stunning restaurants, a Japanese, a French, a Chinese and an Italian. It also has two bars and a lobby lounge. The wine bar is really cool; it offers 25 different wines by the glass, including some pretty ultra-premium labels, stuff that you'd normally need to buy a whole bottle to taste. If you can swing it, get access to the Club Lounge on the 34th floor. It's very plush and comfy and they serve drinks and food throughout the day. Be warned though; all your fellow guests will be similarly circling the food tables waiting for the next delicious something-or-other that will come out from the hotel's kitchens. When we visited, the hotel was completely full. Amazingly, 90% of the Ritz-Carlton Osaka's business is domestic. Fortunately, everyone here spoke English perfectly (which is not the case for the rest of the city). The thing that I admire most about this hotel are its concierges. They were simply amazing. Without their help, we wouldn't have been able to navigate our way through Osaka. These tireless and always helpful women made recommendations for us, made reservations, printed maps and gave us more help than I have ever gotten from any other concierge in any other city. Their help alone made staying at the Ritz a joy. This is a hotel I would stay in again and again