Hotel Review: Conrad Osaka (King Premium View Room with Executive Lounge Access) - Stunning Property with a Great Executive Lounge but Average Service

The Conrad Osaka is probably one of the nicest Conrad hotels that I have ever been to. The property is connected to Higobashi Station (just one station away from Nishi-Umeda Station which is where the Hilton Osaka is located) on the Yotsubashi Line which takes you to popular stations like Yotsubashi Station and Namba Station. The Conrad Osaka has been on my list of hotels to check out for the longest time and I was pretty excited to stay here for four nights as part of an extended visit to Osaka and Kyoto. The property is also part of American Express’ Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) program and at the time of writing, there is still a 25% discount on the nightly room rate (on top of the usual FHR benefits) for eligible Centurion and Platinum Members when they book before 31 March 2023 for stays completed by 01 April 2023.

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Hotel Lobby
Conrad Osaka

The lobby of Conrad Osaka is located on level 40 (highest floor) of the Festival Tower West on Nakanoshima and as mentioned earlier, the building can be easily accessed from Higobashi Station if you are taking the Metro. Upon exiting the lift on level 40, you will definitely notice the amazing views and also how polished the entire property looks in terms of its design. As a Hilton Honors Diamond member, I was accorded an upgrade from a Deluxe Room to a Premium View Room with access to the Executive Lounge. While the lead-in room category already offers 50sqm of space (which is huge in Japan), it is worth noting that the corner rooms are 66sqm and it comes with a small living area so that is definitely something you should gun for if it is available at check-in.

View from Executive Lounge
Conrad Osaka

The official check-in time for the hotel is 3:00 PM and I arrived on the property at approximately 12:15 PM but was told that the room was not yet ready as the hotel was fully booked the night before - I get told this way too many times so I am always a little bit skeptical on this matter. Strangely, despite knowing that I have Hilton Honors Diamond status, I was not proactively offered access to the Executive Lounge for check-in, or even to wait for my room - this was only accorded after I requested it which I thought was strange for a hotel of this caliber. After spending approximately an hour in the Executive Lounge, I was informed that my room was ready for check-in and since I did reach out prior to my stay to inform the hotel that I would be celebrating my birthday here, I was expecting some additional welcome amenities with my stay (they also mentioned that they would arrange a cake to be delivered).

Bedroom
King Premium View Room - Conrad Osaka

The Premium View Room is stunning and while it does not differ much from the lead-in room category, the Deluxe Room, the view from the room is definitely a good enough differentiating factor. Standing at 50sqm in size, the rooms here at the Conrad Osaka are pretty large with plenty of space to lounge about, and get work done - the bathroom is also beautifully appointed with a massive bathtub but more on that later. Despite being a Hilton Honors Diamond member who is celebrating his birthday at the property, I received no welcome amenities, and no birthday card/note during my stay at all - obviously, this is not a huge matter but it is disappointing that a property of this standard was unable to deliver on such a special occasion. Even the Hilton Osaka where I stayed for just one night offered a box of chocolate pralines and some sweets during my stay in recognition of my Hilton Honors Diamond status.

View from Bedroom
King Premium View Room - Conrad Osaka

However, with all that being said, the view from my room was absolutely stunning and I was fortunately blessed with good weather throughout my stay in Osaka. In some ways, the Conrad Osaka reminds me of the Conrad Tokyo where I have stayed on a few occasions. Depending on where your room is facing, you may have a nice view of the Dojima and Tosabori Rivers but the sweeping views are unrivaled. While staying at a property like that, I sometimes find it pointless to head up to an observatory tower (the Umeda Sky Building in this case) unless you have a lot more time on your hand, and you are looking to fill your day up with activities.

Work Desk
King Premium View Room - Conrad Osaka

With 50sqm of space, the rooms over here at the Conrad Osaka are certainly more than suitable for work trips - the WiFi works without a hitch as expected, and the abundance of daylight makes it a pleasant spot to work from (even though the Executive Lounge is probably more conducive if you have access to that). There is a small chaise lounge that is placed by the window which is perfect for soaking in the views from your very own room or reading a book during the day.

TV and Minibar
King Premium View Room - Conrad Osaka

There is a well-stocked minibar here at the Conrad Osaka with plenty of premium spirits (chargeable, obviously) and beverages to choose from. Each guest room also comes with a 49-inch TV with an extensive selection of cable and satellite channels - there is no way to stream your content from your mobile devices easily to the TV though.

Complimentary Coffee Capsules and Teabags
King Premium View Room - Conrad Osaka

Complimentary coffee capsules and TWG-branded teabags are provided here - these are replenished in the day as well when housekeeping comes in to refresh your room. During my stay at Conrad Osaka back in November 2022, I was informed that evening turndown will not be available due to the COVID-19 situation and they were trying to minimise guest contact to reduce the spread of the virus but hopefully, that has changed by now. I love that a proper tea set is provided in every room and as mentioned in previous hotel reviews, I have always found it to be a form of missed opportunity for luxury hotels in this part of the world when proper teapots and teacups are not provided.

Bose Speaker
King Premium View Room - Conrad Osaka

Every guest room and suite at the Conrad Osaka comes with a Bose SoundLink Mini II speaker which allows you to stream your audio content via Bluetooth easily - you can obviously link it up with the laptop or your tablet to watch your favourite movies for a more immersive experience.

Plush King-size Bed
King Premium View Room - Conrad Osaka

I definitely struggled to get out of bed while staying at the Conrad Osaka - the beds were on the firmer side but the plush topper and bedding make it an absolute delight to sleep in (you would appreciate the support if you are older like me). Housekeeping also does an amazing job every morning in making these sheets look, and feel like new, even if they were not replaced on a daily basis.

Conrad Osaka Duck and Bear
King Premium View Room - Conrad Osaka

Travellers who frequent Conrad hotels around the world may find themselves collecting these Conrad bears and rubber ducks from different properties. Much like Conrad Tokyo, Conrad Osaka provides a unique set of collectibles in each guest room - the Conrad bear featured autumn colours (since I visited in November 2022) and these typically change with the season. I also noticed that there was a Halloween edition while checking in but I did not manage to get my hands on one, unfortunately. While these memorabilia might be fun to collect, you might find yourself with way too many of them at some point so think before you start collecting them because there is seriously no end to it.

Double Vanity Sinks in Bathroom
King Premium View Room - Conrad Osaka

The bathroom is certainly one of the most well-designed ones that I have encountered in recent years - it is not only elegant, but more importantly, it actually occupies a large enough space (out of the 50sqm) with an ingenious design to make the entire room feel and look larger than it already is. It comes with double vanity sinks as well as a separate wet area where you will find the massive round bathtub and a standing shower that is complete with a rain shower head.

Round Bathtub
King Premium View Room - Conrad Osaka

You will find most of the personal amenities that you need here in the bathroom - cotton pads, cotton buds, toothbrushes, and the works. While the round bathtub is massive, it actually does not take that long to fill as the water pressure is excellent - if you saw my IGS updates on Instagram, you would have seen the crazy amount of bubbles that have been created effortlessly by simply turning the tap on.

Bath Amenities from Byredo
King Premium View Room - Conrad Osaka

To reduce the use of single-use plastics, Conrad Osaka provides these bulk-size bath amenities from Byredo - this is consistent with global brand standards and most Conrad properties that I have been to recently (except in Bali) use the same brand and fragrance. Mojave Ghost is probably one of the most popular fragrances from Byredo and it smells of magnolia and sandalwood which is suitable for both genders.

Bathroom
King Premium View Room - Conrad Osaka

The toilet is also tucked away separately and truth be told, I actually struggled with finding it as it was located near the entrance behind a wooden door without a handle - having the toilet separate from the bathroom makes a lot of sense for people sharing the room. The entrance to the room is dimly-lit and actually now that I think about it, the entire lift and walkway to the guest rooms were pretty dark as well. I always joke about the positive correlation between the price of the room in Japan and the number of buttons you have on your Toto Washlet - you will definitely find more controls here at the Conrad Osaka when compared to the Hilton Osaka.

Seating Area
Executive Lounge - Conrad Osaka

The best perk of Hilton Honors Diamond has got to be guaranteed access to the Executive Lounge - in cities like Tokyo and Osaka, the premium that one has to pay for an Executive Room is a lot more when compared to the lead-in room category (but rightfully so). The Executive Lounge of Conrad Osaka is located on Level 39 of the property - access is granted to Hilton Honors Diamond members, as well as those who have booked an Executive Room, or Suite. During my visit, the Executive Lounge operates from 11:00 AM and 12:00 PM from Mondays to Thursdays, and Fridays to Sundays respectively. Breakfast is not served in the Executive Lounge and only at Atmos Dining Restaurant located on Level 40.

Seating Area
Executive Lounge - Conrad Osaka

Unlike the Executive Lounge over at Hilton Osaka, the lounge here at Conrad Osaka definitely feels a lot more premium. Having the lounge located on one of the highest floors of the building ensures sweeping views of the city which is stunning in the evening when cocktails and canapés are served from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. There was no need to pre-book a slot unlike the Hilton Osaka but I did notice that the selection of hot food was rather limited (and they tend to be snatched up rather quickly, which was surprising to me). The seats by the window are obviously the most popular so you might want to come at least 15 minutes beforehand to get a good seat if that is something of importance to you.

Selection of Wines and Beers
Executive Lounge - Conrad Osaka

Despite the relatively high price point of the Conrad Osaka, the only sparkling wine that was offered at the lounge was the Espace of Limari Special Edition Brut which retails for JPY 1,500 on average. In comparison, the Hilton Osaka (which is typically half the price) offers Chandon Brut Sparkling Wine (not great, but better than whatever Conrad is offering) in the evening. I was also surprised to see that no sake or whisky was offered in the Executive Lounge which I felt like was a bit of a missed opportunity.

Selection of Spirits
Executive Lounge - Conrad Osaka

There were quite a few bottles of spirits on offer but the lack of Japanese whisky (even the blended ones were not available) felt strange for a hotel of this caliber. Executive Rooms at the Conrad Osaka are priced at approximately JPY 30,000 (before applicable taxes) more on average per night and that’s quite a significant amount so I do not think it is unreasonable to expect a much more premium selection of spirits during the evening.

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The selection of hot food that was offered in the Executive Lounge was decent and it does change quite drastically each night so you will probably not get sick of it if you are lucky enough to stay for a relatively long duration but I did find more misses than hits with the hot food.

View of Osaka City
Conrad Osaka

The beds over at the Conrad Osaka are extremely comfortable and honestly, I needed to make a real commitment to getting out of bed every morning even though I typically do not. When I visited the property late last year, the Executive Lounge is not open for breakfast so Diamond members are offered a full buffet breakfast experience at Atmos Dining which is located on Level 40 of the hotel (the same level as the check-in desk). The entrance to Atmos Dining is located near the lifts to the guest rooms so it makes a lot of sense but it can get pretty crowded even though there are only 164 rooms and suites here.

Breakfast
Atmos Dining - Conrad Osaka

Breakfast at Atmos Dining is pretty good but in all honesty, it wasn’t as good as I thought it would be - the items on the a la carte menu are great, and I love that they do have a daily special which changes to incorporate a bit of variety into the breakfast experience but the buffet spread was pretty ordinary, and nothing really stood out. Do note that the breakfast special is limited to one order per registered person, and extra orders will incur an additional charge. While the a la carte dishes were good, I did encounter quite a number of hiccups during the breakfast service which ranges from items not being delivered at all, coffee taking more than twenty minutes to be served, and also the general lack of service.

Selection of Japanese Dishes
Atmos Dining - Conrad Osaka

I am typically quite an early riser so I tend to get to the restaurants ahead of the breakfast crowd. Therefore, I was pretty surprised to see a general lack of service after being seated at the table (even though the restaurant is not at capacity yet). As mentioned earlier, the made-to-order dishes are mostly really good, and I truly enjoyed the Okonomiyaki Benedict which was delicious.

Okonomiyaki Eggs Benedict
Atmos Dining - Conrad Osaka

However, on some days, the orders that I have put through never arrived and since additional orders of daily specials are chargeable, it did cause a bit of confusion - definitely not the kind of drama you want to deal with bright and early in the morning.

Japanese Persimmon
Atmos Dining - Conrad Osaka

There was a good selection of sliced fruits and whole fruits on offer at the breakfast buffet - guests may also request for the whole fruits to be sliced. I particularly enjoyed the Japanese Persimmon (fruits from Japan are truly on a different level) but the presentation differed quite drastically throughout my short stay - it was served beautifully on the first day with silver dust but on other days, it was pretty sad-looking without all the bells and whistles.

Bedroom
King Premium View Room - Conrad Osaka

The Conrad Osaka is a stunning property with beautiful guest rooms and suites that offer a fantastic view of the city. The Executive Lounge is adequate and a nice respite after spending the day out exploring the city, but I also feel like it should be more especially since it is usually more than double the price of the Hilton Osaka. The lack of premium spirits and wines during the evening cocktail service was also slightly disappointing since Conrad Tokyo offers so much more. Obviously, the property should also pay more attention to details - I was told that special birthday amenities will be provided during my stay but they never came, and the missing breakfast orders, as well as slow service, is something that is not expected for a hotel on this level. I am not implying that Conrad Osaka and I would gladly stay there again but there are plenty of luxury hotels in Osaka that are priced within the same price band, and it is hard to justify paying a high price for this property if it does not live up to expectations.

Conrad Osaka
3-chōme-2-4 Nakanoshima, Kita Ward, Osaka, 530-0005, Japan
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