jhm

I just checked in here for 2 nights.

I took the subway - the hotel was well signposted from Honmachi station exit 7 (up the escalator to street level; turn right and then the entrance is to the right around the corner of the building).

They checked me in and nothing was said at all about SPG or platinum benefits. I had to ask whether my number was in the booking - the girl went away to check and came back to confirm that it was. I then asked about benefits ? Only then did she mention:

* a choice of 500 points or US$5 (!) or a drink or a bookmark
* free breakfast
* free Internet

I thought I'd double check about the following:

and I just phoned up to ask whether there's a complimentary mini-bar ? I was told no - the complimentary breakfast is instead of the complimentary mini-bar.

I booked a grande deluxe room and that's exactly what I got (although I think the hotel is full today - there was no availability on spg.com when I checked last week).

/mod
For preopening discussion:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...iscussion.html
/mod

jhm

When I stayed in the St Regis Singapore during its first week of the soft opening period:

http://www.sqtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3160

I received an invite to wine tasting etc.

Here, nothing at all it seems.

RTWSTARALLIANCE

I can accept NOT getting any type of upgrade with opening day. Stepping back from P amenities which are published and at least by us confirmed would not be a good thing. We are there in a couple weeks so hope all is sorted out by then. Any information and reports appreciated. Thanks.

pelapela

Well...you are suppose to get invited to the evening "Sake ritual" at roof top garden as this is stated on the web page.

jhm

So that's what it was! Next to the St Regis bar is the rooftop garden and there were lots of sake barrels there when I walked past yesterday. However, I thought it was some private opening event. Certainly no invitation received here.

RTWSTARALLIANCE

Let us give them a chance to get going. I will get them on the right track if necessary in a couple weeks.

broadwayboy

My email to Concierge sent to stregis dot osaka@ stregis dot com went unanswered. Is there another email address where I can send my requests for an upcoming trip?

jhm

reservations dot osaka @ ... I've made requests there and had replies.

Barefootdr

jhm...domo arigato for the first in-field reports on St R Osaka for Plats & arrival by subway info- all very helpful.

RTW...Seems like you will have everything ready and in place for us by the time we arrive there in December

RTWSTARALLIANCE

I will report from the Hotel in a couple weeks.

jhm

Some more info from my two night paid stay there.

Namba station is only a few minutes by taxi up Midosuji (the road next to the hotel) so on an early Sunday morning and with a ticket bought the day before, I got into a taxi at 7:45 and was sitting on the Nankai rap:t train at 8:00 for KIX. I asked about a taxi when I was checking out but 5 minutes later (when I went downstairs) they were still trying to flag one down so best to allow some time for this.

I had the (free) breakfast twice in the Italian restaurant "La Veduta" (situated on the 12th floor along with the St Regis bar and the hotel reception). To be honest, the selection was disappointing (which is not always the case in Japan - the Westin Tokyo's free buffet breakfast is amazing and one of the best I've come across anywhere in the world) and the Ritz Carlton Osaka's is better. I could order tea/coffee and egg dishes from a server. The buffet had no Japanese items at all. The highlight (!) probably is an Italian prosciutto which you can ask them to carve you a few slices of. There's also a cold Italian risotto - it's served inside a hollowed out parmigiano reggiano wheel from which you help yourself - a bit unusual and I hate to think how hygienic (or not) it may be once lots of people have used it.

I also had dinner in the Italian restaurant one night. I had the full works (a la carte), i.e. antipasti (Livornese fish stew), primo (pumpkin and gorgonzola risotto), secondo (scallop raviolo), secondo (the daily grill special - Japanese chicken) and dolce (tiramisu) along with a glass of wine for each which came to about 28,000 Yen. The food was actually much better than I expected (except the grilled Japanese chicken was very dry) but everything came very slowly (so much so that the waiters were coming by to apologise for the delay). An amuse bouche which I forget now; bread (apparently made by them although it was boring) and olive oil; and grissini (which was nice). A friendly and chatty international staff. Jackets apparently required for dinner (not unusual in Japan).

I didn't try the other restaurant - Rue d'Or (a French brasserie located on street level) - which I think is downmarket compared to the Italian. Beforehand, I'd e-mailed the hotel (on the above e-mail address) and asked them to send me the menus for both restaurants.

I had drinks in the St Regis bar a few times (located next to the rooftop garden). It's too large (cavernous comes to mind) and soulless for my personal liking.

I also used the concierge when asking at reception for a dinner booking that night. Nothing exceptional to note.

On checkout, they tried to charge me as a plat for broadband (1,900 Yen per day per device) which they immediately removed once I pointed it out. However, they didn't charge me for my laundry (two shirts plus dry cleaning of a jacket) and when I pointed this out (I showed them the laundry receipt), I was told this was complimentary ? Perhaps they got it mixed up with the complimentary pressing of two items on check-in.

On writing this, I suddenly remembered that my booking had a 5,000 Yen credit which they didn't mention at all at check-in. I had to phone and ask about it - they confirmed it after taking a while to check and then call me back. It hasn't been reflected at all on my bill so I will write to them to ask about it (and also about the missing plat 500 point amenity).

I had the pleasure of meeting fumitani (a local here on FT) and I agree with him that the property is in a strange location (the business district) for a newly built hotel. The Hilton, Swissotel and Nikko are in much better locations for a tourist.

The St Regis is definitely a better hotel than the Westin but also correspondingly much more expensive. Its location is better than the Westin and the Imperial; but compared to the Ritz Carlton and the St Regis, the Imperial has a much more Japanese feel to it (if - like me - you prefer that sort of thing). Apart from SPG points, location perhaps and the St Regis having the feel of a smaller hotel, I can't say that I felt more comfortable at the St Regis compared to the (much cheaper) Imperial. So for my next stay in Osaka in December, I'm currently undecided.

hoteleksperten

What a great review with attention to details ;-). - I'm going to Osaka very soon. Was about to book St. Regis, but does The Imperial has service of same level?

jhm

Thanks!

It depends what you're after for service. I've never really understood the much touted St Regis concept of a butler. I saw my butler when I was shown to my room. She brought me tea (with two small biscuits). There's an unpacking service but I didn't ask for it nor did she mention it. The next morning, I phoned for some tea and that was brought to me (no biscuits this time). That's all I used the butler for!

If you stay in the Imperial in a club level room, they have an attendant who sits at a desk on each floor by the lifts. I'd imagine they'd bring you tea/coffee as well (although I never asked for it). There's also a lounge too (I haven't seen it).

As far as the other services (e.g. concierge) are concerned, everything is much the same between the two hotels as far as I can tell.

Some other areas where I prefer the Imperial but YMMV:

* In the St Regis, I was allocated a room on the 26th floor (the highest is the 27th). I had a pleasant city view. In the Imperial, they have very nice rooms which overlook the river - during the cherry blossom (sakura) season, you can see the pink coloured trees all along the river.

* The St Regis is right next door to Hommachi subway station. However, as far as I could see (I didn't ask), there doesn't seem to be a shuttle bus service (unlike the Westin and the Imperial which provide several buses per hour to Osaka station).

* The St Regis just has the Italian restaurant (12th floor; no view) and the French brasserie (ground level). The Imperial has a much wider choice of restaurants - French, Japanese, teppanyaki, Chinese, sushi etc.

Although I'm not a great fan of hotel restaurants (preferring somewhere outside), lunch in your hotel can be nice and a nice hotel restaurant is good for entertaining guests. I had lunch at the teppanyaki restaurant in the Imperial - Kamon - good food and the views are nice (24th floor). (Plus you get a 10% discount if you sign up in advance for the free Imperial Club International membership which also gives you various other benefits.)

* I seem to remember seeing an exercise room (?) on the buttons in the St Regis lift but I didn't try it. The Imperial has a not free (discounted for hotel guests but still expensive) fitness club (4,400 sq m2, tennis courts, pool etc).

RTWSTARALLIANCE

Wow. I really appreciate these reviews. It has me questioning our upcoming stays which is a total of six room nights. Now these are SPG FWNs which of course would expire in December 2010 so the idea of a change is remote now. But it has me thinking frankly about the Hilton with its' Lounge.

I also DO NOT understand the Butler system at the SRs. Take that long-term expense and give us a Lounge. How is the SR is terms of being a tourist? Thanks.

Barefootdr

jhm...another very helpful post upon your leaving stay. We are thinking about dinning in the Italian restaurant there, but after reading your comments seems 50/50 +/-...maybe kitchen needs some time to get up to speed. Was also planning to spend some time in the bar, however cavernous/soulless, is well...

How was the mini-bar selection if I chose to pass on the free breakfast option?