Mar 14, 2014, 3:38 am
The email address (as of April, 2019) to contact the hotel concierge in advance of your stay is: [email protected]
They can help make restaurant reservations, etc.
This is not on the website.
St Regis Osaka, Japan [Master Thread]
May 4, 2017, 12:40 pm
May 4, 2017, 1:07 pm
I have three upcoming nights in Osaka.
I have an approved BRG claim at the Sheraton. Would book two rooms there at a rate of 9,225 JPY per night per room (including taxes/service charge).
I just sent in a BRG claim for the St. Regis as well, and if it gets approved, the rate would be set to about 26,800 JPY per night including taxes/service charge.
So we're looking at about 160 USD vs. 240 USD per night, for 2 people.
I don't mind sharing the room, but would of course "lose" 1 stay/3 nights for requalification.
I have SPG Platinum status. Is the St. Regis worth the premium?
It's our first time in the area.
Thanks!
May 4, 2017, 4:48 pm
I also read that it's very hard to get upgrades at the Sheraton.
The St. Regis is so expensive that two separate rooms aren't really an interesting option.
To those of you who love the SR Osaka so much: Have you stayed at other SR properties? Is it also great compared to other SR hotels?
I just stayed at the SR in Bangkok, Langkawi and Kuala Lumpur and loved it. But I also read that the one in Osaka is quite small and doesn't even have a pool (not that we'd be likely to use it, I just think it's a bit strange for a SR not to have one...).
Thanks!
May 4, 2017, 6:27 pm
I have three upcoming nights in Osaka.
I have an approved BRG claim at the Sheraton. Would book two rooms there at a rate of 9,225 JPY per night per room (including taxes/service charge).
I just sent in a BRG claim for the St. Regis as well, and if it gets approved, the rate would be set to about 26,800 JPY per night including taxes/service charge.
So we're looking at about 160 USD vs. 240 USD per night, for 2 people.
I don't mind sharing the room, but would of course "lose" 1 stay/3 nights for requalification.
I have SPG Platinum status. Is the St. Regis worth the premium?
It's our first time in the area.
Thanks!
They are both great hotels at those price points you mentioned. I'd lean towards St Regis at that price, just because $240 is extremely low for it.
People like to dump on the sheraton osaka but i think it's in an extremely convenient location with plenty of restaurants within walking distance of the hotel. I barely stay in my hotel, so i'd lean towards the sheraton, especially i like to maximize my stays/nights to accrue status, and spend my money somewhere in the city instead.
May 4, 2017, 6:34 pm
I also read that it's very hard to get upgrades at the Sheraton.
The St. Regis is so expensive that two separate rooms aren't really an interesting option.
To those of you who love the SR Osaka so much: Have you stayed at other SR properties? Is it also great compared to other SR hotels?
I just stayed at the SR in Bangkok, Langkawi and Kuala Lumpur and loved it. But I also read that the one in Osaka is quite small and doesn't even have a pool (not that we'd be likely to use it, I just think it's a bit strange for a SR not to have one...).
Thanks!
May 4, 2017, 8:41 pm
May 4, 2017, 9:19 pm
Actually i have upcoming stay at st. regis san francisco in next couple of days but decided to cancel it and booked at the ritz carlton instead (found very attractive and much lower rate there through marriott brg claim.)
I hope many more to come later this year. (Maybe, Kuala Lumpur, Macau and New York)
Last edited by 3rdworldresident; May 4, 2017 at 9:25 pm
May 5, 2017, 5:38 am
My BRG claim was approved and I've canceled the Sheraton.
Looking forward to staying at the St. Regis Osaka!
May 17, 2017, 6:02 pm
What's the best way getting to Itami from this hotel at 6am? Seems very complicated when I checked google. Unfortunately my NH flight needs to goto Narita and not Haneda the same morning for an connection so Kansai is off the list.
May 18, 2017, 12:36 am
I see what you mean, there are no NH flights on the KIX-NRT route.
Oct 30, 2017, 8:22 pm
The St Regis Osaka
3-6-12 Honmachi Chuo-ku Osaka, JP 5410053
Great Hard Product, Lousy Soft (24 Photos)
The St Regis Osaka
I stayed here a while back for two nights, but finally getting around to writing this. Overall, great hard product, lousy soft product.
Check In
Check-in was one of the smoothest experiences I had with staff. As I was staying on an FHR rate, I attempted to check in an hour early, but unfortunately there was a bit of a wait. About half an hour later, I was in my room. Overall, quite pleasant even though I wasn't able to get out into the city as quickly as I would have liked. Like the service I recevied throughout my stay though, there was nothing proactive.
Room
The room was splendid. Although I was upgraded into a smoking room (non-smoking is my preference, but they had allocated me this room and were unwilling to switch me), the room itself was large, and beautiful. Everything was controlled via electronic controls, with blackout curtains and other small adjustments which really made the place feel like mine for my stay.
There was also a "butler box" which is a compartment that the staff was able to leave items in, without having to interact directly with the guests. It was a secure place to leave a newspaper or pressed clothes while the guest is out of their room.
Service
The service was quite pitiful. While the reception staff was pleasant enough, the Butler team was condescending and sometimes outright rude. After being led to my room, I inquired about the complimentary coffee service which bhrubin mentioned. In response, I was told that I could pay for coffee if I wanted some. At no time during my stay was the complimentary pressing mentioned to me.
After re-reading some threads I had created prior to my trip, and double-checking the literature in the room, I was able to enjoy the coffee service and pressing on the second day.
I was also able to call and request the Financial Times on the second day. While the Conrad in Tokyo was proactive in offering a newspaper, the St. Regis made no mention until I had to phone and ask. It's a small matter in the grand scheme of things, but still somewhat annoying.
Dining
The brunch spread was fantastic in depth, but no dish stood out to me. Breakfast comes with the option of one hot dish, so I opted for my usual eggs benedict, but the whole affair was nothing special. After trying it once, I would skip breakfast at the hotel.
I was also able to enjoy lunch at the Italian restaurant, La Veduta. Although I did not make a reservation in advance (it got surprisingly busy later in the day), they were able to accomodate me right as they opened. The food was nice, but again, not particularly flavorful. The pasta carbonara, which I was particularly looking forward to, was undercooked. The lamb was fine. Thankfully, it was covered by my FHR credit, so it wasn't really my loss.
The highlight of dining on this property was actually their curry. It was great comfort food, and perfectly hit the spot after a long day. The spectacular presentation was the cherry on top.
Location
The St. Regis Osaka is located just across the street from Hommachi Station, so it's easy to access the Midosuji line (and thus get to the rest of Osaka). Kyoto is also an easy trip away. The area itself is about halfway between Osaka Station and Namba Station, and a ~10-15 minute walk to Dotonbori. The location really can't be beat.
Overall
Overall, I don't think you get what you pay for here. The location is probably one of the best in Osaka, and the hotel facilities really are beautiful. But the staff makes you feel unwelcome, and that makes for a less than pleasant hotel experience. The food, if it's a consideration, isn't very good, but there is plenty of good food in walking distance.
Oct 30, 2017, 9:10 pm
It seems very odd that your butlers didn't know about complimentary coffee/tea service...and then you mention how you got it from the next day on. So there was a change or resolution? Was there perhaps a language issue?
It also seems odd that you found the butlers to be rude. In Japan, of all places, where everyone is famous for being exceedingly polite. Was language again perhaps an issue?
You also seem pretty harsh on the food, which looked pretty good to me in photos. Reviews of the hotel breakfast and especially La Veduta restaurant are exceedingly high throughout FT and on TripAdvisor, too. Something seems amiss?
Sorry you weren't so impressed by the butler service or the hotel. I'm still looking forward to ending our Japan trip with 3 nights here in May.
Oct 30, 2017, 9:55 pm
It seems very odd that your butlers didn't know about complimentary coffee/tea service...and then you mention how you got it from the next day on. So there was a change or resolution? Was there perhaps a language issue?
It also seems odd that you found the butlers to be rude. In Japan, of all places, where everyone is famous for being exceedingly polite. Was language again perhaps an issue?
As to the coffee issue, I'm not really sure what happened. It's quite possible that it was a miscommunication. When I called down the next day, they had no qualms about the coffee service, the newspaper, or the pressing. I wonder perhaps whether there was a difference in training between the staff members working one day versus the other.
Another possible explanation is that I may not have looked the part of the typical StR guest (it was my first visit to one). I was coming off a detour through Hakone, and was traveling in casual clothes with just a backpack and duffel bag. I doubt that's the reason, but maybe worth mentioning. I had no issues communicating in Japanese or English through my stay, so a language issue is possible, but unlikely.
Oct 30, 2017, 11:07 pm