Review: The Osaka Station Hotel, Autograph Collection

During the planning stages of my second trip to Japan this year, I found out that The Osaka Station Hotel, Autograph Collection, was opening just before I arrived. 

I had already planned to stay the night in Osaka as I didn’t want to rush getting to Toyama on the same day as my arrival from Vancouver. As a result, I took the opportunity to experience The Osaka Station Hotel, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection.

Booking & Check-in

When I was browsing for hotel options in Osaka on Marriott’s website, The Osaka Station Hotel popped up as a brand new property, opening just 3 weeks before my arrival. I was quite impressed by the hospitality in my previous stays at other Japanese luxury properties, such as TIAD in Nagoya, so I was thrilled to book The Osaka Station Hotel for my trip. 

Similar to the Nagasaki Marriott Hotel I stayed at earlier in the year, one of JR Hotel Group’s regional subsidiaries (JR West Hotels) also manages this property. The Osaka Station Hotel has an average nightly rate of ¥80,000 or guests can redeem Marriott Bonvoy points for their stay, with a free night costing anywhere between 46,000 and 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.

This could make the Osaka Station Hotel a great option for redeeming a Marriott Bonvoy Free Night Award if you can find a night under 50,000 Bonvoy points and are able to top up the certificate with your own Marriott Bonvoy points balance.

The hotel is situated in the JP Tower, an office building with a shopping center, KITTE Osaka, on the lower levels. There are two entrances to the property, one on the street just south of the station and one through the shopping plaza.

Finding the hotel’s door in the entrance hall of the mall was a little tricky, but like most Autograph Collection properties, it is very discreet.

An employee greeted me as soon as I entered and guided me to the bank of elevators. Like most higher-end Japanese properties I’ve visited, the lobby was not on the ground level.

In this case, it was on the 29th floor, where panoramic views allowed me to see the area around Osaka-Umeda from high above.

On-property dining options at the Osaka Station Hotel, including a social lounge, an all-day dining restaurant, and a teppanyaki grill are also located on the lobby floor. 

The ‘Water Station’ is a unique social area of the hotel that provides water for drinking or refills, with gachapon machines where patrons can pay for a railway souvenir pin or a “water drop” which are fruit-flavored cubes that can be added to water to enhance its flavor.

Each floor also has a water refill station, a symbol of Osaka’s connection to waterways and access to the ocean.

Location

Only steps away from Osaka Station’s West entrance, getting to and from trains (including the Haruka from Kansai Airport) is extremely convenient.

Most tourist attractions in the city are only a few stops away on public and private railways or the metro. Additionally, this part of the station was recently renovated, so there are escalators and elevators in case you’re bringing a lot of baggage.

Sidenote: The hotel currently shows up as ‘Autograph Collection’ on Google Maps, but it is the correct preview and location for the property.

Parking

Parking is located in the 3rd Basement of the JP Tower/KITTE building. Rates start at 360 JPY for every 30 minutes and 4000 JPY per night (3 PM to noon the next day).

Room – Scenic King, City View

I was upgraded to a Scenic King room from a standard King room, staying on the 34th floor. There were lots of unique design choices that I noticed as soon as I walked in. For example, the sink and counter area was located on its own island, separate from the toilet and shower bathroom areas, similar to an open-concept kitchen.

The closet was next to the bed, in contrast to being in the front entryway of the room. The partition hiding the closet can also be used to separate the living spaces from the bathroom as well.

The separate bath and shower were both spacious, with the toilet in a different room.

The designs on the bathroom amenity boxes are based on Japanese ticket hole punches. All the boxes placed together matched the design on the keycard which I found very cool. Each box also had a small design of the different punches used at major JR stations in West Japan.

On the dining table, a welcome card and some rice cracker snacks were gifts left for me. As well as a box containing some hard candies, rice crisps, and organic dashi tea.

All the drinks in the mini-fridge are complimentary to guests on their arrival date, including a bottle of Sake brewed specifically for the hotel.

Being so high up, it is really cool watching the trains going in and out of Osaka Station from the room, within a few minutes at times.

Room – Allure King

The Allure King is the smallest and most economical of the rooms.

The only difference is that the sink and counter are attached to one of the bathroom walls.

Room – Scenic Corner Twin

One of the larger rooms at the Osaka Station Hotel, the Scenic Corner Twin has panoramic views of the area around the hotel.

With a more unique design, the walk-in closet leads to the bathroom.

The bathroom also has floor-to-ceiling windows, like the rest of the space.

The Scenic Corner Twin room also has a larger living area as well.

Room – Scenic Twin

Lastly, the Scenic Twin, which is similar to my room, the Scenic King. Perfect for families, the room features two twin beds.

Restaurants & Bars

The Moment Grill & Dining – Marriott Platinum Elite Complimentary Breakfast

For the complimentary Marriott breakfast benefit, Platinum Elite members and above receive a voucher at check-in for breakfast at The Moment Grill & Dining.

The buffet breakfast selections were diverse, including Western and Japanese cuisines.

There was a mix of different smoothies, juices, and some morning alcohol including sparkling wine. However, as of early September, sparkling wine is no longer included as part of the Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite breakfast benefit.

Seating inside the restaurant was at capacity so I sat just outside at a table in The Lobby Lounge.

The Lobby Lounge

Serving as a social area, The Lobby Lounge is situated just outside The Moment. This establishment hosts Afternoon Tea services during the day and evening. 

An afternoon sitting will cost 10,000 JPY per person while an evening session will be 12,000 JPY. The afternoon tea is made with Japanese fruits that are in season, so the menu changes frequently.

Teppanyaki Mizuki

A more exclusive and personalized experience, the Teppanyaki Mizuki showcases Japanese teppanyaki fine dining with Osaka’s skyline as the backdrop. With only 28 seats total, including private rooms, reservations at least two days in advance are highly recommended.

Facilities

Fitness Center

There is a fitness center and gym located on the 30th floor of the hotel. With 24-hour access, all guests staying overnight can use the gym equipment inside. Workout clothes and shoes are also available for rent as well.

Ofuro

The Ofuro is a private bath area dedicated to guests staying in suites or in rooms on the 38th floor.

Specialty Salon

Similar to a Club Lounge at a Marriott property, this is a space for those who book suites or stay in ‘Specialty’ rooms located on the 38th floor. Drinks and small snacks are available if you are eligible to enter.  

This is exclusive to guests in those rooms only and not part of the lounge benefit for Marriott Bonvoy Elite members. Instead, members receive complimentary breakfast if they hold a Platinum Elite membership or above.

Conclusion

The Osaka Station Hotel is a gorgeous property for travelers who want the convenience of staying central in Osaka while living in a luxurious setting. Most people think of hotels as just places to stay overnight after a long day, which is true for most tourists or travelers. However, this property showcases history that directly relates to the infrastructure that built up Osaka and the rest of Japan. 

Beyond the physical design elements of the hotel, even small touches around the property showcase Japanese railway history. Some rooms feature an entry light with numbers cut out of the shade, representing Osaka Station’s 150 years of service, coinciding with the hotel’s opening.

Another interesting activity guests can experience is the interactive wall panes that can be viewed with Augmented Reality (AR). Scanning the QR code in the hotel key holder, a link directs you to the hotel’s AR website where you can scan wall panels and activate an augmented reality display. Each pane features a ticket design and showcases a nearby attraction in West Japan that you can visit.

Providing a luxurious stay in the heart of Osaka, the Osaka Station Hotel has unique experiences for guests, great service, and symbolic décor dedicated to the history of the railway in Japan. 

Thank you to Mr. Sunhyuk Song for showing me around the property as well as the rest of the staff for the incredible service they provided. This property will probably be one of my favorites I’ve ever stayed at, not only because of the transportation history and interactive activities but also the uniqueness and design details built into the hotel.