Review: Waldorf Astoria Osaka

While I was previously in Japan in the fall of 2024, Reed and a friend had planned another vacation focusing on the Western part of Japan in April 2025, including Osaka, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka. I was excited to join as my previous time in Japan was unmatched.

When we were arranging hotel bookings, I noticed that the Waldorf Astoria Osaka opened up only a week-and-a-half before our planned arrival date, so it was a must-do.

While Osaka was busy and expensive as a result of the Osaka Expo 2025, I was able to make a four-night booking at the Waldorf Astoria Osaka with minimal effort. I had previously stayed at the Conrad Osaka only a few months prior, so I was interested in seeing how the two properties would compare.

While this was only going to be my second time at a Waldorf Astoria property (the only other time prior being the Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas), I was excited for what was ahead. Let’s get into my review of the Waldorf Astoria Osaka to see what this new luxury property is all about.

Booking

I booked the Waldorf Astoria Osaka for four nights in the 2 Queen Deluxe room type using a combination of Hilton free night certificates and Hilton Honors points. The total cost was two free night certificates and 200,000 Hilton Honors points.

Hilton Honors members can usually find either the King Deluxe room type or the 2 Queen Deluxe room type available for 100,000 Hilton Honors points per night. If you are planning on staying at this hotel for five nights, ensure you take advantage of the fifth night free benefit when booking on points to save even more. Cash rates usually tend to range from ¥85,000 to ¥150,000 per night.

The best way to earn Hilton free night certificates is simply by holding the American Express Hilton Honors Aspire card (US), which offers a free night upon approval, and at every cardholder anniversary thereafter. These free night certificates are mostly unrestricted and offer excellent value at many aspirational properties worldwide.

While I had booked the 2 Queen Deluxe room, I was upgraded to the 2 Queen Premier room in advance of my stay.

Location

Located in the Kita Ward, the Waldorf Astoria Osaka is found in the GRAND GREEN OSAKA South Building.

The Waldorf Astoria Osaka is conveniently located near the JR Osaka train station, making it easy to get around the city from the hotel. Osaka is a very walkable city, so between that and utilizing public transit, you won’t feel too far from your destination when staying at the Waldorf Astoria.

Parking

While it is unlikely that you’ll need to park a car when staying at the Waldorf Astoria Osaka, self-parking is available at ¥4,000 per day, and valet parking is available at ¥6,000 per day.

Check-in

While I flew into Osaka Kansai International Airport (KIX) on Air Canada Signature Class, Reed flew into Narita International Airport (NRT) on Zipair Full-Flat. While Reed had a bit longer of a trip from Tokyo via the Shinkansen, it took me a little over an hour via train to arrive at the Waldorf Astoria Osaka.

It is pretty easy to locate the Waldorf Astoria Osaka, as there are many signs if you are coming in via the pedway.

If you are accessing the hotel from the outdoors, it’s quite easy to find via Google Maps. You’ll know that you are close once you see the signage or the striking wood doors to the main floor lobby.

Once inside, you’ll need to take the elevator up to the 29th floor to check in. Staff members are available to take your luggage on the main floor if you are checking in, and will deliver it to your room later.

After arriving on the 29th floor, a brief walk will take you to the gorgeous lobby with a water feature in the middle.

Check-in was efficient, and we were provided with two pieces of paper, which included the Hilton Honors Diamond benefits offered at this property, in addition to details about Waldorf Astoria Osaka.

Most notable is that Diamond members receive daily drink tickets and a 25% discount at all on-property venues for dining and drinks, so make sure you charge your purchases to your room to avoid any issues in receiving this discount.

Our daily drink tickets were also provided at check-in, with a special exception that they could be used for three people as a result of a proactive resolution involving an issue with our booking. 

Diamond members should expect to receive drink tickets that can be used for two people; more details on the challenges we faced with the drink tickets can be found in the section of this review on Peacock Alley.

After the check-in formalities were completed, we headed up to our 2 Queen Premier room on the 36th floor.

Room – 2 Queen Premier Room

The 2 Queen Premier room opens up to a luggage storage area with clothes hangers directly beside the entrance. The in-room safe is located in one of the drawers.

Moving past the bathroom, the 2 queen beds are located in the main section of the room. To the left of the two beds is a solid wall, offering the bathroom full privacy.

The majority of the room controls were located on the right nightstand. The tablet controls the majority of the room settings in addition to the four switches on the nightstand for quick room controls, such as turning on and off the bedside lamp.

The tablet offers additional room controls, such as setting the thermostat, opening and closing the blinds, and setting the room as “do not disturb” or requesting housekeeping.

To the right of the beds is a minibar and coffee area.

A coffee machine, still and sparkling bottled water (refilled daily), as well as various glassware and minibar spirits, were available.

The unit’s drawers contained coffee pods, additional glassware, and minibar beverages.

There is also a kettle, an ice bucket, and various minibar snacks available.

A small seating area is directly in front of the window, making it a great place to enjoy both the sunrise and the sunset.

The view we had from our room was gorgeous, with sweeping views of the Osaka skyline.

A chair with a small table is the closest you will get to a desk in this room. While still functional, there aren’t any great options for places to get work done, as the room is missing a more conventional desk.

There was a small welcome amenity of fresh strawberries placed on the table for us, plus a welcome note.

A modern smart television is mounted on the wall at the foot of the bed.

Moving back to the bathroom, an elegant double vanity with sufficient counter space and lighting sets the stage for what might be the best parts of the room.

The hotel provides a whole range of amenities, including razors, toothbrushes, and more. A Dyson hairdryer is also provided, which is an absolute treat compared to the quality of hair dryers that are normally offered at hotels.

The bathtub is located directly opposite the vanity.

Robes are also provided for each guest.

The far end of the bathroom is where both the shower and toilet are located, on opposite sides. The shower offers both a standard and a rainfall showerhead. The toilet was the most modern toilet I’ve encountered so far, with an auto-opening lid and all the features you could dream of.

Full-sized Aesop toiletries are provided throughout the bathroom and are of excellent quality.

Simply put, the quality and design of the rooms at the Waldorf Astoria Osaka are excellent. The hotel still had that “new hotel smell” and the room had zero wear and tear since it was so new.

Restaurants & Bars

Jolie Brasserie – Hilton Honors Gold Complimentary Breakfast

If you are a Hilton Honors Gold or Hilton Honors Diamond member, Jolie Brasserie is where you will enjoy your complimentary daily breakfast for two. Additional guests can attend breakfast at a rate of ¥5,500.

Breakfast is offered from 6:30 am to 10:30 am during the week, and until 11:00 am on the weekends and holidays. Jolie Brasserie also offers lunch and dinner, but we didn’t dine here outside of breakfast (and neither should you with Osaka’s excellent food scene).

Jolie Brasserie is located next to Peacock Alley and is near the elevators that take you to the 29th floor. It is a sizable space, with gorgeous views of Osaka.

The Hilton Honors complimentary breakfast at Jolie Brasserie includes the buffet plus an a la carte menu, which guests can order from. There are several egg dishes, sweeter options, and a few Japanese breakfast options. Throughout our stay, we sampled many of the options on this list.

We found that the egg dishes were on the weaker end of the spectrum and were just ok. On the other end of the spectrum, the french toast, waffles, and pancakes were all excellent and a highlight of our mornings.

The buffet, while not as sizable as the one at the Conrad Osaka, still has many choices and includes a variety of Western and Japanese items.

Overall, this was one hotel breakfast that we looked forward to getting up for, as the selection and service were both top-tier. Plus, the lattes were served in a cup that more closely resembled a bowl than a mug, a major plus after those late Osaka evenings.

Peacock Alley

Peacock Alley is what I would consider the lobby bar of the property, as it offers both cocktails and small bites. It opens daily at 10:00 am and is available until 10:00 pm, except for Mondays and Tuesdays when it is open until 11:00 pm.

Peacock Alley is also one of the most striking parts of the entire property, both in the daytime and at night, as it has sweeping views of the Osaka skyline.

A variety of seating is available, whether you would prefer to sit at the bar or cozy up with views of the city.

This was our go-to place to use our Amex US Hilton credits, and we enjoyed many different cocktails over the span of our four-night trip.

Interestingly, Peacock Alley was actually where we had the biggest service shortfall during our stay as a result of the drink tickets I received as part of my Diamond benefits.

When we stopped by Peacock Alley on the first evening, we were told that we could use the drink tickets on champagne, red wine, or white wine. On the second evening, we were told we could also use the tickets to order beer.

We didn’t stop by on day 3, but when we visited on the last evening of our stay, there was quite a bit of confusion. This time, we were told that the drink tickets couldn’t be used for champagne, yet we had ordered it two days prior. We mentioned this, and after some discussion with the staff, they relented and had no issue serving us champagne.

Since we didn’t visit on day 3, we had an extra drink ticket to use as well. This caused confusion with the staff, even though the tickets don’t specify a date they must be used on or that you can only use one per day. After what felt like twenty minutes and a discussion that involved many staff members, they let us order another round to use our last ticket. However, this time, the champagne that was served was cheaper than the one we had 30 minutes prior.

In the end, it wasn’t a huge deal, but the inconsistency was pretty wild. As a hotel, if you are going to offer drink tickets as a status benefit, it needs to be made crystal clear to staff and customers what the terms and conditions of these tickets are. 

We also experienced slow service at Peacock Alley, upwards of 30 minutes for drinks to arrive when ordering another round. These situations are a minor hiccup at worst, but they showcase the lack of consistency you can sometimes expect to see with a newly opened hotel when processes and expectations may not yet be ironed out.

Canes & Tales

Canes & Tales is the other bar on the property and has more of a speakeasy vibe. 

It is located on the 28th floor and is open from 5:00 pm to 1:00 am on Friday and Saturday, in addition to being open from 5:00 pm to 12:00 am on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday. It is closed on Monday and Tuesday.

It’s a much smaller space than Peacock Alley, but we had no issue getting seats as a group of five later in the evening.

We only stopped by here once for one last drink after a night out. The service was great, but the drinks were just fine. If you can find time to check it out, it’s worth a visit, but definitely not as good as many of the other bars you can find in Osaka.

Tsukimi

Tsukimi is a sushi and teppanyaki restaurant on the 29th floor that is open from 5:30 pm to 9:30 pm every day, except for Tuesday and Wednesday when it is closed.

We did not dine at Tsukimi during our stay, and no menu is available online as of writing.

Facilities

Fitness Center

The Waldorf Astoria Osaka’s fitness center is open 24 hours a day and is located on the 30th floor.

There is a locker room available if needed, and there is also a station that offers towels and bottled water as needed. If you find that you need more water than what is provided in the room, it’s well worth it to stop by the gym to grab a few bottles for later.

The fitness center offers a comprehensive space for working out, whether you are more interested in cardio or weight lifting. It was never busy when we visited, and it offered nice views of the city.

Pool

The pool is also located on the 30th floor and is open from 6:30 am to 10:00 pm daily. The infinity pool is striking, with great views of the city.

There is also a Jacuzzi available on the pool deck. A sauna is also available for guests who want to indulge.

Similar to the gym, the pool was never busy when we visited.

Spa

The Waldorf Astoria Osaka spa is also located on the 30th floor and is open from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm.

We didn’t inquire about any treatments during our stay.

Library

Located on the 30th floor, the library is a bit of a unique space as it offers what I would consider “Executive Lounge” vibes without being a lounge.

The Library offers a variety of seating, nice views, but not much else past that. I’m not sure if this was intended to be a lounge at some point and they scrapped the idea, or what, but it feels like an odd space that doesn’t have much of a purpose.

On the plus side, free coffee is available all day, so if you want a cup, the Library is a great place to stop by.

Conclusion

The newly opened Waldorf Astoria Osaka provided an excellent stay, and this property will only continue to improve from a service perspective as the team gains experience in the months and years to come, post-open. 

Next time I am in Osaka, I would consider both the Waldorf Astoria Osaka and Conrad Osaka as equally great options to book with Hilton Honors points or free night certificates. You really can’t go wrong with either of these high-end Hilton properties if you are interested in an elevated stay while in Osaka.