The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka Part 1 - The Essence of a Refined Hotel. Marriott Room Upgrade. Pool and Breakfast Review.

Hello.

I’m Dr. Baek from Levc Dental Clinic, Laminate, Sinnonhyeon Station.

Did you enjoy my review of The Ritz-Carlton Millenia Singapore, the place that made me fall in love with the Ritz-Carlton brand?

After that trip, I started thinking that whenever I get the chance, I’d like to build my travel routes around staying at a Ritz-Carlton now and then.

I’ll leave that wonderful review here as a link...

There were quite a few Ritz-Carltons not too far away. In Japan, in fact!

So this is the review from my trip in September.

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The Ritz-Carlton Osaka

(The Ritz-Carlton Osaka)

It is about a 5–10 minute walk from Osaka Station.

I stayed at two hotels, and after passing the Osaka Station Hotel (Autograph Collection) that I visited together with someone else, you’ll find it a little farther on.

This plaque gives a real sense of long history.

The Ritz-Carlton Osaka was planned as part of the upper floors when HERBIS Osaka was built on a vacant site of Hanshin Electric Railway in May 1997. It hasn’t even been 30 years. It turns out the hotel isn’t quite as old as I thought, haha...

The place I’m showing you now is the Ritz-Carlton’s back entrance? Side entrance. Haha.

There is also an entrance on the main street, so it’s easy to tell, “Ah, this is the Ritz-Carlton!”

It is connected underground to the HERBIS complex as well, so even if it rains, you can go to Osaka Station underground.

Such a beautiful lobby.

As always, great interiors come from how stone is used.

The cherry-colored furniture adds even more luxury. Instead of looking old, the interior feels historically elegant!

The concierge area with two beautiful chandeliers.

Staff who are fluent in English and Japanese are on duty. They greeted us kindly.

The cool water on the right-hand side! It has a similar setup to what I saw at the Ritz-Carlton Singapore last time~!

The hallway somehow feels more winding and complex than expected.

The combination of beautiful carpet, elegant stone, and wood. Isn’t that exactly why we come to a nice hotel?

The room I was assigned!! 27th floor, room 1. It was a corner room.

And of course, I couldn’t help but check the Marriott Bonvoy website..?

I booked a room with a rate of around 900,000 KRW based on weekdays for the following month.

Normally, Ritz-Carlton does not follow Marriott Bonvoy status and does not offer upgrades as part of policy.

But perhaps because I was lucky, I received an upgrade to a corner room.

Since it’s on the 27th floor, it isn’t really a high floor. Too bad!~

It cost a little over 100,000 yen... so you can think of it as around 950,000 KRW.

One king bed, corner, guest room

The moment I opened the door, I couldn’t help but say, “Wow!” Haha.

The room was larger than I expected, and it was maintained really cleanly.

A kind staff member also explained the room in detail.

Looking to the right, you can catch a glimpse of the room across the way and the minibar!

As you’d expect, the minibar has everything you could need.

Koreans usually don’t use the minibar much, right? I’m Korean too~ haha.

If you move a little farther forward, you’ll find a room with one king bed, a two-person sofa, and a desk where you can work.

The furniture was really clean, and the overall feel was luxurious to the core.

How did they decorate it so stylishly in such a European way... The framed pictures on the wall also did a great job of creating a wonderful atmosphere.

Outside, it was a city view, so there were mostly buildings.

Well, in Osaka... it’s probably hard to find places without buildings, right? Haha.

I think the view at Conrad Osaka was a bit more impressive. Haha.

It’s already been almost two years since I visited Conrad Osaka.. time flies way too fast..

The benefits available as a Marriott Platinum member are summarized on this one sheet of paper!

The king bed was so comfortable and nice. On the first day, I slept lying down for 12 hours...?

I guess the bed and I were just a really good match~..

It hasn’t even been 30 years, yet it feels so antique~ haha.

The room feels spacious overall, and the atmosphere is really nice.

We can’t leave out the bathroom, right?

As expected, there are two sinks. A good hotel bathroom has two sinks~ haha.

One unique point was that mouthwash was provided, and fresh flowers were also displayed. The quality...!

On the left, there is a bathtub that is large enough for a comfortable half-body soak.

I liked that the focused space on the right was separated on its own. There is also a bidet.

The shower room also seemed nicely separated, and the marble pattern was so lavish that it was unbelievably luxurious. Haha.

The amenities were Diptyque Philosykos, the same ones I encountered at the Ritz-Carlton Singapore.

The scent is so good that no matter how much I use it, it’s still great.

Back at the sink area, I could see more Diptyque amenities there too.

I took the soap as a travel souvenir.... haha.

It’s different from Korea, right? Disposable toothpaste and toothbrushes are provided too. And of course, there’s also a hairdryer.

One day, when I came back after stepping out for a bit, they had left me a small bunch of really delicious grapes.

They were sweeter and more refined than I expected... truly one of the most delicious bunches of grapes in my life.

The cookies and chocolate that came with them were also so good at the Ritz-Carlton Osaka.

Now it’s time to go outside, right? Haha.

This is the lounge on the first floor.

It’s a really luxurious space... but it was completely packed with people!

When I visited, it looked like they were running some kind of event in collaboration with Cath Kidston.

I didn’t get to go on this trip, but since a cup of coffee was under 20,000 KRW, it’s cheaper than in Korea.

Right across from the lounge is a bakery.

Of course, selling bread is nice... but the space next to it is a place that only sells chocolate!

My wife and I went there and kept taking pictures because it was so nice and interesting haha. It’s a shame we didn’t get to buy and try anything there......

I asked, and they said anything bought from the bakery could be eaten in the lounge. I think you’d probably need to order coffee separately..

Swimming pool and gym

The spa & fitness facilities are on the same floor.

Why does this sign you see after getting off the elevator look so cool~ haha.

The gym is on the right-hand side on the way to the locker room.

You can work out in a space that is truly spotless and neatly organized.

They also provide simple drinks.

The locker room is shared by guests using the gym and pool.

No need for more words—completely immaculate.

This is the inside of the locker room, which I was able to photograph because no one was there.

Everything was prepared, even items for shaving.

How can white stone look so bright, beautiful, and perfectly suited like that..

I’m jealous of Japan for having seven Ritz-Carltons like this.

The indoor pool was somewhat short in length, but it was still a good space for two people to enjoy.

The depth was 1.10–1.20 m, so it can be said to follow a typical pool depth.

You have to wear a swim cap and goggles to use it.

I didn’t have a light blue swim cap, so I borrowed one here.

It’s just a very ordinary indoor pool.

If you go outside, it’s not really an outdoor pool, but rather a rooftop garden with a small jacuzzi.

You can see quite well-maintained plants there.

If you lie there... under the shade, you’ll understand what a relaxing break in the middle of the city really is. Haha.

Artificial, yes, but without any lack of charm, the rooftop garden ^^

The sunlight was so intense that I couldn’t stay in the jacuzzi for long, but since it was just the two of us, we had a fun time.. haha.

The brand that made me fall in love in Singapore, ‘Ritz-Carlton.’

The hotel was so beautiful, and the quality of service was so high that it made me think I must visit more of them when I can.

Unlike the Ritz-Carlton in Singapore, the Osaka property is not a standalone building, so even though the age is similar, it seems to have a different atmosphere, almost like the difference between Grand Hyatt and Park Hyatt.

It had a more urban feel, and as expected, it gave off a sense of history and tradition while still feeling clean and luxurious.

I couldn’t capture it in photos, but the floor where the restaurants are located has an overwhelming charm.

The famous bar that requires reservations, plus the Japanese restaurant and Chinese restaurant, are all truly remarkable places..

And the place where we had breakfast was so great too, so I’d like to introduce it in the next part.

Thank you for reading this long post today as well.

This has been the everyday life of Dr. Baek, a dentist!!