Four Seasons Hotel Osaka — Hotel in Osaka

We had high expectations for the brand-new Four Seasons Osaka, and were especially excited to have booked a room on the Gensui floor, which is marketed as being an exclusive hotel-within-a-hotel ryokan experience.||Unfortunately, our sense that Gensui isn't ready for prime time hit us as soon as we checked in. In some hotels, a club-level floor offers its own personalized check-in. Here, rather than being checked in at the front desk, we were ushered up to the Gensui level and brought into the Sabo lounge where we were handed off to a woman who, while very well-meaning, had difficulty communicating with us in English (though she was not Japanese, either) and proceeded to serve us our "welcome tea" in a perfunctory manner (it was a glass of iced tea and a jelly on a tray, nothing special) and than rattle off a list of rules and procedures for the floor. I think we had hoped for a warm and gracious welcome like we'd received elsewhere throughout Japan, but this was not it. No "welcome to Osaka!", more like, "we need to know whether you intend to take breakfast in the hotel lobby or in the Gensui lounge tomorrow morning and the day after."||We were also told that the daily happy hour for Gensui guests in the Sabo lounge from 5-8pm was, as of March 1st, no longer complimentary and was 5000 yen per guest -- $60 USD for a couple to sit in a quiet lounge and have a glass of wine? What?||The Sabo lounge is also advertised as offering all-day snacks and tea but if you're expecting the equivalent of a club lounge, you're in for a shock. There are no self-serve snacks, waters or sodas, and we asked for a black tea and were told that would be an extra charge, that only green tea was complimentary. I mean, we could have gotten a free bag of black tea from our room if we'd wished, but the lounge could not have been more of an unwelcoming place.||The Gensui floor is also supposed to offer an "exclusive concierge service" for its guests but we never saw evidence of this and based on our interactions with staff on this floor-- who, after two days, still didn't know our names and needed us to confirm our room numbers (again, this is an "exclusive" floor with just a handful of rooms)-- suffice it to say we put our faith in the hotel's main concierge on the ground floor.||Anyone expecting an abundance of goodies and amenities in the rooms -- as is common in many luxury hotels in Japan -- is going to be disappointed. Water was free (but we were asked at check-in how many bottles of water we needed at turndown-- why was this even a question?) -- as were very small packets of nuts, coffee, and tea-- and the so-called "exclusive minibar" offered to Gensui guests was just an ordinary minibar; not sure why this is marketed on the hotel's website as being a perk (it also wasn't free, even for non-alcoholic items, FYI -- again, not out of the ordinary, but if you're going to advertise this as a perk on your exclusive floor, put some effort into it).|The toiletries offered with the room paled into comparison to the toiletries offered at hotels half the price, like the Andaz in Tokyo or even the Ace in Kyoto.||On the plus side, our room was spectacularly beautiful and indeed very very special. It's a shame these rooms aren't simply marketed as tatami rooms at a slight upcharge without the misleading nonsense about how the Gensui floor is a prestige, exclusive hotel-within-a-hotel. It simply isn't, and if you're expecting the Four Seasons equivalent of the Ritz Carlton Club Floor, you're going to be in for a shock. It wouldn't take much for the Four Seasons to improve the Sabo lounge, add self-serve snacks and an all-day lounge type environment, and hire the best of the best to staff the floor competently and with warmth and character and real Japanese hospitality.||As for the rest of the hotel-- it is exquisite. The staff at the front desk was warm and hyper-competent, the bar on the top floor is sleek and offers fantastic views, and breakfast at Jardin was a daily highlight. Our server at Jardin not only recognized us our second morning, but called us each by name and remembered our order. That's the level of Four Seasons service the rest of the hotel offers that is simply missing from Gensui.||Though we offered genuinely constructive feedback to management, we were offered a "comped" happy hour at Sabo where we found ourselves the sole people in the silent lounge and wondered why on earth anyone would pay $30 a person for the privilege. I did write a kind and constructive email to management after our stay that went unanswered. At this point, 3 weeks after our checkout with not a word from the hotel, I feel that I can only be honest at this point and post this review for others to see. I have not seen from the hotel any effort at recognizing that the Gensui floor is not yet a fully fleshed out concept, and at no point was there any sort of service recovery or even acknowledgement of our concerns.||It's as shame. If I come back to Osaka, I would have said after our stay that without hesitation I would stay at the Four Seasons again on one of the "standard" floors. However, at this point, the hotel doesn't seem interested in client feedback and I think there are other hotels (the Waldorf-Astoria, the Ritz-Carlton) that can compete on equal footing, if not...

There’s so much to highlight about that I have to do it while I’m currently staying in the hotel. From the start from reception till now, receptions was a blur, didn’t explain much and introduce himself. Just briefly pass me the key expect me to know everything.

Next I went to ofuro(Japanese onsen), front desk 2 of the lady are so arrogant and insincere, that’s not the way of Japanese service. That made me refused to go back to enjoy my onsen again. Other than that, Yuko san was kind and genuine, I’m pity for her that she has to work with these kinda colleagues and management.

So this morning we went for breakfast, again the front desk lady was so attitude that I almost want to point it out on the spot but I could not be bothered to deal with her as I’m on my holidays. I was with a 15months old baby, she placed me at a cold seating that’s crowded with many other guests, when I request to change seat, she show me the attitude that I’m asking too much. After that she’s walking around with her attitude and heavy footstep which I realise alot of the female stuff shoes stepping noise is heavy and noise. Should staffs should be discreet and gentle. It was chaotic and unpleasant breakfast. Not a single staffs has greeted my 15months old baby, everyone look pass her and treated her like invisible or hoping that she’s not making any noise. Such a shame.. not baby friendly at all..

I asked for a 5pm turn down service because I want to prepare for baby girl to sleep at 6 but when I got back the room at 530pm it wasn’t done at all. However the turn down China lady was very kind.

I was impressed with the hotel design and interior . Husband and I want to find out who is the designer, when I ask concierge her respond was of course she don’t have the answer and reply me with “this is special design for four season” so what does it indicate? That’s very unprofessional response. Some 5stars hotel even come out a book album about the designers art pieces for the hotel.

I’m very disappointed with the service that’s provided. My husband been I travel around the world and live in diff hotels every month. This is one of the worse four season we stay. The service i was getting was worse than.

Ground staffs are trying their best, mid management front desks etc are arrogant and confused. I understand is a new hotel but there’s many new hotels has their grit together and everything is in place. This is not an excuse

If you want FS Osaka to run well, the whole management has to change. This must be from top down. Wrong hiring and hired all the same types of attitudes people.

I can’t wait to leave the hotel and don’t have to deal with...

It has been a while since I have stayed here but nevertheless wanted to posted a review for the benefit of fellow travelers. ||This is a nice hotel. Having stayed at other Four Seasons hotels in Japan a few times and also several other 5 star hotels in Japan, this hotel neither surprised nor disappointed me. While it doesn’t come across as stunning or astonishing, it does look like a pretty decent upscale hotel. It is in a good location. Rooms on the higher floors have good views and they are nicely appointed with several technological upgrades for lights, curtains, TV etc. ||Lobby is fairly small and pretty bland. There is very small seating area for guests. I really felt that they should have left little more space in the lobby with some more seating, and also have some kind of a divider between reception and the walkway to the elevators so the guests will have little more privacy. My check in was not as smooth as the receptionist couldn’t understand English and wasted a lot of time figuring out how to use her system, but one of their managers jumped in and checked me in eventually. I noticed some issues with housekeeping, room service and the restaurants as well, however, none of these were major and given that the hotel just opened at that time, some of these were understandable. ||Breakfast was good and they also have a small bakery/coffee shop right by that restaurant (or part of it). Pastries were nice and I bought some for a friend and she really liked them. The other restaurants weren’t as impressive. While the setting and the views were great, the menus and the taste of the meals were just okay. ||Overall, I would say this is a pretty decent addition to Four Seasons portfolio in Japan even if not the most exciting. I would love to go back but it’s a tough choice between the newly built Waldorf Astoria, Conrad and...