The oh-so-instagrammable W Osaka hotel

Last March, Osaka got its very own W Osaka, luxury lifestyle hotel in Shinsaibashi. The building was designed under supervision from none other than Tadao Ando. The stylish hotel exterior is stunning. The interior is elegant yet playful. And it became a new Osaka hot spot in the blink of an eye. I incorrectly believed that only overnight guests and restaurant-goers could enter the building. So I didn’t even try to go until this visit to the hotel’s cafe space.

W Osaka is located on Osaka’s main boulevard—Midosuji. From Shinsaibashi Station on the Osaka Metro, it’s about a 5-minute walk. The building exterior is all glass and luxury cars are always parked near the entrance. I got to see an Aston Martin, DBX SUV. I never see this model in the city, so I was excited. (Apparently, you could buy an apartment for the price of this car!) It looks so slick against the black building.

And here’s the entrance that’s become a popular photo-spot. It surrounds you in color and seems to be welcoming you into a new world… Then you step into an elevator decorated with pink neon to go up to the “LIVING ROOM.”

The overall theme at W Osaka is the “playfulness of Osaka’s artisans” and here you’ll find a crimson DJ booth, stage in the center and rainbow colored sofas all around. The mood is absolutely vibrant.

You can sit down to a drink or light meal here. It seems like the luxurious sofas were mainly for guests with afternoon tea reservations. But even without a reservation it was easy to get a seat at the bar and customers are welcome to stand too. The drink menu is pretty extensive and very creative. I chose something from the non-alcohol menu. FYI, the small potted plant attached to the rim of the glass is not edible.

I popped into the hotel after work and at first I felt a little out of place amongst the young glamorous crowd. But the staff was extremely friendly and the atmosphere was lighthearted, so gradually started to feel like I belonged. It might be a while before I get to go overseas again, so it felt so nice to be in this new atmosphere. Last month they opened an outdoor terrace and the night pool so it really feels like being in an overseas resort. If you’re a busy person, stop in for a special summer memory. Personally, I’ve just found a reason to buy a new bathing suit!