Waldorf Astoria Osaka Opens, the Brand’s First Hotel in Japan
Hilton's top brand arrived in Japan in April 2025 with 252 rooms by André Fu on the upper floors of a tower in Grand Green Osaka, beside Umekita Park.
Waldorf Astoria Osaka opened in April 2025, the first hotel in Japan for Hilton’s most prestigious brand. It occupies floors 31 to 38 of a 39-storey tower in Grand Green Osaka, the large redevelopment of former railway land north of Osaka station, beside the new Umekita Park.
The hotel has 252 rooms and suites, described as among the largest in the city, including two penthouse suites and a Presidential Suite of more than 185 square metres. From this height the views run from Osaka Bay to the mountains of Hyogo.
The interiors are by André Fu, the Hong Kong designer of The Upper House, who also redesigned Dusit Thani Bangkok. He has combined the Art Deco of the original Waldorf Astoria in New York with Japanese restraint: geometric metalwork and lacquer against pale timber and paper screens. Peacock Alley, the lounge found in every Waldorf Astoria, has as its centrepiece a clock made by Seiko more than 140 years ago, in place of the famous clock of the New York lobby.
There are four restaurants and bars, among them Jolie Brasserie, serving contemporary French food, and the cocktail bar Canes & Tales. A spa, a fitness centre and an indoor pool complete the hotel. The owner is ORIX, one of the partners in the Grand Green Osaka development.
The timing was deliberate. The hotel opened as Expo 2025 began on the city’s waterfront, an event expected to bring more than 28 million visitors. But the more lasting effect is on the position of Osaka itself. Japan’s second city has always been known for its food and its commerce, and travellers on the luxury circuit have tended to stay in Kyoto, fifteen minutes away by train, and visit for dinner. With the Waldorf Astoria and the Four Seasons that opened nearby in 2024, Osaka has hotels that give a reason to stay.