Conrad Osaka

The Conrad certainly does its bit in affirming Osaka's reputation as Japan's food capital. In a variety of locations across the 40th floor, enjoy a top-notch breakfast buffet at Atmos (the smoothie bar will quickly become a favourite), tuck into sensational wood-grilled seafood at the C:Grill, and get your fill of Japanese cuisine at the glitzy Kura, where your food is prepared and plated at intimate counters. For all your pampering needs, the spa offers an array of treatments from sake-infused baths to the sugar lavender body scrub.

Blending Japanese aesthetics with an edgy flair, the rooms at the Conrad are smooth as silk with soothing, neutral tones, mood lighting and oodles of plush furnishings. Each room enjoys a view of the city through floor-to-ceiling windows — the blackout curtains are controlled by a bedside tablet — but some rooms are much larger with a separate lounge and walk-in closet. The Conrad Penthouse is the grandest at 2,368-square-feet, complete with a dining and bar area, and the show-stopping scarlet, circular bathtub.

There is a nearly endless list of possible experiences, from Nakanoshima's fantastic array of museums on every subject from science to art, the nearby neighbourhoods of Umeda and Namba, which are a feast for the eyes, and the beautiful Nakanoshima Rose Garden. You can also visit the iconic Osaka Castle, let your inner child out at Japan's Universal Studios, or take a boat cruise through the neon Dotonbori district. Back at the hotel, the indoor pool is a great place to chill out for a while - and you might need it after all that!