Onna Chishin opened the world’s first official champagne hotel, Cuvée J2 Hôtel Osaka by Onna Chishin (2-6-7 Minami-Senba, Chuo-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture) on January 13, 2012.
With the Osaka-Kansai Expo just around the corner, hotels are opening one after another in Osaka in anticipation of an increase in the number of inbound visitors. However, the new Cuvée J2 is somewhat different from these hotels. With “Champagne” as the hotel concept, Cuvée J2 is the embodiment of a destination hotel that will become a destination for travelers who intend to spend their time there.
However, the term “Official Champagne Hotel” may not ring a bell.
Cuvée J2 is a 14-story building with only 11 guestrooms, and is boldly designed with an entrance on the first floor, a sushi restaurant on the second floor, reception on the third floor, and guestrooms on the fourth through fourteenth floors.
Each of these rooms is officially licensed by 11 prestigious champagne maisons (producers), and the rooms are visualized with the producer’s thoughts and history, allowing guests to taste the masterpieces of each maisons while immersing themselves in their worldview. This is the reason why Cuvée J2 claims to be an “Official Champagne Hotel.
The concept is unique in the world, and it took a lot of hard work to realize. General Manager Haruhiko Sanaga said, “There are strict rules for 11 maisons = 11 companies. It was very difficult to squeeze all those rules into one hotel. It was not enough to simply listen to the requests of each Maison; we also needed a sense of unity as a hotel. We had a hard time coordinating these efforts,” he recalls.
The author had the opportunity to stay at the hotel for a trial stay as its opening was just around the corner. The building, designed by architect Shinichi Ogawa, stood out conspicuously in an alley lined with office buildings. The entrance with the “Cuvée J2″ logo displayed in a reserved manner. Stepping into the building, I was surprised to see a small building with a small entrance. ?”. I guess all visitors must be wondering “? I am sure that everyone who visits the building will be wondering, “What is this? I will not reveal the story in this article, as I would like you to experience it for yourself.
The reception is on the third floor. I had imagined a typical hotel reception area, but this place is furnished like a bar. It also serves as a lounge, where one can enjoy a glass of champagne in the evening.
The room prepared for the trial stay was the “Bollinger Room” on the top floor. Bollinger is a long-established house founded in 1829, and is under the royal warrant of the British Royal Family. It was also featured in the “007” movie series, and James Bond is said to have been a favorite drinker (the author has no basic knowledge of champagne).
The room has a bright atmosphere with a white base color and glass walls on two sides. The “Bollinger” logo is found everywhere, including on the bed throw and rugs. The hotel obtained permission to use the logo, and the fixtures are original to the hotel, which was also a very difficult task.
The rooms are equipped with large displays and projectors (only the Bollinger room has a display. ), where visitors can watch videos introducing each maison and its message (of course, regular broadcasts can also be viewed).
In front of the display is a wine cooler where a special bottle of champagne selected by each house, the star of the “Official Champagne Hotel,” is kept chilled. The champagne is included in the room rate and can be enjoyed at any time. Incidentally, the champagne served in the Bollinger room is “La Grand Danée 2014”.
The furnishings and amenities provided are as adequate as necessary. And for those who are not satisfied with just the first glass of champagne, each room is equipped with its own wine cellar. Although an extra charge is required, the price is more reasonable than the same brand of wine served at a restaurant. If you still need more, just call “Champagne Please” on the room phone and the staff will deliver it to your room. It is truly a space where you can immerse yourself in the world of Champagne from check-in to check-out.
I was not very sexy, but the champagne (or should I say “champagne” in this case?) was superb. The champagne (or should I say “champagne” in this case?) was superb. As a beer lover and a beer drinker by nature, it is not proper for me to comment on the taste of the beer, but I finished a bottle of champagne by myself.
When I was offered this trial stay, I did a rough price range check on hotel reservation sites, etc. As of the end of December, the price was around 80,000 per person. It was not inexpensive at all. When I mentioned this to Mr. Sanaga, the general manager, he replied, “On the contrary, I think it is very reasonable. A bottle of the same brand of champagne at a restaurant would cost no less than 100,000 yen, but that is included in the accommodation fee. The price of this champagne is not high at all, but it is a great opportunity to enjoy the world of a Champagne house. It is not expensive to be able to offer this at this price. He says that he hopes that not only Champagne lovers but also complete beginners will stay at the hotel.
The reservation rate for the next six months is 60-70%. The recognition of the hotel is still low. The completion of a hotel is not the goal, but a start. Like other hotels, we welcome many guests, and the guests, staff, and people work together to create the hotel. Champagne is made by the same people. The reason why it tastes so good is because it is aged. I would like to let the hotel mature for a year or two as well, and make it a hotel that is admired like Champagne,” he said, expressing his ambitions.
© Source travel watch
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.
Auto Amazon Links: No products found.