IHG Hotels & Resorts operates 19 hotel brands with more than 6,400 hotels in over 100 countries. In Japan, IHG Hotels & Resorts currently operates approximately 47 hotels under seven brands from Hokkaido to Okinawa (as of June 30, 2024). In this issue, we asked Tomoko Nakagawa, general manager of Rihga Royal Hotel (Osaka), about the charms of the area surrounding the hotel.
Facility name: Rihga Royal Hotel (Osaka)
Location: 5-3-68 Nakanoshima, Kita-ku, Osaka City
–How did you come to work at Rihga Royal Hotel (Osaka)?
When I was a student, I was often asked for directions by foreign tourists on my way to school. I wanted to not only tell them where to go, but also to properly convey the history and traditional culture of Japan, and I have studied English ever since. I wanted to find a job where I could make use of the language skills I had learned, so I joined RIHGA Royal Hotel, which at the time had the largest number of foreign guests of any hotel in Osaka.
–What kind of hotel is it?
Since its establishment in 1935 as the Shin-Osaka Hotel, the predecessor of the Shin-Osaka Hotel, based on the desire of Osaka’s political and financial circles to “bring a modern hotel for distinguished guests to Osaka,” the hotel has welcomed guests of state, the Imperial Family, and many others over the past 90 years, and continues to contribute as Osaka’s guest house. In June 2023, the hotel joined IHG Hotels & Resorts and is currently undergoing a major renovation. In 2025, the hotel will be reborn as the “Vignette Collection” brand.
–What is the unique experience of Rihga Royal Hotel (Osaka)?
The hotel offers a wide variety of services and facilities: in addition to 1,000 guest rooms, there are 20 restaurants and bars, including the Grand Maison Restaurant Chambord, which reopened in August 2024, and an open-air indoor pool, one of the largest in the country. There is also the Gourmet Boutique Melissa, a take-out store offering approximately 3,000 different products including breads, cakes, and side dishes, allowing guests to enjoy a diverse range of experiences within the hotel.
–please let me know if you have any personal favorites tourist spots or restaurants in the vicinity of the hotel.
One of the recommended facilities nearby is the Osaka Nakanoshima Art Museum. The museum has a distinctive black cube-shaped exterior and a “passage” in the atrium inside the building. The museum has an extensive collection focusing on modern Japanese art, and you can also enjoy contemporary art. Enjoy a cultural moment within walking distance from the hotel.
–What restaurant menu do you recommend?
At Teppan-yaki Naniwa, our expert chefs use the finest ingredients available at the hotel, and cook them to perfection in front of your eyes. The dishes are prepared to bring out the best flavor of the ingredients, and the 200 varieties of wines available at any given time are a marriage of all five senses.
–What souvenirs do you recommend?
We recommend the “Planet Chocolates” that are popular at the “Gourmet Boutique Melissa” take-out store on the first floor of the hotel, which are shaped like the eight planets of the solar system. These bonbon chocolates are full of artistry, with motifs of the Earth and Mars, and each piece has a different color and unique flavor.
© Source travel watch
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