Centara, located in the center of Namba on the first line in Osaka, Japan, free Thai three-wheeler tuk-tuk within 5 minutes of walking, including a famous shopping mall with 33 floors
It doesn’t determine everything in travel, but nothing is more comfortable than a good accommodation location. It’s even more so if it’s a trip to Japan. Most Korean tourists move on short schedules. The more time you run out, the more you need a location that can solve transportation, tourism, meals, and shopping at once.
In July 2023, a new hotel with such conditions opened in Osaka, Japan. Centara Grand Hotel Osaka, Thailand’s leading hotel operator, first introduced it in Japan. The preparation period alone was several years, and the 33-story building was built in the middle of Namba.
This year, both the Top Hotel and Luxury Hotel categories in Japan were ranked as the Best of the Best at the Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards 2025, a global travel platform. The award is selected based on actual guest reviews and is given only to the top 1% of hotels worldwide.
Centa is a hotel and resort brand representing Thailand. Its parent company, Central Group, is Thailand’s largest private distribution and complex company, which is close to Lotte Group in Korea. Centara is in charge of the hotel division. Currently, more than 90 hotels are being operated or developed in 10 countries, including Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, and the Maldives.
The Centara Grand Hotel Osaka is in the center of Namba. Namba is Osaka’s representative downtown area with shopping, food and entertainment. Namba Parks, a shopping mall, is located next to the hotel, and Namba City and Takashimaya Department Store are all five minutes away on foot.
It reaches Namba Station through the second floor of the hotel. It is a three-minute walk from the southern exit of Namba Station, and key tourist attractions such as Shinsaibashi, Dotonbori, and Kuromon markets can also be moved on foot. From Kansai International Airport, it takes 35 minutes to get to Lafitna Airport via Nankai Subway Express. The lower floor of the building is naturally connected to the surrounding commercial facilities, making it easy to walk on Namba Street. As a new hotel that sits neatly in the middle of Namba, it is a structure that can solve tourism, rest, and shopping at once.
The 33-story building is neat and tidy. Just by looking at the exterior, you can feel the neatness of the new hotel. The total number of rooms is 515. The rooms are divided into three different floors. △6-15th floor ‘U Standard Floor’ △16-25th floor ‘Ray Premium Floor’ △26-31th floor ‘Miyabi Club Floor’. Miyabi Club Floor Guests can use the club lounge.
Room types are divided into four types: deluxe, corner, family, and suite. The deluxe room is easy for businesses, couples, and family travelers, with a choice of king or twin beds and a size of 27 to 30 square meters.
Corner rooms are the most popular among the rooms. It has 26 rooms and large windows in two directions, so it has a great sense of openness. It is 40 square meters wide. The windows are set up large, so they look wider than the actual floor space. In particular, the view of downtown Osaka, which opens as soon as you wake up in the morning, is a strength.
The family room is suitable for family guests by adding a double-decker bed to the king bed. The suite is the largest room in the hotel and is 56㎡ in size, with only two rooms in total. All rooms are equipped with large windows, bathtubs, rain showers, Nespresso machines, and eco-friendly amenities. There is an indoor parking lot, so it doesn’t depend on the weather.
There is a club lounge on the 32nd floor of the hotel. There are a total of eight food and beverage establishments. On the 33rd floor of the highest floor, there is a rooftop lounge called “Smoke & Spin.”
The concept here is fun. Baseball and music were added to the history of Namba Parks, which was the site of Osaka Stadium. DJ performances are held on Friday evenings and weekends. There is no need to talk about the prospect. Other food and beverage establishments are also diverse.
△Kunsei Kitchen, a French restaurant, △Rooftop Bistro △ Crudo Deck, △Whiskey Nova, a modern steakhouse where you can taste dry-aged steaks and whiskey △Automata, a self-style hidden bar located inside Wiskinova, is also hidden.
It is a space that resembles a spaceship, and it is a system that selects and drinks the alcohol you want. It has a machine that can put bubbles on top of beer like latte art. △ There is also Platform 2 where you can drink coffee and tea.
Breakfast is run by △ authentic Thai restaurant Suan Bua and △ Ambassy of Crab specializing in seafood. Daniel Hong (Korean name Hong Eun-soo), head of the Osaka inbound sales department at Centara Grand Hotel, explained, “The proportion of Koreans among hotel executives, including general managers, is high, so food and services are also carefully tailored to Korean tastes and tastes.” There is also a co-working space on the lobby floor. You can use it freely even if you don’t order a drink.
Spa Senbari is a must-see. It has everything from traditional Thai massage to facial, body treatment, and sauna. Yoga sessions are also held free of charge in front of the spa lounge.
The lobby naturally mixed the vibrancy of Thai alley with the atmosphere of Japanese tea ceremony. The banquet hall is decorated with the motif of bamboo crafts from Japan and Thailand. Eco-friendly materials such as laminate wood and plant fiber-based wasabi were actively used in rooms and common spaces. Water bottles and amenities should also be reused in principle.
It is also different to ride a Thai three-wheeler tuk-tuk in the middle of the city. The tuk-tuk seat recycled a vehicle that was actually used in Thailand. It operates a three-wheeled shuttle between the hotel and Nankai Namba Station. You can use it from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the bell desk on a first-come, first-served basis. It is useful when you have a lot of luggage or when your family or the elderly move.
Centara Grand Hotel Osaka has achieved results in a global evaluation less than two years after its opening. It won the ‘Hotel & Resort Interior’ category at the 2024 Sky Design Awards (SKY DESIGN AWARDS). Space naturally intertwined the aesthetics of Japan and Thailand.
Thailand’s colorful colors and decorations have been added to Japan’s understated minimalism. The lobby was inspired by Thai alleys, and the dining space was a modern interpretation of the Thai street food and club market atmosphere. In the club lounge, a pattern combining Japanese kimono and traditional Thai patterns was added.
[Osaka (Japan) = Kwon Hyojung Travel + Reporter]
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