The shifts of nature are expressed through a contemporary lens across Patina Osaka – from walls framing greenery and the natural material palette of its interiors, through to the garden-grown contents of its plates and meditative music experiences. Its opening is timely: Osaka is shining brighter than ever in the global spotlight this year, courtesy of the high-profile Osaka Expo currently underway and an ongoing tourism boom fuelling a rush of new hotels in a region not typically renowned for its luxury credentials.

Wallpaper* checks in at Patina Osaka

What’s on your doorstep?

Forget the neon buzz and shopping crowds of central Osaka hotspots: the hotel sits a nudge away from the throngs, just opposite greenery-wrapped Osaka Castle and alongside Naniwa-no-Miya-Ato Park, an archaeology-rich site where a former seventh-century palace marking the first Imperial capital once stood. As a result, the hotel feels like a serene, calm and unusually green escape – yet it’s just a quick hop into the city’s urban heart.

Who is behind the design?

The 221-room hotel offers a fresh modern take on urban hotel experiences – with its warm contemporary design, impressive wellness technology (anyone for a chilly cryotherapy session?), culinary innovations (it has three restaurants, a tea lounge and a bar, plus a lushly edible garden on-site), a meditative Listening Room and DJ-soundtracked cocktails. Experiences are rooted in so-called Perpetual Journeys – a sharply curated programme of activities ranging from morning stretches and herb tea workshops to music sessions. It’s the Japan debut for its Singapore-based company, which will deepen its imprint here early next year, with the launch of Capella Kyoto.

The 20-storey glass tower was created by Jun Mitsui & Associates Inc. Architects as a contemporary urban sanctuary, with its clean lines and nature-inspired textures (wood, stone, earth, copper) designed to harmonise with the layered heritage that surrounds it. Inside, the design was masterminded by Strickland, with the idea of seasonal kisetsukan threaded through its creative DNA. Osaka Castle’s signature stone walls and copper roof are mirrored in material accents throughout. Full walls of windows capturing Osaka Castle hovering among a lush expanses of greenery (with bursts of pink cherry blossoms in spring and fiery red autumnal shades later in the year) are also a key visual feature, all complemented by a rich scattering of bespoke contemporary crafts and artworks.

The room to book

From the moment shoes are slipped off in stone genkan entrances, an escapist sense of stillness defines the 221 rooms and suites. Inside, a soothing natural palette (dark woods, woven rugs, textured stone, sage textiles) is balanced with clean contemporary lines, hovering lanterns, modern artworks and crafted furniture. Minimalist white washi paper headboards echo the boulders of Osaka Castle; while a sense of modern Japan is evoked in window-side tatami benches. Outdoor balconies – perfect for sipping a signature Patina tea blend (green and black with a touch of yuzu) – are a highlight in 48 rooms, including spacious corner suites. Bathrooms provide a further sense of sanctuary, with deep bathtubs wrapped in grey stonework accompanied by Bamford amenities and aromatic salts.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Food is imaginatively expressed through the seasons. The buzzy heartbeat is ground floor restaurant P72 (named after Japan’s 72 microseasons). Here, beneath a vast floating wood installation crafted from reclaimed Osaka wood factory scraps, diners enjoy a 70 per cent plant-based menu (my lunch highlight is a fresh and colourful spread of daikon, dill, onion, shitake, garlic and parsley, served on crafted Gifu ceramics). Ingredients are sourced from local farmers, as well as the hotel’s thriving garden, which the restaurant overlooks, home to a constellation of herbs, flowers, fruits and vegetables.

Iñaki, on the 19th floor, offers a flavour-packed contemporary expression of Basque cuisine, with castle views and a rich interior reflecting the gradated shades of the seasons, complete with a vast dried flowers and plant installation spanning the ceilings. Home to a Josper charcoal-fired grill, menu highlights include the smoky umami of a delicious foie gras tortellini in broth with pickled plum umeboshi and lemon, and the salty softness of seaweater ice cream with almond foam and olive oil. Meanwhile, Barin serves up teppanyaki dishes at an intimate wood counter, overlooking both the chefs and city views, with a 10m-long gold leaf panel artwork journeying through Osaka’s history; while Nijiri Tea Lounge is a contemporary tea space, offering an array of regional teas in a peaceful windowside space.

At sunset, head to the 20th floor Sonata Lounge & Bar to soak up live DJ sets and castle views, alongside original cocktails inspired by 1970 Osaka (the last time the city hosted Expo) – including the popular Moonshot, blending miso, shiso, cardamon and soda. Music is a key theme at the hotel, reflected in an intimate space with a wall pieced together from 60 Japanese speakers dating back to 1965. Soon to come is also a special Listening Room by OJAS. The immersive audio venture, created by New York-based artist Devon Turnbull, will transform music into reflective meditation, with an experience called Morning Soundscapes unfolding daily between 6 am and 10 am for up to ten guests.

Where to switch off

Wellness ranges from the holistic to the high-tech. The fourth floor is home to a network of spaces dedicated to health-tech innovations not often found in Japan. Testimony to this? I find myself marching on the spot, in special shoes, socks and gloves, in a futuristic-looking cryotherapy chamber, shrouded in misty temperatures as low as minus -196C, for a precise three minutes (although bizarrely, it feels only slightly chilly), before being warmed up from the inside-out with a peaceful Infrared sauna session (my favourite bit). Other innovations include hyperbaric oxygen and hydrogen therapy, and LED body treatments – plus, in six spa suites, personalised facials and massages with seasonal oils (rose-infused in early summer). A high-tech gym, an aerial yoga studio and a heated 20m pool, with Osaka Castle views (plus water-based meditation and stretches) are further highlights.

The verdict

Patina Osaka – the brand’s second hotel and its first city setting – stands out as offering something a little different. Housed in a new glass tower rising from a site steeped in more than 1,300 years of history, the hotel balances a sense of urban sanctuary with art and design, music and high-tech wellness – tapping into the concept of ‘transformative luxury’ that underpins the brand. Staff are warm and refreshingly down-to-earth. Despite the grown-up activities that abound, the hotel is also unwaveringly friendly and welcoming to families.

Patina Osaka is located at 3-91 Banbacho, Chuo-ku, Osaka, 540-0007, Japan.