The Stay We Didn’t Plan For: When a Hotel Becomes the Destination (Part 4 of 5)
This is Part 4 of 5 in our 14-night Japan trip on points.
In this part: A points redemption that turned into the most unexpected highlight of our trip.
A Strategic Redemption in Osaka
Finally, our last hotel points redemption was for Osaka. With so many amazing hotels in Osaka, another Hilton property like the Conrad Osaka would have been amazing - but alas, we wanted to save our friend’s Amex points for their business class flights home. So we squeezed as much value as we could from the Marriott points we had, spending 220k on a five-night stay at the Osaka Station Hotel.
I considered writing a separate review because it exceeded all expectations, but it naturally worked its way into this story.
And that’s after we enjoyed a seamless stay at the Conrad Tokyo.
Now, something really interesting happened at check-in.
Planning Around Breakfast and Status
But before I share that story, here’s how we planned everything. Leading up to this moment, I had insisted that Whitney get the American Express Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Card, specifically to get a five-night stay with free breakfast included.
Breakfast ran a whopping 9000 yen per person (~$58), and reviewers were raving about the sumptuous, gigantic buffet. I knew I could get it for free with my Marriott Bonvoy Platinum status, and I wasn’t about to make our friends pay that each day to eat with us.
Lounge breakfast: All you can eat uni and ikura bowls! Made to order steak, seafood, great espresso, mimosas, champagne… you get it
The very beginning of our crazy buffet options downstairs which included sushi, steak, fresh seasonal fruits, make-your-own Mont Blanc dessert and on and on
Would They…?
While I had read negative reviews about their room-upgrading system for Platinum members, stating that they firmly do not upgrade you to the premier rooms that give you access to the executive lounge and spa, I hadn't given up just yet.
A couple of nights before check-in, I messaged the front desk via my Marriott App to explain that it was our tenth-anniversary trip and that access to the spa would be so special. Somewhat understandably, I received a flat, ice-cold answer, something to the effect of, “If you’re interested in those special amenities, we kindly suggest that you pay x amount and upgrade your accommodations, or pay x amount each night per guest.” Womp womp.
A Quiet Start at Check-In
So with somewhat low expectations, we checked into the hotel. The woman helping us was calm and collected, not overly friendly but professional. When, after five minutes of explanations - with no acknowledgment of my status, our anniversary, or any perks - my expression had sunk.
It’s true, the hotel had a reputation for not upgrading Platinum members to any room type that would grant access to the executive lounge (called the Specialty Salon and the in-house bathhouse and sauna spa is named OFURO). However, this was our tenth anniversary, and I was hoping for some acknowledgment or mention of our milestone.
Me: The you’re not going to mention anything good? stare
An Unexpected Turn
And then, it happened.
The woman paused, looked down twice at her paper, and softly said, “Oh, I want to congratulate you on your tenth anniversary. We happened to notice that you mentioned the bathhouse as something you’d be interested in - and management has decided to give you and your wife complimentary access for the duration of your stay to thank you for celebrating this special occasion at our property.”
I’m glad I couldn’t see myself, because I think every muscle in my face reacted to those words, as a huge smile of disbelief spread from ear to ear.
This was incredible because the access for five days would have cost us nearly 250,000 yen, or $1,650!
Pretty much sums up how I looked, just, a lot more... pure
Two Check-Ins
But wait - that’s when the real drama began.
Just a few feet away, around the curved front desk, Whitney was checking in and having what seemed like a very friendly conversation with another front desk staff member. But just as we received our good news, Whitney received her bad news - they would not be offered anything for their eleventh anniversary.
Why? I don’t know. Maybe a lot of people try to pull the birthday/ anniversary trick, and the hotel only acknowledges significant milestones, like numbers ending in zero or five.
The front desk staff had no idea we were traveling together or that we knew about each other’s accommodations.
So when Whitney heard that we received an upgrade and access to the special amenities, I could see she was happy for us, but pretty upset with how they were treated. She even remarked that they were having such a nice conversation until the staff coolly told them they don’t offer complimentary upgrades unless they’re Titanium Elite or higher.
Of course, I was baffled at why we received our upgrade while our friends didn’t, so I took it upon myself to explain the situation to the woman who had been checking us in.
I chose to gamble, and asked her that it would be unfair to ask for all five days of access for ourselves and our friends, so I asked if we could possibly enjoy it together for just two nights.
Our front desk lady thought about it, went over to the other staff, and awkwardly negotiated with her, knowing she had just denied our friends access.
In the end - and I’m still not sure how - our front desk lady gave us special keys so that all four of us could enjoy the lounge and spa together! I don’t think she was a manager since she was dressed the same way as the others, but even so, what she did was quite brave and amazing.
In a rigid, rule-oriented society like Japan, no means no. And especially with a hotel that has a reputation for upholding certain policies, I really wasn’t sure how this would all go. In the back of my mind, I was thinking we could pay for a couple of nights’ access for our friends, since we received ours for free.
But in the end, it all worked out, and they even let us choose the days - which was very considerate because there were some days that we would be away most of the day due to pre-booked tours and meals.
So my point in sharing this whole saga is that you just don’t know how hotels will handle certain situations, but that even in Japan, it’s worth a shot to see if someone might be willing to be extra flexible or understanding.
When the Lounge Becomes the Destination
So, after all this negotiating, was the access worth it?
Absolutely.
I really can’t remember a finer experience at an executive lounge.
We’ve enjoyed some really beautiful executive lounges, like at the Conrad Osaka, Conrad Tokyo, The Shangri-La Tokyo, The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho, just to name a few - but this lounge actually managed to blow all of them away completely.
It’s true that at the Conrad Osaka, they have live singers and musicians, but while the atmosphere is lovely and food and drink offerings are superb, they don’t cook anything to order. It’s still buffet style.
Not so at the Osaka Station hotel. In the executive lounge, or Special Salon, we had many high-end drinks, a sommelier making recommendations and serving drinks, a buffet, and a rotating menu of three items made to order. And it was actually restaurant-quality food!
One night was lobster bisque ramen, wagyu steak, and an ikura-don with the freshest uni and salmon roe. Yes, it’s true that all wagyu means is Japanese beef, but I dare say this mini-steak rivaled the A-5 Kobe beef and A-5 wagyu we had later on in our trip.
To be fair, did it help that it was free and exceeded all expectations? Probably.
We enjoyed all three dishes and even had seconds and thirds of our favorites. The hospitality and food were absolutely top-class, as was the sunset view each night.
Maybe it was because we were with our friends, but in all our travels to Japan, even when we shared similarly extravagant moments, this one somehow topped them all. And that’s pretty incredible, considering that this hotel is only a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel - known to be 4 or 5 -star hotels, bridging the gap between premium Marriotts and top-tier luxury.
What we experienced (with access to the lounge and spa) easily rivaled the finest hotels we’ve been to across every hotel brand we love - Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Park Hyatt, Andaz, Conrad, Alila, and LXR.
Losing Track of Time, In the Best Way
With that said, I have a small confession. We ended up indulging in the lounge so much that we literally spent all afternoon and evening at the lounge on our first two days.
That’s not normal, and shouldn’t be - but it felt so right.
Most other lounges have intervals where they close and prepare for the next offering. But here, it amazingly transitioned seamlessly from breakfast to lunch, to afternoon tea, to canapes, drinks, and dinner. From morning til evening, there wasn’t a moment the lounge wasn’t open or didn’t offer something.
We’d never seen that before, and neither had our well-traveled friends.
With their insider connection to the Four Seasons, which allows them to stay there often, they have a trustworthy eye for the finer things in life. And they were still floored!
Naturally, the only complaint our friends had was that we squandered two whole precious days in Osaka at the hotel lounge and spa, but I personally take that as a compliment.
For a food-loving Japan traveler, there’s no greater compliment than a hotel I chose managing to keep us all captivated for so long.
Stepping Back Out Into Osaka
On the other three days, we forced ourselves to venture out for our prearranged outings, but boy, did we miss the spa and the lounge at night. We almost thought about splurging on our last night, but restrained ourselves and went out for sushi and drinks instead.
The breakfast in the common area on the main floor was a beautiful spread, but it was absolutely mobbed, and I could see why some people complained that certain items were first-come, first-served, which is a stressful way to start your day.
Everything we did from The Osaka Station Hotel - Kobe, Kyoto, Osaka Kitchen Street (We brought some goodies home)
No Regrets, No FOMO
If anyone had told me that we would enjoy a lounge to this extent, I would not have believed them. To be fair, maybe it was because we were with our friends - but there was something so magical about having that big table to ourselves, just indulging in the moment as we watched the sun set, beautifully painting the evening skies before our eyes.
For someone like me, who counts every meal I have left before the trip ends, to enjoy hotel food and let it trap me there for the better part of a day was quite sensational.
And the best part - I have zero FOMO about it. I can always visit Osaka and enjoy its street food and walk its neon-lit streets - but I will never be able to fully replicate the moments in the lounge and capping off our evenings at the spa.
Looking Ahead
Our final part, Part 5 of this crazy amazing trip, will cover some trip highlights and our final reflections on what went well and possibly what we’d do differently next time.
