Introduction: B(r)oken on Cathay Pacific
Dragonair G16 Lounge Hong Kong Airport
Cathay Pacific A330 Business Class Hong Kong to Osaka
InterContinental Osaka Deluxe Twin
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Deluxe Residence
Japan Airlines Sakura Lounge Osaka Airport
Lounge Pacific Osaka Airport
Cathay Pacific 777 Regional Business Class Osaka to Hong Kong
While we wanted to get a room straight away, we ended up spending the morning at Nara, so we got back to the hotel in the afternoon. Immediately we checked in, with high hopes for the room (if the entry level room was that amazing, we really wanted to know what the suite we booked would look like). Upon checking in, we asked if we’d have club lounge access, which we would have to pay for because we were a “residence” and not a “club suite”. I really wasn’t fine with that as the room cost that much, but I consulted IHG (long time readers will know how that went).
Our new room was located in a seemingly paler side, which also seemed slightly older.
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Entrance
InterContinental Osaka
Check-in: Sunday, March 27, 2016
Room Type: Two Bedroom Superior Residence
Room Number: 3117
Stay duration: N/A
Check-out: Sunday, March 27, 2016
The room featured a entryway with a kitchenette sprouting off the right side, a corridor into the rooms on the left and a living room straight ahead.
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Entryway
The entry level room was a room that got me going “WOW”. Meanwhile, for all for of us, the two bedroom superior residence was just “oh”.
True, it was correctly classified as a suite, it did have two bedrooms, and it was perfectly acceptable for a normal hotel, but coming off that entry level room something just didn’t match.
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Living Room
The living room was a small, rather cozy space featuring a sofa, a few chairs (including a table) and a flatscreen TV.
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Living Room Table
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Flatscreen TV
Adjacent to the room was a kitchenette which had all the requirements of a kitchen, though it was a tight space.
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Kitchenette
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Kitchenette
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Kitchenette
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Kitchenette
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Kitchenette
The minibar was stored in a full size fridge, which was a nice touch. It, unlike what normally is expected in InterContinental club rooms/suites, was paid.
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Kitchenette Fridge
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Kitchenette Minibar
The room also featured a microwave and a washing machine.
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Kitchenette Washing Machine
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Kitchenette Washing Machine
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Kitchenette Microwave
In the corridor there was a guest bathroom and a guest room, and a master bedroom and bathroom partitioned off by a sliding door. The guest bathroom featured a walk-in shower, a toilet and a sink. It wasn’t big, but perfectly acceptable for a guest bathroom.
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Guest Bathroom
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Guest Bathroom
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Guest Bathroom Shower
The guest room featured, as you’d expect, two beds, a flatscreen TV and a desk. It was made pretty obvious that this room was originally meant for my sister and I, given the childish towel art on the beds (even in sub-par rooms, the service here excels).
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Guest Bedroom
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Guest Bedroom
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Guest Bedroom Flatscreen TV
The desk faced the window, contrary to the initial room.
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Guest Bedroom Desk
As you can see from the hallway picture below, the “master area” was partitioned by a sliding door. While the suite felt really cramped especially compared to the incredibly spacious deluxe twin room, I can’t deny that it was still really nicely designed.
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Hallway
The master bedroom featured a bed, a desk, and a flatscreen TV with extra touches such as a mirror and a chaise longue. It didn’t feel particularly big or residential, and just felt like this warehouse where people stayed when there was nowhere else to.
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Master Bedroom
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Master Bedroom
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Master Bedroom
Again, the desk faced the wall as opposed to the room. Also lacking were the “white stone” touches that the entry level room provided – nothing bad, but nothing compared to the original room we had either.
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Master Bedroom
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Master Bedroom
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Master Bedroom
The only thing that went close to wowing us was the master bathroom, which had double sinks and a separate massive shower/tub.
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Master Bathroom Sinks
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Master Bathroom Mirror
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Master Bathroom Sink
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Master Bathroom Amenities
Again, the toilet in the master bathroom was partitioned off, and featured many buttons, though the walls did feel more “kitchen-y”.
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Master Bathroom Toilet
The shower was more compact, but more private than the deluxe room’s.
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Master Bathroom Shower
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Master Bathroom Shower
The bathtub was similar to the one in the original room, but again more “conventional”, as it wasn’t a freestanding bathtub. I guess this factored into the lack of a “wow factor” with the room.
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Master Bathroom Bathtub
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Master Bathroom Bathtub
All bathroom featured full size bottles of the same Agraria amenities.
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Master Bathroom Toiletries
The views from all rooms were similar, also facing the Yodo River, though a little less obstructed by the Grand Front’s third tower.
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence View
While the room was physically bigger, it just seemed like it was cut into small spaces, and didn’t really feel like it was in the same caliber as the entry level room we were in. I felt slightly disappointed, though my parents showed much greater disappointment.
The room didn’t feature any extra premium amenities.
InterContinental Osaka Two Bedroom Superior Residence Welcome Biscuits
When we left the suite, the concierge stopped us to ask how our room was, and my dad expressed his disappointment, especially comparing the room to the original. The concierge immediately offered a refund if we spent the rest of our time in the original room, which my sister declined (really, I don’t think I would have, given the lack of lounge access anyway). The concierge kept helping us with different options, and asked if we wanted to upgrade to a two bedroom deluxe residence for a discounted addition of JPY 8,000 (~HK$600) per night – as we were unhappy with the room we booked, she gave us a discount from the original JPY 15,000 (~HK$1,130) difference in price. She further let us have a look at one of the rooms that hadn’t been stayed in yet, which we obliged to.
And it was gorgeous…
Bottom Line
This suite just disappointed. While it was bigger, it really wasn’t as well appointed or as spacious as the entry level room. It felt like a massive junior suite chopped up into smaller parts – while that’s totally acceptable, it just didn’t seem like the right caliber for the InterContinental Osaka. If you’re planning to stay, I would stick to the entry level deluxe rooms, as those are amazing.
The service at the hotel continues to be perfect no matter where you stay on all counts, but I really would avoid this room, and if I had to book a suite I would pay the extra HK$1,130 per night for the deluxe residence.