Shin-Osaka Hotel
The lobby at the time (Shin-Osaka Hotel)
Brochure from the Opening of the Shin-Osaka Hotel
1935—As the Shin-Osaka Hotel
“Let there be a venue in this city to entertain distinguished guests from around the world.”
Mayor Seki’s vision came to fruition as a white castle on the banks of Nakanoshima, nestled between the Dojima and Tosabori Rivers, where the Shin-Osaka Hotel opened its doors on January 16, 1935.
With 211 guestrooms, grand banquet facilities, and elegant public spaces, the Shin-Osaka Hotel was praised for “a level of luxury never before seen in Osaka.”
Twenty-five south-facing guestrooms overlooking the Tosabori River were equipped with air conditioning—the first hotel guestrooms in Japan to offer this innovation.
The Shin-Osaka Hotel embodied the aspirations of “Greater Osaka” as it looked to the world.
Ribbon-cutting ceremony by Princess Takamatsu at the opening of the Osaka Royal Hotel.
Osaka Royal Hotel
The lobby at that time (Osaka Royal Hotel)
The “Reach Bar” from when it first opened
1965—New Guest House
Ten years after its opening, even as the shadow of war loomed over the era, the Shin-Osaka Hotel miraculously escaped the ravages of war and stood proudly on the riverbank.
Then, as the wave of rapid economic growth swept in, Osaka surged into a new era.
The name of the new hotel, Osaka Royal Hotel, was chosen through a public newspaper competition, and on October 11, 1965, it opened with great fanfare on the site it occupies today in Nakanoshima 5-chome to meet the growing demand of a rapidly expanding city.
Inheriting the spirit of the Shin-Osaka Hotel and channeling it into an even grander setting, this establishment quickly established itself as the “Kansai's State Guest House.”
The lobby at that time (circa 1973)
1973: Completion of the Royal Hotel New Wing
Main Lounge (circa 1973)
1973—A new 30-story building opens
In 1973, the new building (now the East Wing) was completed.
Standing 30 stories tall, this skyscraper—a groundbreaking structure for its time—symbolized innovation in the hotel industry.
In 2000, the Osaka International Convention Center was also opened to the west
1997—The Renaming to RIHGA Royal, and the Next Leap Forward
In April 1997, the long-beloved “Royal Hotel” was renamed the “RIHGA Royal Hotel.”
Under this new name, which embodied our determination to take flight onto the world stage, our welcoming lights shone even brighter.
“RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka, Vignette Collection” Entrance
2023—Toward the Next 100 Years, in the Name of the World
Then, in April 2025—the year of our 90th anniversary—following a major renovation, we were reborn as the “RIHGA Royal Hotel Osaka, Vignette Collection.”
Japan’s first hotel to join the “Vignette Collection”
—This marked the moment when a brand that selects only hotels with their own unique stories placed our 90-year history within a global context.
