Luxury Hotel Buzz: St. Regis Osaka to Debut October 1, 2010

In October, St. Regis will open its first hotel in Japan- bang in the middle of Osaka. Located in the central business district, the 27-story, new-build hotel will dominate the intersection of Honmachi Street and Midosuji Avenue, oft referred to as the "Champs Elysées of Osaka." (Read: lots of luxury retail shops.) As explained by the Japan Times, the Ritz-Carlton has been the only luxury hotel in Osaka (a city of 10 million) for the past 13 years, so the new hotel will shake up the high-end hotel market with a healthy dose of competition. What's planned for this 160-room property? For starters, a team of St. Regis personal butlers, a trademark of St. Regis properties around the world. Also: an exclusive Remède spa, world-class dining, and a Sky Lobby with tremendous views. The standard room rate will start at ¥65,000, and prices for the royal suite begin at ¥160,000.