My favourite hotel in Osaka - where hipster cool meet timeless Japanese charm

Beauty lies in restraint and that's a philosophy that defines Zentis Osaka. Its opening in 2020 might have seemed unfortunate timing, but this calmly sophisticated retreat has quickly earned international recognition for all the right reasons. British designer Tara Bernerd has engineered a smartly edgy space that blends Western elegance with Japanese sensibilities.

The taxi driver needs focus to find Zentis Osaka, a 16-storey tower on a quiet backstreet within Dojimahama's lively business and food district, yet it's only five minutes from Osaka Station. Nakanoshima island - a cultural enclave in the heart of the city - is just a 10-minute walk away. As architect Tadao Ando's hometown, Osaka naturally draws crowds to his famous Children's Book Forest on Nakanoshima, so long queues feel inevitable. His massive green apple waterfront sculpture embodies another philosophy: "perpetual growth that never fully ripens" - a fitting metaphor for this progressive city.

Playful and unapologetically urban, Zentis Osaka is a Design Hotel member attracting friendly design-conscious travellers, creative professionals, digital nomads and immaculately dressed families. A double-sided fireplace anchors the naturally lit guest-only lounge where floor-to-ceiling windows create seamless flow into tranquil green spaces. The scene-stealer is a flop-and-drop zone with books that you wouldn't leave were it not for a sculptural floating limestone staircase ascending to Upstairz restaurant.

Compact is transformed into creative with rooms, like bento boxes, prioritising intelligent design over raw square footage in clearly defined sections. My 57-square-metre suite feels spacious (though even the 25-square-metre studios avoid the discomforting hotel-squeezy feeling of so many Japanese city hotels). From my sofa, there's a glimpse of Osaka Castle - perhaps the city's main cultural attraction - through soundproofed windows. A muted, earthy palette is enlivened by furnishings that nod to mid-century industrial chic while maintaining a distinctly Japanese aesthetic. Shigaraki-yaki bedside tables are crafted in the kilns of Shiga (a prefecture renowned for its pottery). Contemporary artworks complete the picture, while bathrooms offer the ultimate sanctuary, a deep-soaking bathtub, with size-perfect cotton pyjamas to follow.

Upstairz restaurant spans open kitchen, lounge and covered terrace, but food transcends typical hotel dining. French-Japanese fusion by Michelin-starred chef Shinya Otsuchihashi celebrates seasonal ingredients with precision. Who'd have thought that a melange of fresh vegetables - each bite receiving its own meticulous sauteed, fried or grilled preparation - could rank as one of the most memorable meals in Japan? Head bartender Norihiko Furuse crafts cocktails to match the kitchen: his award-winning "Wine of Citrus Heart" with champagne, gin, grapefruit and shiso leaf draws locals to mingle with in-house guests at the snazzy bar.

Staff are quietly attentive, unlocking experiences beyond the typical tourist circuit. Curated recommendations? How about a breakfast cruise floating along the river aboard the lovingly restored wooden Camome. Nakanoshima's museums and galleries offer respite from urban chaos, but a hotel-recommended guide will take visitors to places not easily discovered, like calligraphy and seal carving artist Obara Kinuko.

Zentis Osaka is a gem of quiet sophistication away from urban chaos, connected to everything that matters, without a crushing price tag. Room 001 is a kind of hipster's laundrette where you can wash clothes while browsing a selection of fragrances, flipping through artsy architecture books, getting your boots polished and helping yourself to a cup of coffee.

The writer was a guest of the hotel