FROM OSAKA TO THE WORLD: PATINA OSAKA AND VERDY CELEBRATE A SHARED JOURNEY TO "WORLD'S BEST HOTEL"
- Nat Frogley
- 9 hours ago
- 5 min read
VERDY designs a limited-edition collection embodying Osaka's creative spirit and Patina’s appreciation for the recognition
Patina Osaka, the first property in Japan by Capella Hotel Group, has been voted the No. 1 Hotel in the World and No. 1 City Hotel in Asia by Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards 2026. To commemorate this milestone, Patina Osaka has launched a special collaboration collection with globally renowned creator VERDY, who has served as the hotel’s Creative Partner since its opening. The limited-edition collection launched this month and is available only at Patina Osaka.
From the beginning, Patina Osaka and VERDY have shared a belief in Osaka’s unique creative spirit, and a desire to contribute meaningfully to the city’s growing cultural presence on the global stage.
Their partnership was never conceived as a conventional hotel collaboration. It has developed through a shared appreciation for Osaka’s originality, warmth and independent character, and through a belief that the most meaningful expressions of place are shaped by those who understand it from within.
Patina Osaka’s recognition as the World’s Best Hotel is a proud moment for the hotel, but it is also a celebration of the city it calls home. The achievement has been shaped by the local perspectives, creative collaborators, teammates, guests and wider community who have helped Patina Osaka express a sense of place that feels authentic, contemporary and distinctly Osaka.
To commemorate the moment, VERDY has created a new illustration of Vick, his original character, celebrating alongside the Patina butterfly — a symbol of transformation. Together, they represent a journey rooted in Osaka, shaped through collaboration and now recognised around the world.
The illustration appears across a limited-edition collection. It also features an exclusive, not-for-sale tote bag that will be gifted to eligible guests booking directly with Patina Osaka.
More than a commemorative gift, the tote bag is Patina Osaka’s way of inviting guests into the celebration and recognising the part they have played in the hotel’s journey. Limited to the first 1,000 eligible reservations, it offers guests something tangible to carry forward from a milestone they helped make possible.
A Global Honour, Rooted in Osaka
Patina Osaka’s partnership with VERDY reflects the hotel’s belief that meaningful cultural relevance cannot be imported or manufactured. It develops through long-term relationships with people who understand a place instinctively and can express its culture from within.
As an Osaka-born artist whose work has brought Japanese creative culture to audiences around the world, VERDY offers a perspective that is both deeply local and unmistakably global. Since Patina Osaka’s opening, his contribution as Creative Partner has helped the hotel connect contemporary hospitality with the creative energy of its home city.
The new collection extends that shared journey. Vick’s celebratory gesture, paired with the Patina butterfly, captures a moment of collective pride while signalling that the award is not an endpoint. It is an opportunity for Patina Osaka to continue listening, collaborating and contributing to the cultural life of the city.
The project is also an expression of gratitude to the guests, partners, teammates and community who have supported Patina Osaka since its opening. By sharing the exclusive tote bag directly with guests, the hotel recognises that its journey has not been shaped by the hotel alone, but by everyone who has chosen to be part of it.
VERDY says, “I've had the pleasure of working with Patina Osaka as its Creative Partner since last summer, and I couldn't be happier to see the hotel receive such an incredible honour as being named the World's No. 1 Hotel so soon after opening. It's especially meaningful to me because the hotel is located in my hometown of Osaka, and I feel immensely proud of what it has achieved.”
“To celebrate this milestone, I created a new collection of collaboration designs inspired by this special moment. The graphics combine my original character, Vick, with the butterfly, a symbol of Patina Osaka, to commemorate the hotel's recognition as the World's No. 1 Hotel.”
“I believe Patina Osaka will continue to be a destination loved by people around the world and one that many aspire to visit. As its Creative Partner, I'm excited to continue supporting the hotel's journey and celebrating its future together.”
Ellen Franke, General Manager of Patina Osaka, says, “Being named the World's Best Hotel is an extraordinary honour, but what makes it especially meaningful is that Patina Osaka has been recognised for an identity deeply shaped by this city. This collaboration celebrates the guests, partners, teammates and local community who have helped shape that journey. By placing Vick alongside the Patina butterfly, VERDY has created an image that belongs uniquely to this moment — a celebration born in Osaka and now shared with the world."
A Celebration Shared with Our Guests: Limited-Edition Tote Bag Gift
The first 1,000 eligible guests who book their stay directly through the Patina Osaka website or by telephone will receive a VERDY × Patina Osaka Limited-Edition Collaboration Tote Bag (Not for Sale). Limited to one bag per room, per stay.
Phone number: +81 6-6941-8888***
ENDS
ABOUT VERDY
Born in Osaka, artist VERDY has become one of Japan's leading cultural icons through his signature projects “Girls Don't Cry” and “Wasted Youth”, as well as his original characters Vick and Visty.
Through collaborations with globally renowned brands and organizations—including Minions, Nike, KENZO, Louis Vuitton, Beats by Dr. Dre, and Dover Street Market—VERDY continues to shape the future of Japanese street culture across a wide range of creative mediums.
His career highlights include participating in ComplexCon Long Beach in 2022, the inaugural ComplexCon Hong Kong in 2023, serving as Creative Partner for HUMAN MADE and BLACKPINK's 2023 world tour, as well as actively supporting emerging creators.
Since April 2026, VERDY has presented his largest solo exhibition to date, “Believe in Me”, at the Lotte Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea. Today, his influence extends across fashion, art, food, and entertainment.
ABOUT PATINA OSAKA
Nestled between the historic Naniwanomiya Palace Ruins and the iconic Osaka Castle, Patina Osaka invites mindful explorers to experience Transformative Luxury—reimagined through the lenses of conscious living and creative expression.
Rising 20 stories above Osaka, the renowned "City of Water," the hotel is a sanctuary that embodies sustainable beauty. Here, time-aged copper, carefully selected timber, and flowing water come together to tell stories of time, paying homage to both nature and artistry.
Each of the hotel's 221 thoughtfully designed guestrooms reflects the Japanese appreciation for the changing seasons, harmonizing the aesthetic of kisetsukan—an awareness of seasonality—with the rhythms of nature.
Guests can enjoy a range of distinctive experiences, including P72, the hotel's signature restaurant serving micro-seasonal cuisine crafted from the finest seasonal ingredients while celebrating the stories of local artisans and regional producers. The hotel also features an immersive listening room, where custom-designed speakers by renowned sound pioneer Devon Turnbull (OJAS) transform music into a meditative experience.
Patina Osaka is a destination where heartfelt luxury, artistic expression, sustainability, and refined hospitality come together. More than a place to stay, it is a hotel for those seeking personal growth and meaningful transformation.
Patina Osaka was voted World's Best Hotel and Best Hotel in Asia in the Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards 2026.
For more information, please visit https://patinahotels.com/osaka/ja
Instagram @patinaosaka | LinkedIn @patinahotels
For further press information and images, please contact:
Christina Dendrinou (christina@frogandwolfpr.com), Iustina Roman (iustina@frogandwolfpr.com), Nat Frogley (nat@frogandwolfpr.com) or Flora Gandolfo (flora@frogandwolfpr.com) at Frog & Wolf PR
Comments