The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto

A magical destination. No detail is overlooked and the service is spectacular. We used Marriott points to stay here and couldn’t have been happier.
Upon arrival they greet you and take you straight to your room. You are checked in once you arrive inside your room. We did a guided bike tour around Kyoto with Megumi. She was amazing.
The pool/​fitness area is first class with sauna and steam room. Located in the spa, it’s down on the bottom floor. It’s tucked away, very quiet, and relaxing.
If you have the opportunity, this hotel is a must when in Kyoto.

While visiting Kyoto Japan, I treated myself to an Afternoon tea at The Ritz-​Carlton hotel.
They have a lavish selection of tea sandwiches including egg salad, grilled vegetable tart, classic English cucumber, and smoked salmon rosette. An assortment of fresh fruits, flavorful scones, and a sumptuous display of sweets are a delicious complement. The tea selection includes traditional Earl Gray, as well as chamomile, green tea and English Breakfast as well as other varieties.

I would give six stars if I could.
First off, I will say that while Kyoto is a very traditional town, this hotel is modern and international in its themes. This contrast makes the Ritz-​Carlton Kyoto the perfect stay for those visiting from afar.
Staff were exactly what you’d expect of a five-​star hotel. Welcoming, engaging, attentive.
Employees here really took the time to personalize our experience.
Yuka and Mariko (concierges) were very responsive to our pre-​stay inquiries and arranged a day tour for us in Kyoto which saved us a lot of hassle. We especially loved that the hotel administration curates all sorts of activities for its guests, many of them free (morning bicycle and hotel art tour). Megumi, who is the activities coordinator, was super sweet and friendly, giving us framed photos and a USB drive of our adventures before we departed.
This combined with the fact that the facility itself is a work of art. The ubiquitous art pieces that were displayed throughout the restaurants and corridors of this illustrious hotel were specially commissioned by Japanese and other international artists and design studios. Nothing was left to chance — from the placement of the fresh bonsai trees in your room, to the expert lighting schemes, and gorgeous architecture. It is also within walking distance of Gion, with beautiful views of the mountains. It is a dream-​like.
We will be going back.

Excellent afternoon tea and continental breakfast. They feature Pierre Hermes pastries. The tea is so incredibly complex but light. I recommend if you want a classy experience and some top notch goods.

Beautiful hotel. Excellent service.
Do…
–Borrow a bike and bike the path
–Go to bamboo forest
–If you go to one shrine or temple you’ve been to them all
–Attend one of the classes offered by the hotel like Oragami
–take advantage of the pool
–yess to the different «stations» in the restaurant on the B1 level. Loved the tempura. Like theeeeee best.
–yess to the spaghetti in the Italian restaurant. The sauce is clear and dynamite. The roasted pig is yummy as well.
–no is never the final answer here. They will bend over backwards to make you happy.
Don’t
–The breakfast. I hope after this review it gets better.
Overall Excellent choice if you are staying in Kyoto.
Enjoy!

We stayed at this wonderful hotel for 5 nights and it was fantastic. The service is impeccable in that everyone acknowledge and welcomes you every time they see you and is helpful. Their concierge desk has three ladies named Mariko and everyone of them was great in service.
The swimming pool is gorgeous and very clean. We were lucky to find a time that it was not as busy and just had a good swim. The room is immaculate and the bathroom mirror each had a TV inside. Our faces the river and was so serene and beautiful.

By far the nicest hotel I’ve been to from both the décor and the staff perspective. Stayed here for a night when I came to vacation in Kyoto. The staff helped me book a reservation at a Michelin-​rated restaurant for our stay per our request. Win #1. Also got upgraded to a River-​facing suite (this is probably due to the fact that I am a Platinum Marriott member). Win #2. And the location is only like a 5 – 10 minute walk to the Main Street/​downtown area making it super convenient. Win #3.
All-​in-​all I thought the staff was helpful, super nice and courteous. In our one night there, we had 7 people assist us; from the bellhop, to the three housekeepers asking if we needed anything to the concierge walking us to our room. A bit unnecessary, but still pretty awesome.
I’ve never felt so boss-​like.

This is flat out the best hotel I’ve ever stayed in. Clearly the best hotel in Kyoto. Had an amazing stay. And the Japanese restaurant is incredible. Get the shabu shabu.

After 10 months from new open of this hotel, We visited this hotel first time.
Appearance of the building is very impressive, not so big but sick. Compared to the Ritz Carlton Osaka, this hotel had a Japanese style. Many of the staff was wearing a kimono. The room was well designed and wide. Bathroom had double washbasins.
Especially, This hotel had a beautiful swimming pool. Maybe because of many stuffs was young, services had little bit inappropriate. I hoped this hotel would be resolve the problems in future.
2014年2月に開業してその10カ月後の12月に初めて
お邪魔しました。大変美しいホテルです。エントランス
からロビーにかけては完全な和テイストです。
ロビー内も和で統一されており、着物のスタッフも
たくさん働いておられました。
部屋も大変結構でした。ユニークな間取りで、効果的
にバスルームも配置されています。ダブルシンクは
大変ありがたかったです。
ここは、大阪、東京とは違って、リッツと積水がやって
いる模様です。そのせいか、多少サービスに若さがあり、
いくつかの行き違いを経験しましたが、まあ仕方が
ありません。しばらくお付き合いしてみたいと
思えるだけの魅力のあるホテルでした。

Simple yet Luxurious; Urban yet Zen; Prime Location
This was our second visit to Kyoto. For our first visit, we stayed in traditional ryokans, a «must experience» for 1^st time visitors. However, for our second visit, we opted for something a little different. The Ritz is a great choice for those wanting to experience a known Western luxury brand with a Japanese twist. Here’s what I loved about this Ritz…
1. It’s NEW, barely a year old, from what the taxi drivers and hotel staff told us. Our room, the common areas, restaurants, and electronics were new, state of the art, and just all around beautiful. I enjoyed what I saw when I came home for the evening.
2. The hotel staff was very helpful and many spoke fluent English. This was very useful as we would converse with them on our daily plans before setting out for the day. English and the Roman alphabet were hard to come by when we were out and about.
3. The hotel had a great fitness center, pool, and was in a perfect running location. The gym had new cardio and weight machines, free weights, and yoga equipment. It also had headphones, towels, and cold bottled water. From the hotel, I could run north along the river for about 5 km to the Botanical Gardens (10km round-​trip).
4. The attention to detail and personalization was above and beyond expectations. Each room had its own bonsai tree, not just for the room, but specifically for the guest. They bring in a different tree for each new guest. Everything in the room was designed to focus on simple, clean lines, fostering a peaceful state of zen.
5. All around amazing in-​room experience. Complimentary Nespresso coffee and Japanese tea. TV in the living area, separate TV in the bathroom mirror. Automatic toilet. Rainshower and hand-​held shower over a wooden planked floor, separate large tub. View of a zen garden. Comfy bed. Turn-​down service with water bottles, treats, and a soothing soundtrack. Free wifi. So. much. more.
Geez…writing this review… I want to go back already. :)

The Ritz Carlton is a newly opened «urban resort» hotel in central Kyoto. I had a fantastic stay here and would it put it up there with some of the top properties I’ve stayed at in Asia.
The room was lavish, I especially liked the rain forest shower which was above a wood plank floor. It felt so modern yet old world at the same time.
The concierge was exceptionally helpful… booking us into some great restaurants that were not touristy as well as booking activities such as a tea ceremony and a visit to the Suntory distillery.
The Japanese restaurant in the hotel albeit very expensive was the best sushi I had during my week in Japan with very friendly and approachable staff. Top-​notch all the way.
Location is great, easy walking distance to many of the inner city attractions and a short taxi ride to any of the temples.
The Ritz is expensive, but so are the traditional home-​stays and if you’re looking for a bit of luxury on your trip to Kyoto, this property needs to be on your list.