The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto

We visited Ritz Carlton Kyoto in the first 2 weeks of September, 2025. Staff make the experience even more special. They are incredibly attentive and responsive (from the front counter folks, to housekeeping. House keeping realized I didn't use the complimentary slippers(because they were way to small for me) and must have seen my other shoes - when I returned next evening - they had put out larger size!! Just a small example. Rooms were not particularly lavish, but very nice and had a nice relaxing feel to them Everyone greets you and asks if you need assistance - ALWAYS!!. Property itself is serene and peaceful, with tasteful cultural overtones. Even the fitness room is chill. Heads and shoulders ABOVE RC Tokyo!! Those rooms seemed like regular "OK" American hotel rooms. Staff is pretty formal, westernised and not particularly welcomimg (hardly anyone said a word as we left or returned). Beautiful foyer though - No real Japanese flavor to it at all - Why stay in a so so American hotel when you are visiting a Country with such incredible culture and beauty? - not for that money. Highly recomend Ritz Kyoto - we will stay there again!! They need to reach out to Tokyo folks and give them hospitality tips.

Stayed two nights for a celebration and special attention was always paid to congratulating my wife for her birthday (in room fruit platter left during turn down service and after dinner at Mizuki). However, little attention was paid to my Japanese breakfast reservation which was made 2 months in advance. This was our third stay here and I had previously made reservations for a vegetarian Japanese breakfast with no issues. On our first morning, breakfast arrived and was absolutely perfect. I highly recommend it. On our second morning, they did not acknowledge my reservation, and even when I mentioned it, they still seemed to doubt my claim. About 40 minutes later, breakfast arrived but it was not vegetarian. I mentioned that I had made a reservation well in advance and they said I'd need to wait an additional 40 minutes. By that time we had been there for about an hour and my wife and daughter had already finished their breakfast. We decided to leave as we had to pack for check out. Upon returning to the room, we realized they had also forgot to bring the children's cupcake decorating activity which was also reserved a couple weeks in advance. I explained the situation through the Marriott Bonvoy app messaging system and received a call from the manager at La Loconda. After a long, wordy apology and overly verbose explanation, she said that she would bring the cupcake activity to our room. She asked if we wanted anything else, and I said a glass of milk would be nice. Several minutes later, the cupcake arrived but not the milk. I later received a follow up call from the manager with another wordy description about how they were doing an investigation regarding the matter. She asked if they could bring breakfast to the room and I accepted. Over an hour later, with check out approaching, I called to check on breakfast and was told she thought I didn't want it. No breakfast. I’ve previously experienced minor issues at Ritz-Carlton properties but they were always handled professionally, by limiting unneeded explanations and excuses, by listening attentively (I’d like to emphasize listening), and offering sincere apologies and resolutions. I felt in this case they were trying far too hard to make up for their mistakes, turning a deaf ear to my responses. The lack of attention paid to what I was saying was made especially clear with their unclear responses and disregard to my requests (for both milk and my breakfast). It’s been a month since our stay and I’m still bitter about breakfast. This has always been the highlight of my stays. But besides the cupcake and breakfast issues, the hotel is excellent, especially the special activities available, activities for children, and pool. I would highly recommend it, though I’d pay close attention to any special requests in the restaurants.

Truly the most amazing stay I’ve ever experienced. From the moment I checked in, Shoko made the process seamless and welcoming, I felt at home right away. My room had a magnificent view overlooking the river, mountain, and the sunrise. I honestly could not have asked for a better view of Japan. Every detail throughout my stay was executed to perfection, a true reflection of why this hotel holds its Forbes 5-star. The Japanese set breakfast was exceptional, both in taste and presentation. A special thanks to Yuka, the Director of Operations, for the warm welcome. This stay exceeded every expectation, and I’ll definitely be coming back.

Service always pleasantly surprised. We were celebrating a milestone anniversary and they did small meaningful things for us, even though we never asked. Sonya in particular shone through her knowledge of the country, initiative, and attention to detail. Can say the same of many of the staff we dealt with. Makes us want to come back despite the long flight. Garden view room is fantastic. I like the design of the room. When you sit at the table, you sort of feel like you’re on a wood platform in one of their zen gardens. Black out curtains were particularly good because they are designed to go behind this wood frame so no light leaks around the edges of the curtain. Highly recommend their Japanese breakfast!.

While our view was over the roof toward the river, I can’t say anything bad about our stay. The beds were the most comfortable in Japan, the breakfast buffet was great and you could walk from Gion through Pontocho and down the river back to the hotel. Our son had a mild allergic reaction at dinner and when we got back to the hotel, they got us to an urgent care and the concierge called the restaurant and gave us a spread sheet of ingredients.