The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo

It seems that taxi and private transfers don't really know exactly where this hotel is and so we got dropped off at the adjacent mall. So if you stay here, insist to be dropped off at the porte cochere which is further beyond the mall. Once you get to the lobby on the 45th floor, you are ensconced in the lap of luxury. The front desk staff is courteous and helpful although they could service at a slightly faster clip. The rooms are one of the most spacious in Tokyo. For the suites, apparently there is no separation (that is a door) between the living area and the bedroom. For the corner suite we had, you have to go through a closet, the bathroom and then the bedroom before getting into the living room. But once you got there, the view was outstanding. On most days, we say Mount Fuji afar and Tokyo light up before us. The breakfast was an overrun affair with us having to wait on most days before being seated and placed in the furthermost back room. The service was not attentive as you would expect from a Ritz Carlton and they often got our orders wrong or omitted items. But if you look past all of that, you have a terrific view of Haneda airport and the surroundings of Tokyo. Finally, they have a lovely indoor pool and some plunge pools inside the spa locker rooms. The pool attendants are fastidious about where you can sit and you have to wear a cap to enter the pool. But it is so nice to have a pool to while away in and further hot and cold pools to relax in. All this with an amazing view. What's there not to like?

Yuma and the other concierge staff were extremely helpful in suggestions to us during our first visit to Tokyo. The Japanese restaurant offers spectacular views of the city from the 45th floor, overlooking the Olympic Stadium. Our service was great and the sushi was fantastic. Many thanks to “K” for his hospitality during our two visits.

My son and I had a wonderful two-night stay at the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo. The location is fantastic—right in Roppongi, within walking distance of many attractions and close to two different subway lines. There is a lovely park/garden area at the bottom of the building, which made for a peaceful walk on those early, jet-lagged mornings. The lobby on the 45th floor is grand, stylish, and beautiful, complete with a water feature, a classy piano bar, a little kids’ area, and several restaurants. And the best views of Tokyo, of course. The check-in and concierge desks always had several staff eager to help. I really appreciated how sharp they all looked, how well they spoke English (not a given in Japan), and how helpful and efficient they were. We had a double room on the 51st floor, with a fantastic view that included Tokyo Tower. The style is definitely more “classic luxury,” if not just a tad dated, but everything was perfectly maintained, in good working order, and spotlessly clean. I will say the room looked and felt a lot better in person than in pictures. The beds were plush and comfortable; the furniture functional and cozy. I appreciated the electric shades and curtains that completely blacked out the room. The HVAC worked well and was quiet. The bathroom was really large and luxurious, with both a shower (with excellent water pressure!) and a bathtub. The coffee and tea amenities were very nice, and bottled water was plentiful. It was a really comfortable room, and we slept very well. We used the swimming pool on the 46th floor both mornings, and it was wonderful—once again with a terrific view. It’s large, and the water felt great. We tried three of the dining venues. First, Héritage by Kei Kobayashi for breakfast, and it was terrific. We tried the eggs Benedict, the croissant waffle, the omelet, as well as buffet items and pastries, and everything was perfectly executed and delectable. What a perfect start to a day in Tokyo! We also had a multi-course tempura dinner at Hinokizaka, which was a really special experience. The service was incredible, and so was the food. Finally, I had lunch at the Ritz-Carlton Café & Deli, which offered very well-executed Western dishes, as well as mouthwatering cakes. Service was truly five-star. Turn-down service was provided, and we found delicious treats in our room. Reception and concierge staff were always available and happy to answer questions, but even when not needed, they would always greet and bow, which is a really nice touch. One day I needed my room cleaned within a 90-minute window, and they promptly obliged. Perhaps the best test was when my room safe locked up on me with all our passports and documents inside, shortly before checking out and catching a shinkansen. Some of the keypad buttons had suddenly become inoperable. I called the front desk, and they had two technicians in my room and the safe opened within 15 minutes! A truly wonderful stay. I would love to try other properties, such as the two Editions, next time I am in Tokyo, but I think the service, attention to detail, views, and dining options are hard to beat at the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo!

Checking in on a weekday, it was fairly calm and quiet. We stayed 5 nights so we did notice on Friday/Saturday around check in time it was noticeably busier than when we checked in. Reception is on the 45th floor so you’ll always have to take two elevators from your room to the ground floor. Bia H. at reception was absolutely amazing, sweet, kind, friendly and attentive and really set the tone for the rest of our stay. We were able to secure a cash upgrade that included club lounge access. I want to say right here that if you can splurge for a club room, just do it. Looking back, it made our stay significantly more pleasurable with club lounge access. We knew this prior to booking but FYI, as a MB Platinum Elite member, take note that you do not receive complimentary club lounge access. This is across all RC hotels. The club lounge is amazing and service at the lounge was impeccable. Japanese and Western breakfast styles were offered along with an egg station and THE absolutely best part is the croissant waffles that are made to order. Afternoon tea is served from 2:30-4:30 and it’s topped with dessert bites, savory finger sandwiches in the middle tier and the bottom are scones and biscuits. My kids inhaled the bottom tier and requested we make it back for afternoon tea every day. Afternoon tea is very popular and can get quite busy. The view of Tokyo while enjoying breakfast or afternoon tea is a plus as the lounge is on the 53rd floor. We were searching for a hard to find item in one of the stores in Tokyo and Fukuyoshi “Yoshi” at the lounge went out of his way to help us with the search. Not only was that extremely helpful but it really made our stay even more special. There are people that do their job and then there are people that care about their jobs and this is what sets the bar for the level of service at RC. We’ve stayed at other hotels in Tokyo before and the rooms in RC are fairly large considering it’s located in central Tokyo. Bathroom is spacious, toilet and shower are separated with frosted glass doors so more than one person can be in there at the same time. There is a control panel built into the center nightstand that with one touch you can turn off all the lights as well as shut your drapes automatically. I wish I had this at home! The views from your room is gorgeous, during the day and the night. The hotel is attached to Tokyo Midtown and downstairs is the Galleria Plaza. There, you can find 7-Eleven, Tomod’s (drugstore), Precce (Grocery store), a wide variety of restaurants (from take out, casual, to high end) and shops. You can walk to the Oedo and Hibiya train lines without going outside (very helpful in the August heat). The service provided from everyone was excellent, always a smile to greet you and is what I expected from the RC brand. However, RC Tokyo is really standing out above the other RCs we’ve stayed at. So much so that if we come back to Tokyo again, it’ll be hard to stay anywhere else.

I don't make a habit of leaving reviews, but I had to because this was the best hotel I may have ever stayed in, that isn't a tropical resort. The staff anticipated all our needs, the room felt huge, clean, and luxurious. The Towers restaurant breakfast held up its Michelin star rating. I was already going to give this a 5 star review, but after staying the final night of our trip at the Andaz (which felt like a major downgrade from the Ritz), it made me appreciate just how flawless the Ritz was. Everything here felt effortless, elegant, and worth every penny. I will absolutely stay here again the next time I’m in Tokyo