Back to Asia again for the 2019 summer holidays, with a superb fortnight’s stay in Japan. The booking of this stay was made rather late, in May, for a departure at the beginning of August.
This booking was not an easy job Clearly, Japan is not a cheap destination for Business or First class, especially from Paris, and I couldn’t see myself flying 12 hours in economy with my wife.
So we find a good deal on Star Alliance in Premium Economy, for just over €900 per person, a reasonable price for Japan in the middle of summer.
On the outbound flight, a few days before departure, I decided to buy an upgrade to Business class for my wife for the outbound flight at night.
Here is the itinerary followed:
| # | Type | Review |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Flight | Lufthansa Business, Paris Charles-de-Gaulle – Frankfurt, Airbus A321-100 (not reviewed) – Upgrade at the gate |
| 2 | Flight | Lufthansa Business, Frankfurt – Tokyo Haneda, Boeing 747-800i (not reviewed) |
| 3 | Hotel | Prince Gallery Tokyo, a Luxury Collection Hotel (not reviewed report by Bertrand here) |
| 4 | Hotel | The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto |
| 5 | Hotel | Sheraton Grand Hiroshima |
| 6 | Hotel | ANA Crowne Plaza Okayama |
| 7 | Hotel | The Ritz Carlton Tokyo |
| 8 | Flight | Asiana Economy, Tokyo Haneda – Seoul Incheon, Airbus A321-100 (not reviewed) |
| 9 | Flight | Lufthansa Business, Seoul Incheon – Frankfurt, Boeing 747-400 (not reviewed) – Upgrade at the gate |
| 10 | Hotel | Moxy Frankfurt Airport |
| 11 | Flight | Lufthansa Economy, Frankfurt – Paris Charles-de-Gaulle, Airbus A320-100 (not reviewed) |
So here we go for this exceptional stay at the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto, after some excellent days in Tokyo.
Booking
We booked this hotel from the Marriott Bonvoy app. I hesitated for a long time between the Suiran, a hotel that Bertrand and I know well because we both stayed there, and this property.
The tie breaker was the fact that I already knew Suiran and wanted to try something else, but also the fact that the location of the Suiran, far away from the attractions, makes it a difficult hotel to reach and isolated in the evening.
I booked the hotel using Marriott Bonvoy points, as the price of the hotel was immensely high (nearly €1200 per night in a standard room in the middle of summer).
Arrival
We arrived in Kyoto from Tokyo in the late morning by Shinkansen. Once we arrive, we take the metro to the closest station to the hotel, which is a 10-minute walk away.
In Japan, we recommend the use of a Suica card, which can be used in all cities, and which can be carried on your iPhone in a completely paperless way. We will use this card throughout our stay in all the cities where we will be staying.
I had little hope of having our room ready when we arrived so early, but it was not so: everything was ready for our arrival.
As is customary in these luxury hotels, check-in is fully seated, with a welcome drink.
Unlike usual at the Ritz-Carlton, here, breakfast is offered to Ambassador members (and only to this status, it is a pilot initiative a priori) and an upgrade was confirmed in a Luxury room with a view on the river. Excellent!
The lobby is particularly beautiful, with a certain modernity but with some perfectly placed traditional touches.
We were finally escorted to our room by the receptionist, who also confirmed the late check-out at 5pm.
Room
Our room was located on the 5th floor of the property with a beautiful view of Gion and the river that runs through the city.
The entrance is very spacious, and the hallway is lined with storage and contains the minibar, as well as the courtesy tray and tea and coffee making facilities, all in typical Japanese style.
The room is also very spacious, with armchairs and a table positioned near the window, and an extremely comfortable bed. All controls are available on either side of the bed for the lights of course, but also for opening and closing the curtains.
A sofa also faces the bed, in addition to the armchairs.
The bathroom is also very spacious. Accessible from the bedroom, of course, but also from the corridor through a very discreet sliding door.
It is equipped with two basins so that you can get ready at the same time, a very nice and spacious shower, as well as a toilet.
The wardrobe is located here, with huge cupboards that really allow you to settle in! We would like to, if we could…
After all, you don’t always need a sequel to be happy… The visit in video :
Hotel facilities
The hotel has its own gym and spa.
We tested the spa on the first evening, after a first half-day of exploring the city. It is located in the basement of the property.
A long swimming pool allows you to swim a few laps. It is not heated but the water is not freezing either.
At the edge of the pool is also the mixed sauna which we will use to warm up after a few swims.
In the changing rooms, a steam room is available, but access must be naked as is traditional in Japan.
Food options
The hotel’s restaurants are located in the lobby. Making the most of the city, we did not dine at the hotel but had breakfast there each morning.
The service there is extremely square: we were called by our name systematically. Hot and cold drinks and hot food are ordered at the table, and the service is quite fast.
A large buffet is also available, and the quality is perfect, as you would expect from a hotel of this standing. The tables are far enough apart to create privacy…
In short, one could spend hours at this breakfast.
Departure
Due to a typhoon in Japan, we had to shorten our last day of visit. We left the hotel shortly after 4pm by Uber to the station.
No worries at the time of departure, the bill was correct.
Bottom line
There are not many stays where I have nothing to complain about. This is one of them. Perfection in a hotel, with exceptional service. An exceptional hotel that is worth its exceptional price.
