What it is

East meets West in this 134-room infinite-star luxury hotel, where every tiny facet of your stay has been tirelessly perfected.

What it isn't

Cloying. This is the type of nonplussed cosseting that today’s cognoscenti demand. (I.e. expect handmade Kyoto Shabon-ya soap in your bathroom).

What we think

Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto, have the clean-lines of ryokan—and yet, none of the spareness. Even the smallest is huge, especially by Japanese standards, at 483 square feet; amenities include 600-thread-count linens, rainforest showers in full marble bathrooms, and yukata slippers and imabari bathrobes. The ESPA spa, especially, is unflappably amazing, with an actual waterfall supplying the soundtrack and jet lag banishing treatments (you don’t want to leave without getting the volcanic stone Higashiyama Vigor massage; you’ll depart as if walking on a heavenly, stress-doesn’t-even-exist-in-my-life cloud).

You're here because

You’re bringing your kids, and so far from home, the Ritz Kids program is godsent, with treasure hunts and even cooking classes taught by in-house Pierre Hermé Paris patissiers.

The Moment

With its 360 degree wine cellar, The Bar is like none other. But it’s the Kuroge Wagyu beef burgers with foie gras—and that zippy pickled radish mojito you had—that you’ll be dreaming about on your flight back.

Restaurants & Bars

- Mizuki – Japanese kaiseki cuisine

- La Locanda – traditional Italian

Lobby Lounge - afternoon tea and sweets

The Bar - cocktails & apertifs

Location

A three minute stroll from Kyoto’s Shiyakusho-Mae Station, within walking distance of the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto and the Heian Shrine, built in 1895.