The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto

The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto was truly one of the finest hotel experiences we’ve ever had. From the moment we arrived, the service was flawless, but the property itself is where it truly shines. It perfectly blends old-world Japan with modern luxury. The rooms, spacious for Kyoto, were beautifully designed and felt...

The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto was truly one of the finest hotel experiences we’ve ever had. From the moment we arrived, the service was flawless, but the property itself is where it truly shines. It perfectly blends old-world Japan with modern luxury. The rooms, spacious for Kyoto, were beautifully designed and felt like a contemporary ryokan with sliding panels, natural textures, and elegant wood finishes. Thoughtful touches, like live Japanese string music, made the experience even more immersive. The location was another highlight—compared to the Park Hyatt and Four Seasons Kyoto, the Ritz offers a peaceful retreat away from tourist crowds, making it the perfect sanctuary after exploring the city. One downside was the subpar spa area and pool, which felt a bit underwhelming as they were located underground. However, we didn’t mind, as the overall feel of the hotel was just so incredible.

I stayed at this hotel from December 17 to 20 in 2024, and it is one of the best Ritz-Carlton properties I have ever experienced. I will definitely return. First, I want to express my gratitude to Yumi for assisting with the check-in process. She was incredibly attentive and thoughtful,...

I stayed at this hotel from December 17 to 20 in 2024, and it is one of the best Ritz-Carlton properties I have ever experienced. I will definitely return. First, I want to express my gratitude to Yumi for assisting with the check-in process. She was incredibly attentive and thoughtful, arranging every detail perfectly and even giving me a warm, handwritten postcard. I also really enjoyed the convenience of checking in directly in the room. As a member, I was also upgraded to a room with a beautiful view of the Kamo River, which I absolutely loved. The hotel offers many activities as well. On December 20, I joined the cycling tour, and the guide, Neen, left a lasting impression on me. She took us to a local temple that isn’t usually frequented by tourists, where we enjoyed the season’s last autumn leaves. Although the tour was just an hour, her attention to detail and thoughtful planning touched me deeply. I even asked to take a photo with her, and she later printed the photo as a gift for us, along with a handwritten postcard as a keepsake. Overall, the service at this hotel is the best I’ve ever experienced among all Ritz-Carlton and Ritz hotels I’ve stayed at, even surpassing the Ritz in London. Additionally, I loved the hotel’s swimming pool, which had the perfect water temperature. The sauna and steam room with scenic windows were incredibly relaxing. The twice-daily room cleaning service was also very satisfying. If I must point out a downside, it would be the breakfast service. The staff repeatedly asked if we were finished, which made me feel as if they wanted us to leave quickly.

Our experience was similar tof the other one star reviews. We were unable to get reservations in the hotel's Japanese restaurant. We ended up trying to contact the manager. The manager did not take the call. We were shuffled to an assistant whose English was inadequate to have reasonable communication....

Our experience was similar tof the other one star reviews. We were unable to get reservations in the hotel's Japanese restaurant. We ended up trying to contact the manager. The manager did not take the call. We were shuffled to an assistant whose English was inadequate to have reasonable communication. The staff simply do not understand how to give guests what they want. Breakfast was the identical menu every day, and not very good, at that. We had to ask multiple times for water and coffee refills. I never felt like I was in a five star hotel. Other guests were complaining as hey checked out. I agree with the reviewer who suggested "skip it".

The hotel can be reached by 15 minutes taxi ride from Kyoto station and 5 minutes walk from the nearest bus stop so it is quite convenient to get around. From arrival to check in, the staffs were all very friendly and check in process is done quickly. I was...

The hotel can be reached by 15 minutes taxi ride from Kyoto station and 5 minutes walk from the nearest bus stop so it is quite convenient to get around. From arrival to check in, the staffs were all very friendly and check in process is done quickly. I was upgraded to a slightly bigger room facing the river but due to its location in level 2, the view is obstructed by the surrounding trees. The room is spacious and the bed are one of the biggest I have ever tried. Housekeeping also stocked and refill the amenities proactively during my stay. This hotel is actually quite generous by offering free breakfast for higher tier member when it is not required for Ritz Carlton brand. But, unfortunately the breakfast is the weakest part of the stay experience. While the service were very good, the taste and variety of the meal is limited. Overall, I think this hotel offer pleasant stay but unfortunately there are still room for improvement especially with the breakfast

Great hotel with personalized service and really unique rooms in a great location. The restaurants and bars have great food and drinks (especially the pastries and Japanese breakfast) Super walkable to great restaurants, bars and sightseeing. Would recommend to anyone visiting Kyoto!

The RC Kyoto is a beautiful hotel with a wonderful staff. The concierge team at this property helped us with private guides and drivers. They arranged to have someone meet us at the train station at the platform. They helped us with dinner reservations. Very professional team. The hotel is...

The RC Kyoto is a beautiful hotel with a wonderful staff. The concierge team at this property helped us with private guides and drivers. They arranged to have someone meet us at the train station at the platform. They helped us with dinner reservations. Very professional team. The hotel is architectually stunning filled with stunning artwork. We walked to the river and to nearby shopping. A driver was arranged to take us to the train station and assist us with our luggage to the platform and to help us purchase bento boxes for the Shinkansen ride back to Tokyo. Thank you to the entire team for making this such a memorable trip.

Truly exceptional property in every regard and tremendous ambassador for the Marriott system. We stayed 7 nights in late August 2024 and the hotel was in meticulous condition and looked brand new. The team members at the hotel couldn’t do enough for us—every detail was taken care of and every...

Truly exceptional property in every regard and tremendous ambassador for the Marriott system. We stayed 7 nights in late August 2024 and the hotel was in meticulous condition and looked brand new. The team members at the hotel couldn’t do enough for us—every detail was taken care of and every day our expectations were exceeded. The concierge team lead by Suzuki and Yachi know the city inside and out and were able to get us some difficult reservations at top restaurants. Janie and Carlos were also very helpful in helping us plan our days at breakfast each morning. Every staff member every day greeted us with a smile and couldn’t be more hospitable. We were upgraded to a riverfront suite with views of the mountain and city, which was a delight after 24 hours of travel from the US. The hotel was well-located with easy access to popular restaurant areas and the myriad of trains and subways in the city. You simply cannot go wrong by staying at this property—it’s a top Ritz-Carlton. Thank you again!!! —Jon and Jackie K.

We were blown away with the RC Kyoto and it has easily become one of our favorite hotels! We visited the RC Kyoto for the 1st time in December 2023, during the Winter Holidays. At the time, I was Titanium status. Our Butler, Pink, was fantastic throughout the entire experience....

We were blown away with the RC Kyoto and it has easily become one of our favorite hotels! We visited the RC Kyoto for the 1st time in December 2023, during the Winter Holidays. At the time, I was Titanium status. Our Butler, Pink, was fantastic throughout the entire experience. She was very attentive throughout our entire stay. We upgraded our room to the Grand Deluxe Kamogawa. The view was excellent and room was spacious and in great condition. We also loved many of the small things including the partnership with Dyptique, the local soap, and variety of treats provided throughout our stay. During our stay, there was a variety of very pretty xmas decorations and events (including carolers) which made our experience even more special. The Concierge was very helpful with reservations throughout Kyoto and made recommendations to ceramics and glassware places that had some of the best and beautiful pieces (Thank you Sho for the great recommendations). Another memorable person during out trip was Minna (from the bar) who went above and beyond to make sure we were having a good night. We had some of the best drinks at Kyoto at the RC Kyoto bar and Minna was always lovely to interact with. She also gave us printed copies of recommendations (map included) of other bars in Tokyo we should try, which we did and they were fantastic as well. We loved our stay at the RC Kyoto and can’t wait to return

Stayed here a couple weeks ago. Beautiful property in an ideal location with amazing staff who clearly take pride in their jobs. My luggage had been missing and, at that point, Haneda airport's baggage services were unresponsive for days. Well, Midori in Guest Services managed to track it down and...

Stayed here a couple weeks ago. Beautiful property in an ideal location with amazing staff who clearly take pride in their jobs. My luggage had been missing and, at that point, Haneda airport's baggage services were unresponsive for days. Well, Midori in Guest Services managed to track it down and get answers for me next day! Breakfast was very high quality; they nailed the flavours of both Japanese and American options, so you won't go wrong with whatever you pick. Don't hesitate to book here!