Roppongi Hills in Tokyo has long been known as the Tokyo’s vibrant district famous for its energetic nightlife entertainment, art scene, cultural landmarks, luxury shopping and diverse international world-class dining, centred around major complexes as well as a design-related business hub. With convenient access by the efficient transport links, it makes this unique neighbourhood in Tokyo an unrivalled haven for discerning leisure and business travellers.
The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo has garnered a reputation for truly embodying the term luxury and has been doing so for almost 20 years, opening its doors in March 2007, offering unparalleled views and meticulous service from this truly prestigious location.
With 245 elegantly appointed guest rooms, a top floor Club Lounge, fine dining restaurants with spectacular views of the entire city skyline and beyond looking out the Shinjuku and Shibuya area, the Imperial Palace, Tokyo Tower and the magnificent Fuji-San and etc. Besides, the facilities and amenities include a floor dedicated to health and wellness with a serene 46th-floor indoor lap pool, a soothing spa among many other features, along with adjacent unique boutiques, shops and cafes for you to explore at your own pace is what we define as a sensible urban luxury staycation must-have.
Roppongi Hills is very easy to access via Tokyo’s rail and metro system, instead of arriving the luxurious way, intrepid travellers always like to test out such boundaries and this was a particularly easy route to get to the hotel after following the instructions on the informative website. Once you are inside the main tower, signage is very visible and you will quickly find yourself in the hotel main lobby on the 45th floor which is quite spectacular with double height ceilings that will immediately pause you to take this in with its stunning city skyline.
Tasteful flower arrangements are well placed in the centre of the lobby lounges alongside with multiple sectionized plants creating a mini “indoor garden” adorned with exquisite furnishings and gigantic modern art works hanging on the wooden wall.
Do not expect a giant classic chandelier as the light is more refined and contemporary in the main lobby. Through recent renovations it leans towards modern Japanese elegance with wood/washi paper lamps rather than gigantic crystal chandeliers and modern fixtures that create a grandeur atmospheric ambience.
The grand scale modern touch also comes with a water feature wall on one side of the lobby before making your way to the signature Hinokizaka Japanese restaurant and The Lobby Lounge & Bar.
We were promptly welcomed by the Club Lounge team and asked to make ourselves comfortable at a window seat and immediately a drink preference was offered for our arrival. A beautiful glass of Mansard French champagne was presented to us in a jiffy, so already we felt like we were in the lap of luxury.
All formalities were promptly attended to, as we couldn’t help but to enjoy another glass of bubbly and the view of Mount Fuji in a completely chill mood and weren’t fussed about anything at this point in time before we eventually decided to settle into our room.
Our Club Lounge Access Room was allocated on the 52nd floor and as soon as we opened the door, the large classy 52sqm room layout unfolded. A huge marble bathroom firstly to our right and then the main room proper with a huge king bed, working desk and chairs, a sofa chair by the window and needless to say large windows that instantly have you gravitating to the views of Tokyo, again.
The room is a welcome respite to the vibrant city below with timeless design merging on East-meets-West that has not been changed much since the day the hotel opened, but it has been well maintained. The bed linens are the finest Egyptian cottons and always looked immaculate with huge pillows.
The generous size of the room was uncluttered, allowing us to relax and have so much space to spread out our belongings and suitcases. There is an open plan integrated unit that houses a minibar with quality selections of tea and coffee and a welcome amenity, a generous size safe, a reasonable size bench for suitcases and bags plus metal tubes for hanging long dresses or trench coats which is a thoughtful way to design and offer such amenities in this private sanctuary.
The spacious bathroom still has the original wood colour and marble flooring, a bit dated in a way but kept well and came with double vanities that were separated in different locations, so you are not ‘cheek by jowl’ when two people are getting ready together. There is also a large walk-in shower, large bathtub and more than enough shelves, drawers and bench space to cater for a large family together with the premium Diptyque bathroom amenities that always add that touch of luxury.
Having access to the Club Lounge is an elevated journey and would be an absolute must in any Ritz-Carlton hotel, as they do luxury in a way that few other brands match and this Club Lounge probably exceeded our expectations beyond compare. As the saying goes, “it is a hotel within a hotel” offering exclusivity and attention to detail and this was evident from the moment we arrived.
The Club Lounge occupies one side of the top floor of the hotel and is one long room broken up into different ambient spaces with different accents, so the initial seating area is all in dark woods and elegant fabrics, followed by the open kitchen section with accompanying lounge seating, which then segues into the library sections, so guests are able to choose different sections with different views every time they come to the lounge and life in the lounge never gets boring in this way.
The interior design is beautifully thought through in a residentially inspired layout, with accents of sculptures, wall hangings, standing lamps, flower arrangements and many more details exuding that luxurious exclusivity feeling that creates an air of serene sophistication.
The focal point for every guest is the view of Mount Fuji, weather permitting, but even so, the view of Tokyo from this luxury aerie is breathtaking and the lounge is spacious in all ways and no one misses out on a view no matter where you sit.
The exclusivity of this classy Club Lounge is all about the Food & Beverage. With complimentary daily five curated food and beverage presentations featuring delectable breakfast, lunch, leisure afternoon tea, dinner and more with personalized attention that awaits at every turn in this tranquil sanctuary.
French champagne is available from breakfast through to late evening that adds the luxury touch and not just one brand mind you – we were able to enjoy three different maisons and looked forward to this treat every day, no matter what the time. Sake are also available and sourced from renown Prefectures and if you have ever experienced sparkling sake, you may begin your sake journey by expanding your sake knowledge here. You cannot even browse the offerings without being approached by a team member ready to assist, so they are very switched on and wanting to ensure that you don’t need to juggle glasses and plates, as they will be brought to your table.
The daily culinary presentations never failed to impress through all periods of the day and makes you want to stay in and not to miss any opportunity to check out each session of service as it was too good to miss and they are not shy in ensuring you do indulge. All you have to do is to choose a time that suits you to sit back and relax and enjoy the views or some quiet time.
Breakfast is a fine repast (with or without the view of Fuji-san) and everything is thought through and luxurious, not only the presentation but the quality of curated food menu – think beautifully fluffy croissants that bring a smile to your face, delectable yoghurts, the tastiest of cold roast beef slices amongst so many choices that will have your waistline expanding before you know it! The cooked to order omelettes were the softest and fluffiest you can have, the high nutritious and fermented Japanese natto were a daily must, in-house tea brand and coffee was on point for taste with a great selection of freshly made juices and so much choice everywhere you looked. All up one of the best breakfast hands down, forgetting it was a Club Lounge.
With our expanding waistlines, we felt it necessary to burn off some calories with a daily swim in the large indoor heated pool that was perfect for laps and also offered panoramic views of Tokyo.
The entire 46th floor is dedicated to wellness, encompassing some 21,528 square feet, encouraging wellness with a blend of Eastern and Western traditions that includes a heated Japanese-style plunge pool, a cedar wood dry sauna, a weathered coral stone tile sauna and rain showers as well as a state-of-the-art techno gym with personal coach upon request to tone your muscles.
Our stay was too brief and it was hard to farewell the Club Lounge team and move on to our next destination, but it all comes down to excellence in service and making guests feel relaxed while wowing them with truly memorable experiences. Subsequently, returning to the lounge every day for whatever reason was an absolute joy.
The Club Lounge Manager Shunpei Oya san has assembled a dedicated team that impressed us and every guest at every turn and you could tell he took pride in every detail and his passion was self-evident and ensured each team member imbued the guest experience with the same attention to detail and passion in a courteous approach.
Given that the hotel is going strong after nearly two decades of operation, it looks well taken care of and generally does not show its age and all elements of luxury are front and centre in a subtle way that will have you craving more, even well after you have departed. The grandeur of The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo truly offers a grand metropolitan luxurious experience overall and we loved the locale, the connectivity and the jaw dropping views of Tokyo that welcomed us with open arms and cosseted us through every minute of our stay with luxurious moments await.
Tried & Tested:
Location: 5/5
Design & Decor: 5/5
Location: 5/5
Design & Decor: 5/5
Housekeeping: 5/5
Food & Beverage: 5/5
Food & Beverage: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Value For Money: 5/5
Experience: 5/5
Value For Money: 5/5
Experience: 5/5
Reviews are based on actual day of visit and experience. mylifestylenews reserves the right of final decision in case of any disputes. All images are photographed by mylifestylenews team without any photoshop enhancement and are the property owned by mylifestylenews unless otherwise stated.
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