Japan’s Best New Luxury Hotels

Situated on the banks of Kyoto’s Kamogawa River, the stunning Ritz-Carlton is easily one of Asia’s most beautiful hotels. With 17 UNESCO World Heritage sites and countless temples, shrines and traditional Japanese gardens, Kyoto is one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world, and yet stepping inside The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto is like entering a sanctuary of calm – and of course luxury. Rooms have the feeling of a high-end ryokan, with sumptuous chairs perched next to the windows and welcome tea service by kimono-clad staff using elegant Kyoto-designed ceramicware. Suites feature large tatami mat areas and wrap-around windows looking out over the majestic Higashiyama mountain range. A range of activities allows guests to truly connect with Kyoto. These include a samurai experience, where guests receive instruction in the ancient sword-dancing art of kenbu while wearing traditional samurai clothing sans armour.

The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto

Occupying the top six floors of Otemachi Tower, Aman Tokyo is a cut above the rest – an uber-luxurious city
 resort. It has one of the most impactful hotel lobbies in the world, with soaring 30m ceilings that make guests feel like they are in an enormous Zen palace. The property’s entry-level deluxe
 rooms are the largest in the city (starting at 71sqm), and feature floor-to-ceiling windows, deep-soaking Japanese-style bathtubs and plenty of seating areas from which to take in the magnificent views. Suites start at 141sqm, and offer the same layout as the deluxe rooms, but with a separate en-suite living/dining area complete with kitchenette and pantry. The spa is Tokyo’s largest and offers the widest range of treatments of any hotel spa in the city, occupying 2,500sqm with eight treatment rooms and relaxation areas fronting the wide windows. The star of the fitness facilities, however, is the 30m heated swimming pool.

Aman Tokyo

With the opening of Andaz Tokyo, Hyatt now has all three of its high- end luxury brands represented in the city. The hotel’s developer, Mori Building, obviously spared no expense in fitting out this hotel, which is now one of the most attractive in Hyatt’s global portfolio. The majority of rooms are around 50sqm and have a sophisticated Japanese design feel to them. All offer sweeping panoramic views of the Tokyo cityscape. Large round deep-soaking bathtubs, gorgeous single-slab wooden desks and oversized sofas are just some of the rooms’ high points. Suites are nothing short of spectacular, with wrap- around floor-to-ceiling windows, incredible modern styling and an expansive luxury that few suites in town can match. Fitness facilities include a 20m heated pool, Technogym equipment and a series of Roman bath-style jacuzzis. The hotel’s AO spa offers a range of luxurious treatments in stunning facilities designed by local favourite, Shinichiro Ogata.

Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills