Originally Posted by KI-NRT

Top luxury hotels in Tokyo are Aman, Four Seasons Otemachi (and Marunouchi), Palace Hotel, Mandarin Oriental, Peninsula, Park Hyatt, Ritz-Carlton, Shangri-La and Hoshinoya. A slight notch down (but still very good) consists of options like the Prince Gallery, Conrad and Andaz.

I've stayed at all of them, and they each of their pros and cons. Costs notwithstanding, my top three are Aman, Palace and FS Otemachi.

FWIW, Aman does not feel dated at all. It's still quite fresh in appearance and upkeep. By contrast, Park Hyatt and Shangri-La could use a small refurb. Hoshinoya rooms are way too small by luxury hotel standards. RC is a bit dark and slightly dated, although if you want to be near Roppongi it's a good choice (especially if you get a room on the club level.)

Many of the hotels feature wonderful views. If you want an uninterrupted view of the Imperial Palace Gardens, then the top choice is the Palace Hotel.

For Kyoto, yes... Aman + Park Hyatt are a great combo. Aman is an oasis of tranquility, while PH is right in the center of action. MAKE SURE you book a room on the second floor at Aman. Some of the rooms on the ground floor face the pathway, and you won't have any privacy. A big design flaw that is inexcusable for such a high-end brand. Btw, another idea would be to spend one night in a ryokan like Tawaraya or Hiiragiya.