Tokyo Luxury Hotels (consolidated thread -- older thread, now closed)
Feb 7, 2018, 1:17 pm
#1381
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: AC
Posts: 106
I do not have any special status with the Ritz-Carlton. I simply called their reservations line early this morning and was lucky to get a very responsive agent on the line who transferred me directly. I expressed my disappointment with the way things had been handled by the hotel and received immediate support from this person, who provided me with her direct tel. number and email address. I've been forwarding all communication between myself and the hotel to her and it will be shared with and reviewed by management.
As for the nature of the problem; it's long and messy. I first wrote the RC approx. 6 months ago about the nature of our trip and emphasized the importance of certain reservations; then 3 months later I followed up with updates for their team...
I sent a very organized PDF file with all of our requests months ago. Not only was it never acknowledged, it was somehow lost/misfiled.
They've since ignored/neglected numerous other requests. They don't read or respond to emails in full. Our bookings were supposed to be handled by Feb 1st but as of two days ago, they still hadn't even contacted half of the restaurants. I honestly could have done a lot better booking things on my own.
There was one really significant reservation at a restaurant we had visited years ago on our honeymoon, which was actually not a very difficult request to fill. As of two days ago, there was plenty of availability via the reliable Tableall website (40 yen p/p booking fee) yet the RC dropped the ball on it, which really makes me angry. Again, this is something I could have facilitated on my own fairly easily and up until just a few days ago, it was not a problem.
There were a number of restaurants I had requested months ago that their chief concierge just informed me over the tel. this past week that are impossible to book -- they had been sitting on these requests for months and were well aware of the fact that there was no chance for accommodating them, yet they said nothing. I want to point out that I completely understood the difficulty of booking some of these reservations, yet I am still confident that they could have been arranged through Japanese friends and acquaintances months ago, had the hotel not led me on. This is my first booking with the RC Tokyo and I had absolutely no idea what their concierge team was or was not capable of. At the very least, expectations could have been adjusted. At best, alternate arrangements could have likely been made; there are at least two reservations in which I'm certain of this. Had they responded months ago, instead of simply telling me that they would try on __ date (when they knew based on their relationship with the restaurants that reservations would not be accepted through the hotel) I would have had opportunity to either seek outside assistance, adjust plans, or offer alternate options.
Further reservations have been made at the wrong restaurant altogether, despite including all of the names in Japanese along with corresponding links for my requests.
When specific requests have been made for things like chef's counter seating at restaurants where that's offered, they've simply been ignored. Things like window seating for a lunchtime booking at a well known kaiseki restaurant which overlooks historic Japanese gardens has still never been acknowledged so while the booking was made, I highly doubt if this was ever relayed to the restaurant. These are just minor points that I mention for the benefit of folks on the forum but have not raised with the concierge as of yet, because there have been far too many bigger issues to deal with. If this sort of attention to detail is important to you (as it is to me) then I would consider booking elsewhere. The Peninsula has been excellent in the past about confirming these kind of meticulous details.
Concierge picks and chooses what they responded to from emails without any rhyme or reason. Certain requests are acknowledged while others are neglected for an entire week without follow-up; even after sending multiple email inquiries practically begging them to address earlier requests. I've had to personally call the hotel three times (long-distance on my cell phone) just to get them to respond to several requests.
I have sent along information for very specific bookings, like an acupuncture appointment for my wife at a certain place. The response from the concierge (after multiple reminders and prompts) would often ignore the information provided; asking instead where I wanted to book the appointment, or offering a random suggestion in place.
Likewise, I would specify that we've visited a certain restaurant before (often in detail and in the context of a particular request) only to receive an email asking whether we've been before. Some reservations that have been confirmed required us to pre-select a menu by price point, and the concierge would request that I do so without offering any options or links to choose from. No further help upon writing back. Every morning when I open my inbox there is some new issue like this. I've never encountered so much aggravation dealing with any hotel staff before.
Reservations that were supposed to be booked by February 1st have been completely neglected until today (Feb. 7th in Tokyo right now!) and are either presently unavailable (no surprise) or else we are stuck with 5:00 PM reservations. We are spending almost 3 full weeks in Tokyo and we offered the hotel plenty of flexibility in booking these reservations over that entire time period, so this should not have been the end result. Who wants to spend $300 p/p on a fancy meal at 5 o'clock in the afternoon?
There are similar bookings where we are rushed and forced out after one hour because the hotel took a week to make reservations that were promised to be arranged on a specific date (failed to do so) and which were requested months ago. It's just a complete mess and the only consistency has been the level of disorganization and confusion that we've experienced from every member of their team. If we weren't staying entirely on points, I would seriously consider switching hotels and I really now regret that we didn't opt to stay at the Prince Gallery instead.
I assume that this will all be resolved through management somehow, but whatever solution is offered will hardly make up for the way in which this has impacted our trip. I am fully aware of the difficulty of securing reservations at top restaurants in Tokyo and I'm not unsympathetic to the fact that it's surely one of the most strenuous cities in the world to be working as a concierge at a five-star hotel, yet their failure to follow through on requests in a timely and efficient manner is the sole reason for our disappointment. This is specifically why I had contacted the hotel so far in advance. It's why we choose to stay in Tokyo for extended lengths of time. It's why we regularly choose to stay at top hotels in the city. In fact, this is one of the main reasons that we are returning to Tokyo and I had expressed that clearly to the concierge for many months. They failed on all counts.
Again, I've stayed at The Peninsula in Tokyo before and my experience has been the complete opposite, so I know that it's not just me or the nature of my requests. There is zero pretense to any of this btw. We're just regular people with normal expectations and this is the only city in the world where I really make use of the concierge service to this extent. We haven't been out to any fancy restaurants or dinners in many months and this trip was supposed to make up for that. It had been planned for over a year and we are celebrating our 5th anniversary. To say that I'm disappointed with the RC concierge service is an understatement. In the end, Tokyo is a great food city at all levels and we've got plenty of low-key local spots in the books, so it's not like we'll go hungry or anything but it's worth noting that a very significant focus of our trip has certainly shifted. This is not the Tokyo itinerary we had planned for and we likely would have made very different travel plans. I just want to make sure that management is aware of that.
As for the nature of the problem; it's long and messy. I first wrote the RC approx. 6 months ago about the nature of our trip and emphasized the importance of certain reservations; then 3 months later I followed up with updates for their team...
I sent a very organized PDF file with all of our requests months ago. Not only was it never acknowledged, it was somehow lost/misfiled.
They've since ignored/neglected numerous other requests. They don't read or respond to emails in full. Our bookings were supposed to be handled by Feb 1st but as of two days ago, they still hadn't even contacted half of the restaurants. I honestly could have done a lot better booking things on my own.
There was one really significant reservation at a restaurant we had visited years ago on our honeymoon, which was actually not a very difficult request to fill. As of two days ago, there was plenty of availability via the reliable Tableall website (40 yen p/p booking fee) yet the RC dropped the ball on it, which really makes me angry. Again, this is something I could have facilitated on my own fairly easily and up until just a few days ago, it was not a problem.
There were a number of restaurants I had requested months ago that their chief concierge just informed me over the tel. this past week that are impossible to book -- they had been sitting on these requests for months and were well aware of the fact that there was no chance for accommodating them, yet they said nothing. I want to point out that I completely understood the difficulty of booking some of these reservations, yet I am still confident that they could have been arranged through Japanese friends and acquaintances months ago, had the hotel not led me on. This is my first booking with the RC Tokyo and I had absolutely no idea what their concierge team was or was not capable of. At the very least, expectations could have been adjusted. At best, alternate arrangements could have likely been made; there are at least two reservations in which I'm certain of this. Had they responded months ago, instead of simply telling me that they would try on __ date (when they knew based on their relationship with the restaurants that reservations would not be accepted through the hotel) I would have had opportunity to either seek outside assistance, adjust plans, or offer alternate options.
Further reservations have been made at the wrong restaurant altogether, despite including all of the names in Japanese along with corresponding links for my requests.
When specific requests have been made for things like chef's counter seating at restaurants where that's offered, they've simply been ignored. Things like window seating for a lunchtime booking at a well known kaiseki restaurant which overlooks historic Japanese gardens has still never been acknowledged so while the booking was made, I highly doubt if this was ever relayed to the restaurant. These are just minor points that I mention for the benefit of folks on the forum but have not raised with the concierge as of yet, because there have been far too many bigger issues to deal with. If this sort of attention to detail is important to you (as it is to me) then I would consider booking elsewhere. The Peninsula has been excellent in the past about confirming these kind of meticulous details.
Concierge picks and chooses what they responded to from emails without any rhyme or reason. Certain requests are acknowledged while others are neglected for an entire week without follow-up; even after sending multiple email inquiries practically begging them to address earlier requests. I've had to personally call the hotel three times (long-distance on my cell phone) just to get them to respond to several requests.
I have sent along information for very specific bookings, like an acupuncture appointment for my wife at a certain place. The response from the concierge (after multiple reminders and prompts) would often ignore the information provided; asking instead where I wanted to book the appointment, or offering a random suggestion in place.
Likewise, I would specify that we've visited a certain restaurant before (often in detail and in the context of a particular request) only to receive an email asking whether we've been before. Some reservations that have been confirmed required us to pre-select a menu by price point, and the concierge would request that I do so without offering any options or links to choose from. No further help upon writing back. Every morning when I open my inbox there is some new issue like this. I've never encountered so much aggravation dealing with any hotel staff before.
Reservations that were supposed to be booked by February 1st have been completely neglected until today (Feb. 7th in Tokyo right now!) and are either presently unavailable (no surprise) or else we are stuck with 5:00 PM reservations. We are spending almost 3 full weeks in Tokyo and we offered the hotel plenty of flexibility in booking these reservations over that entire time period, so this should not have been the end result. Who wants to spend $300 p/p on a fancy meal at 5 o'clock in the afternoon?
There are similar bookings where we are rushed and forced out after one hour because the hotel took a week to make reservations that were promised to be arranged on a specific date (failed to do so) and which were requested months ago. It's just a complete mess and the only consistency has been the level of disorganization and confusion that we've experienced from every member of their team. If we weren't staying entirely on points, I would seriously consider switching hotels and I really now regret that we didn't opt to stay at the Prince Gallery instead.
I assume that this will all be resolved through management somehow, but whatever solution is offered will hardly make up for the way in which this has impacted our trip. I am fully aware of the difficulty of securing reservations at top restaurants in Tokyo and I'm not unsympathetic to the fact that it's surely one of the most strenuous cities in the world to be working as a concierge at a five-star hotel, yet their failure to follow through on requests in a timely and efficient manner is the sole reason for our disappointment. This is specifically why I had contacted the hotel so far in advance. It's why we choose to stay in Tokyo for extended lengths of time. It's why we regularly choose to stay at top hotels in the city. In fact, this is one of the main reasons that we are returning to Tokyo and I had expressed that clearly to the concierge for many months. They failed on all counts.
Again, I've stayed at The Peninsula in Tokyo before and my experience has been the complete opposite, so I know that it's not just me or the nature of my requests. There is zero pretense to any of this btw. We're just regular people with normal expectations and this is the only city in the world where I really make use of the concierge service to this extent. We haven't been out to any fancy restaurants or dinners in many months and this trip was supposed to make up for that. It had been planned for over a year and we are celebrating our 5th anniversary. To say that I'm disappointed with the RC concierge service is an understatement. In the end, Tokyo is a great food city at all levels and we've got plenty of low-key local spots in the books, so it's not like we'll go hungry or anything but it's worth noting that a very significant focus of our trip has certainly shifted. This is not the Tokyo itinerary we had planned for and we likely would have made very different travel plans. I just want to make sure that management is aware of that.
Thanks for sharing. I noticed you posted similar comments on Chowhound as well, and wanted to share my recent experience with the RC concierge as well (made this account just to respond!).
Like you, a trip to Tokyo is a rare treat for my wife and I, and I've been looking forward to going since I was there 2 years ago for our honeymoon. Being a big foodie like yourself, I specifically wanted to return to Tokyo to eat at the top restaurants there, in particular sushi. When I was there two years ago, I was able to get bookings at Jiro Roppongi, Mizutani, and Shima. Returning this time, I decided to stay at the Ritz Carlton because I hear great things about the success rate of their concierge, and would really hope to cross some of the top restaurants I've been meaning to try off my list. I also made a booking for the Prince Sakura on a separate night, just to have two concierges trying and maximizing my chances.
From the beginning, all correspondences from RC Tokyo felt...cold. Obviously, it's hard to convey tone over e-mail, and I have to be respectful of cultural differences, but not once did I feel like they were enthused about helping me. Not that it should matter, but I did mention that a) I held Gold Elite status b) it was my first time staying at a RC property c) I am celebrating an anniversary, and was hoping they would help make it special by helping me secure reservations at restaurants we really wanted to go to.
Right in the beginning, I was told Saito, Sugita, Mitani, and Hatsunezushi would be impossible - not surprised, just thought I'd ask anyways. I re-worked my list and sent them a new list and they told me they would get back to me. Since initially sending them list back in October, I've had many exchanges with them via e-mail (I re-did my list a couple of times), and each time the response was rather cold and they told me they would "get back to me when they have results". The only time they proactively reached out to me with results is to let me know that Arai was fully booked, which I was surprised and disappointed by, as the second counter shouldn't be that hard to book.
On the other hand, the Prince Sakura concierge was absolutely phenomenal when it came to communication. Their e-mails were always warm and delightful, and was very proactive in letting me know when each of the restaurants I requested starts accepting reservation, and their plan on the order they will approach each restaurant. The one negative was that Prince Sakura will only help you make reservation for days you are staying with them (1 night), whereas the Ritz will book any nights you request.
Most sushi-yas will accept reservation one the 1st of the month prior to when you are looking to go. Since I'm going in March, most of the top restaurants I requested would accept Feb 1. One of the exceptions to this was Masuda, who accepted reservation as of Jan 25th, which the Prince Sakura informed me on the 24th they will contact, and ultimately was able to secure a reservation for me.
Since I also have Masuda on the list I gave RC, I expected them to also do something similar, but they never e-mailed me. Curious, I proactively emailed them about reservations that can be made prior to Feb 1 (referencing Masuda, Harutaka, and Quintessence), and they maintain they will get back to me Feb 1. The only thing they said (after I proactively asked about it) was that Quintessence was fully booked, and they placed me on a waitlist.
Finally, on Feb 1, they reached out to me to give me my full list of booked restaurants. The most important thing of note is that they were able to make a reservation for me for Jiro Ginza, which was #1 on my list after removing Saito, as Jiro Ono-san is retiring in 2020. It was a 5:30 PM reservation. On that note, I disagree with your statement above that 5 PM or 5 30 PM reservations are necessarily the fault of the concierge, but rather just the nature of trying secure top reservations in Tokyo. Last time I was in Tokyo, my Jiro Roppongi reservation was at 5 and my Mizutani reservation was at 5.
Aside from Jiro Ginza though, they weren't able to book any notably hard to book restaurants (Amamoto, Arai, Sho, Hashimoto, Quintessence, etc.), and was only able to book fairly easy to book ones (Sushi Shin, Shima, Masuda). Interesting note about Masuda, they were able to book it for lunch for me and stated that was the only availability. I wonder if it had to do with the fact that Masuda started accepting reservation on Jan 25th and they might not have called until Feb 1...
TL;DR - I resonate with your sentiment that RC Tokyo concierge has been cold and communication has been poor...certainly much worse than what I expected from a top 5* property. That said, they were able to get me my top restaurant choice, though not much else. On the other hand, Prince Sakura was a delight to speak to, but at the end was only able to get me one reservation - Masuda.
Funny enough, communication from RC since confirming my reservations have been much, much warmer. Regardless, I am now very excited for my first stay at a RC property, and thankful they booked Jiro Ginza for me.
Sorry for the essay - just wanted to share my story about them since we both attempted in the same period. Best of luck to you!
Feb 7, 2018, 7:21 pm
#1382
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Jakarta
Programs: Krisflyer PPS, SPG, Hyatt GoldPassport, Shangri-la Golden Circle, British Airways ExecClub
Posts: 1,245
yet another example of good service recovery, which does not have to have anything to do with tangible things.
one less obvious benefit of award stays - may help avoid too common problem of being treated as if one is trying to get things for free.
except everything new gets queues, in japan there is a word for it that i cant remember. in the US, besides getting into trendfollowers who dont care if it is good or not, there are now apps to hire actors to queue up to make it look popular. not sure re history of that practice: japan in 2008, at.. mcdonalds.. > upi.com/Business_News/2008/12/27/McDonalds-downplays-using-paid-customers/38521230412641/
one less obvious benefit of award stays - may help avoid too common problem of being treated as if one is trying to get things for free.
except everything new gets queues, in japan there is a word for it that i cant remember. in the US, besides getting into trendfollowers who dont care if it is good or not, there are now apps to hire actors to queue up to make it look popular. not sure re history of that practice: japan in 2008, at.. mcdonalds.. > upi.com/Business_News/2008/12/27/McDonalds-downplays-using-paid-customers/38521230412641/
On a separate matter, the best and most responsive concierge experience I got in Tokyo is actually from the Grand Hyatt.
Last edited by BENLEE; Feb 7, 2018 at 7:27 pm
Feb 7, 2018, 7:40 pm
#1383
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,053
Hey Oliver,
TL;DR - I resonate with your sentiment that RC Tokyo concierge has been cold and communication has been poor...certainly much worse than what I expected from a top 5* property. That said, they were able to get me my top restaurant choice, though not much else. On the other hand, Prince Sakura was a delight to speak to, but at the end was only able to get me one reservation - Masuda.
Funny enough, communication from RC since confirming my reservations have been much, much warmer. Regardless, I am now very excited for my first stay at a RC property, and thankful they booked Jiro Ginza for me.
Sorry for the essay - just wanted to share my story about them since we both attempted in the same period. Best of luck to you!
TL;DR - I resonate with your sentiment that RC Tokyo concierge has been cold and communication has been poor...certainly much worse than what I expected from a top 5* property. That said, they were able to get me my top restaurant choice, though not much else. On the other hand, Prince Sakura was a delight to speak to, but at the end was only able to get me one reservation - Masuda.
Funny enough, communication from RC since confirming my reservations have been much, much warmer. Regardless, I am now very excited for my first stay at a RC property, and thankful they booked Jiro Ginza for me.
Sorry for the essay - just wanted to share my story about them since we both attempted in the same period. Best of luck to you!
Feb 8, 2018, 8:48 am
#1384
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,108
Hey Oliver,
Thanks for sharing. I noticed you posted similar comments on Chowhound as well, and wanted to share my recent experience with the RC concierge as well (made this account just to respond!).
Like you, a trip to Tokyo is a rare treat for my wife and I, and I've been looking forward to going since I was there 2 years ago for our honeymoon. Being a big foodie like yourself, I specifically wanted to return to Tokyo to eat at the top restaurants there, in particular sushi. When I was there two years ago, I was able to get bookings at Jiro Roppongi, Mizutani, and Shima. Returning this time, I decided to stay at the Ritz Carlton because I hear great things about the success rate of their concierge, and would really hope to cross some of the top restaurants I've been meaning to try off my list. I also made a booking for the Prince Sakura on a separate night, just to have two concierges trying and maximizing my chances.
From the beginning, all correspondences from RC Tokyo felt...cold. Obviously, it's hard to convey tone over e-mail, and I have to be respectful of cultural differences, but not once did I feel like they were enthused about helping me. Not that it should matter, but I did mention that a) I held Gold Elite status b) it was my first time staying at a RC property c) I am celebrating an anniversary, and was hoping they would help make it special by helping me secure reservations at restaurants we really wanted to go to.
Right in the beginning, I was told Saito, Sugita, Mitani, and Hatsunezushi would be impossible - not surprised, just thought I'd ask anyways. I re-worked my list and sent them a new list and they told me they would get back to me. Since initially sending them list back in October, I've had many exchanges with them via e-mail (I re-did my list a couple of times), and each time the response was rather cold and they told me they would "get back to me when they have results". The only time they proactively reached out to me with results is to let me know that Arai was fully booked, which I was surprised and disappointed by, as the second counter shouldn't be that hard to book.
On the other hand, the Prince Sakura concierge was absolutely phenomenal when it came to communication. Their e-mails were always warm and delightful, and was very proactive in letting me know when each of the restaurants I requested starts accepting reservation, and their plan on the order they will approach each restaurant. The one negative was that Prince Sakura will only help you make reservation for days you are staying with them (1 night), whereas the Ritz will book any nights you request.
Most sushi-yas will accept reservation one the 1st of the month prior to when you are looking to go. Since I'm going in March, most of the top restaurants I requested would accept Feb 1. One of the exceptions to this was Masuda, who accepted reservation as of Jan 25th, which the Prince Sakura informed me on the 24th they will contact, and ultimately was able to secure a reservation for me.
Since I also have Masuda on the list I gave RC, I expected them to also do something similar, but they never e-mailed me. Curious, I proactively emailed them about reservations that can be made prior to Feb 1 (referencing Masuda, Harutaka, and Quintessence), and they maintain they will get back to me Feb 1. The only thing they said (after I proactively asked about it) was that Quintessence was fully booked, and they placed me on a waitlist.
Finally, on Feb 1, they reached out to me to give me my full list of booked restaurants. The most important thing of note is that they were able to make a reservation for me for Jiro Ginza, which was #1 on my list after removing Saito, as Jiro Ono-san is retiring in 2020. It was a 5:30 PM reservation. On that note, I disagree with your statement above that 5 PM or 5 30 PM reservations are necessarily the fault of the concierge, but rather just the nature of trying secure top reservations in Tokyo. Last time I was in Tokyo, my Jiro Roppongi reservation was at 5 and my Mizutani reservation was at 5.
Aside from Jiro Ginza though, they weren't able to book any notably hard to book restaurants (Amamoto, Arai, Sho, Hashimoto, Quintessence, etc.), and was only able to book fairly easy to book ones (Sushi Shin, Shima, Masuda). Interesting note about Masuda, they were able to book it for lunch for me and stated that was the only availability. I wonder if it had to do with the fact that Masuda started accepting reservation on Jan 25th and they might not have called until Feb 1...
TL;DR - I resonate with your sentiment that RC Tokyo concierge has been cold and communication has been poor...certainly much worse than what I expected from a top 5* property. That said, they were able to get me my top restaurant choice, though not much else. On the other hand, Prince Sakura was a delight to speak to, but at the end was only able to get me one reservation - Masuda.
Funny enough, communication from RC since confirming my reservations have been much, much warmer. Regardless, I am now very excited for my first stay at a RC property, and thankful they booked Jiro Ginza for me.
Sorry for the essay - just wanted to share my story about them since we both attempted in the same period. Best of luck to you!
Thanks for sharing. I noticed you posted similar comments on Chowhound as well, and wanted to share my recent experience with the RC concierge as well (made this account just to respond!).
Like you, a trip to Tokyo is a rare treat for my wife and I, and I've been looking forward to going since I was there 2 years ago for our honeymoon. Being a big foodie like yourself, I specifically wanted to return to Tokyo to eat at the top restaurants there, in particular sushi. When I was there two years ago, I was able to get bookings at Jiro Roppongi, Mizutani, and Shima. Returning this time, I decided to stay at the Ritz Carlton because I hear great things about the success rate of their concierge, and would really hope to cross some of the top restaurants I've been meaning to try off my list. I also made a booking for the Prince Sakura on a separate night, just to have two concierges trying and maximizing my chances.
From the beginning, all correspondences from RC Tokyo felt...cold. Obviously, it's hard to convey tone over e-mail, and I have to be respectful of cultural differences, but not once did I feel like they were enthused about helping me. Not that it should matter, but I did mention that a) I held Gold Elite status b) it was my first time staying at a RC property c) I am celebrating an anniversary, and was hoping they would help make it special by helping me secure reservations at restaurants we really wanted to go to.
Right in the beginning, I was told Saito, Sugita, Mitani, and Hatsunezushi would be impossible - not surprised, just thought I'd ask anyways. I re-worked my list and sent them a new list and they told me they would get back to me. Since initially sending them list back in October, I've had many exchanges with them via e-mail (I re-did my list a couple of times), and each time the response was rather cold and they told me they would "get back to me when they have results". The only time they proactively reached out to me with results is to let me know that Arai was fully booked, which I was surprised and disappointed by, as the second counter shouldn't be that hard to book.
On the other hand, the Prince Sakura concierge was absolutely phenomenal when it came to communication. Their e-mails were always warm and delightful, and was very proactive in letting me know when each of the restaurants I requested starts accepting reservation, and their plan on the order they will approach each restaurant. The one negative was that Prince Sakura will only help you make reservation for days you are staying with them (1 night), whereas the Ritz will book any nights you request.
Most sushi-yas will accept reservation one the 1st of the month prior to when you are looking to go. Since I'm going in March, most of the top restaurants I requested would accept Feb 1. One of the exceptions to this was Masuda, who accepted reservation as of Jan 25th, which the Prince Sakura informed me on the 24th they will contact, and ultimately was able to secure a reservation for me.
Since I also have Masuda on the list I gave RC, I expected them to also do something similar, but they never e-mailed me. Curious, I proactively emailed them about reservations that can be made prior to Feb 1 (referencing Masuda, Harutaka, and Quintessence), and they maintain they will get back to me Feb 1. The only thing they said (after I proactively asked about it) was that Quintessence was fully booked, and they placed me on a waitlist.
Finally, on Feb 1, they reached out to me to give me my full list of booked restaurants. The most important thing of note is that they were able to make a reservation for me for Jiro Ginza, which was #1 on my list after removing Saito, as Jiro Ono-san is retiring in 2020. It was a 5:30 PM reservation. On that note, I disagree with your statement above that 5 PM or 5 30 PM reservations are necessarily the fault of the concierge, but rather just the nature of trying secure top reservations in Tokyo. Last time I was in Tokyo, my Jiro Roppongi reservation was at 5 and my Mizutani reservation was at 5.
Aside from Jiro Ginza though, they weren't able to book any notably hard to book restaurants (Amamoto, Arai, Sho, Hashimoto, Quintessence, etc.), and was only able to book fairly easy to book ones (Sushi Shin, Shima, Masuda). Interesting note about Masuda, they were able to book it for lunch for me and stated that was the only availability. I wonder if it had to do with the fact that Masuda started accepting reservation on Jan 25th and they might not have called until Feb 1...
TL;DR - I resonate with your sentiment that RC Tokyo concierge has been cold and communication has been poor...certainly much worse than what I expected from a top 5* property. That said, they were able to get me my top restaurant choice, though not much else. On the other hand, Prince Sakura was a delight to speak to, but at the end was only able to get me one reservation - Masuda.
Funny enough, communication from RC since confirming my reservations have been much, much warmer. Regardless, I am now very excited for my first stay at a RC property, and thankful they booked Jiro Ginza for me.
Sorry for the essay - just wanted to share my story about them since we both attempted in the same period. Best of luck to you!
Good to hear from you. It sounds like we'll probably be in Tokyo around the same time next month; I wonder if we'll overlap w/ any of our reservations.
Your point about reservation hours is indeed true, although I can say with certainty that in this particular case, our less than ideal reservation times were entirely the result of delays and inaction.
Ishikawa, for example, had been available for multiple seatings at various reasonable hours in the evening through paid concierge apps like "tableall" for several days, while I continuously had to prompt and remind the Concierge to follow up. I was forced to call the hotel long distance (several times!) about it, before anything was done, so what we ended up with is not really surprising. This was true of a couple of our bookings, (Fukamachi, etc)
In contrast, five years ago when staying at The Peninsula, we were able to secure all of our requested reservations (except Saito) at optimal hours. I think we maybe ended up with one 6:30 pm reservation, but everything else was booked between 7-8. Perhaps we just lucked out, although I have to wonder whether our Virtuoso/JTB reps had any extra influence. I would hope that wouldn't be the case, since every guest should be entitled to the same level of service. I recognize that probably not how the hospitality industry operates, unfortunately.
Anyhow, credit where it's due, the RC concierge did get us into Hashiguchi at a reasonable hour. I'm not sure whether it's as competitive as some of the other top sushiyas, but it was among our first picks. We've been to Sawada, Yoshitake, and others before. We have a lunch reservation at Arai as well, but as mentioned on CH, I'll probably end up canceling since we're at Watanabe-san's counter (as expected). Im going to wait and see whether our 5pm reservation at Sawada can be switched to lunch, in its place.
I don't want to dwell on past mistakes, disappointing as they are, because the hotel is really going above and beyond to make amends. I'm very happy that I reached out to an RC ambassador about this and offered them the opportunity to fix things. The manager at this property is really fantastic. I received another personal phone call from him yesterday evening, just to let me know that they've secured a suite for the entire length of our (2.5 weeks!) stay. He also asked me to forward our flight itinerary so that he could arrange hotel transportation from the airport for us.
As an aside (just for fun) I've been browsing the various suite accommodations online to narrow down options. I'm told we're in a large suite with multiple living rooms. We're not on the club floor, but have full club access. View does not face Tokyo Tower (he was kind enough to ask whether we'd mind -- of course not!). He explained that the Tower view is important for many guests and I assured him that we'd be very happy with whatever he selected for us. I think it's safe to say that my impression of the Ritz Tokyo has improved tenfold. The concierge is working hard right now to make the necessary adjustments to our itinerary, though it's understood at this point that they're limited in their capacity. Whatever the outcome, management has stepped in to make things right and it's genuinely appreciated.
Feb 8, 2018, 9:05 am
#1385
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
As an aside (just for fun) I've been browsing the various suite accommodations online to narrow down options. I'm told we're in a large suite with multiple living rooms. We're not on the club floor, but have full club access. View does not face Tokyo Tower (he was kind enough to ask whether we'd mind -- of course not!). He explained that the Tower view is important for many guests and I assured him that we'd be very happy with whatever he selected for us. I think it's safe to say that my impression of the Ritz Tokyo has improved tenfold. The concierge is working hard right now to make the necessary adjustments to our itinerary, though it's understood at this point that they're limited in their capacity. Whatever the outcome, management has stepped in to make things right and it's genuinely appreciated.
Thank you for offering context, Mike - it's very helpful!
How would the Deluxe Suites at The Pen compare to the equivalent or higher at the MO? I think it comes down to location for me, so we'll almost certainly stick with The Pen and I'm sure we'll be more than happy with our room. It would be nice to get upgraded through the Pen Club though, as that it is clearly outlined in their benefits program.
Is it not a common ocurrance in Japan for guests to voice criticism of room size, layout, noise, views, etc. upon receiving their keys at check-in? That seems to be an expected standard in the hospitality and service industry in western culture and I find myself guilty of this more often than not, be it with regards to hotel rooms, rental cars, etc. and almost always to a far more satisfactory resolution (ie. larger room or class upgrade; higher floors or preferred views). Would that be considered especially rude in Japan?
How would the Deluxe Suites at The Pen compare to the equivalent or higher at the MO? I think it comes down to location for me, so we'll almost certainly stick with The Pen and I'm sure we'll be more than happy with our room. It would be nice to get upgraded through the Pen Club though, as that it is clearly outlined in their benefits program.
Is it not a common ocurrance in Japan for guests to voice criticism of room size, layout, noise, views, etc. upon receiving their keys at check-in? That seems to be an expected standard in the hospitality and service industry in western culture and I find myself guilty of this more often than not, be it with regards to hotel rooms, rental cars, etc. and almost always to a far more satisfactory resolution (ie. larger room or class upgrade; higher floors or preferred views). Would that be considered especially rude in Japan?
Last edited by MikeFromTokyo; Feb 8, 2018 at 9:41 am
Feb 8, 2018, 9:36 am
#1386
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 2,108
Service recovery; no cost on our end. Management is really doing an excellent job to make up for recent shortcomings.
Feb 8, 2018, 10:04 am
#1387
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: AC
Posts: 106
Hey kiokujai,
Good to hear from you. It sounds like we'll probably be in Tokyo around the same time next month; I wonder if we'll overlap w/ any of our reservations.
Your point about reservation hours is indeed true, although I can say with certainty that in this particular case, our less than ideal reservation times were entirely the result of delays and inaction.
Ishikawa, for example, had been available for multiple seatings at various reasonable hours in the evening through paid concierge apps like "tableall" for several days, while I continuously had to prompt and remind the Concierge to follow up. I was forced to call the hotel long distance (several times!) about it, before anything was done, so what we ended up with is not really surprising. This was true of a couple of our bookings, (Fukamachi, etc)
In contrast, five years ago when staying at The Peninsula, we were able to secure all of our requested reservations (except Saito) at optimal hours. I think we maybe ended up with one 6:30 pm reservation, but everything else was booked between 7-8. Perhaps we just lucked out, although I have to wonder whether our Virtuoso/JTB reps had any extra influence. I would hope that wouldn't be the case, since every guest should be entitled to the same level of service. I recognize that probably not how the hospitality industry operates, unfortunately.
Anyhow, credit where it's due, the RC concierge did get us into Hashiguchi at a reasonable hour. I'm not sure whether it's as competitive as some of the other top sushiyas, but it was among our first picks. We've been to Sawada, Yoshitake, and others before. We have a lunch reservation at Arai as well, but as mentioned on CH, I'll probably end up canceling since we're at Watanabe-san's counter (as expected). Im going to wait and see whether our 5pm reservation at Sawada can be switched to lunch, in its place.
I don't want to dwell on past mistakes, disappointing as they are, because the hotel is really going above and beyond to make amends. I'm very happy that I reached out to an RC ambassador about this and offered them the opportunity to fix things. The manager at this property is really fantastic. I received another personal phone call from him yesterday evening, just to let me know that they've secured a suite for the entire length of our (2.5 weeks!) stay. He also asked me to forward our flight itinerary so that he could arrange hotel transportation from the airport for us.
As an aside (just for fun) I've been browsing the various suite accommodations online to narrow down options. I'm told we're in a large suite with multiple living rooms. We're not on the club floor, but have full club access. View does not face Tokyo Tower (he was kind enough to ask whether we'd mind -- of course not!). He explained that the Tower view is important for many guests and I assured him that we'd be very happy with whatever he selected for us. I think it's safe to say that my impression of the Ritz Tokyo has improved tenfold. The concierge is working hard right now to make the necessary adjustments to our itinerary, though it's understood at this point that they're limited in their capacity. Whatever the outcome, management has stepped in to make things right and it's genuinely appreciated.
Out of curiosity, do you mind sharing which reservations you were not able to get?
Please post a review, either on here or CH, on Hashiguchi. I was considering booking it, but at the recommendation of The Sushi Geek (OD_SF on CH), he said that their shari is probably too mild for my liking. Last time I was in Tokyo, I went to Mizutani and Jiro Roppongi, and I actually liked Jiro Roppongi's sushi more (despite Mizutani being much higher rated) because I simply like sharper, bolder shari.
Do enjoy Fukamachi. I loved it when I went for lunch last time I was in Tokyo but since I'm only there for essentially 3 days this time, I couldn't fit it in. I'd love to go back.
Just to clarify, RC concierge was able to get you a lunch reservation at Arai? Just curious because I was told by them that Arai was "fully booked in the month of March for regulars". I was really hoping to land them for my Sunday dinner because they're one of the only top sushi-yas open on Sundays. I would've been Ok with the 2nd counter with Watanabe-san. I was considering trying to book Sawada but the price is abit too steep for me haha.
I agree with you, letting past mishaps go, I am really excited for my stay and for the restuarants they booked for me, especially Jiro Ginza. Their communication since finalizing my bookings have been terrific and really great with answering endless questions from me.
I'll be there March 11th - 13th...maybe I'll run into you
.
Feb 8, 2018, 11:59 am
#1388
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 235
hey guys! i've had flights booked for months and months but haven't nailed down hotels etc. until, well, now. i'll be in tokyo 2/19-2/24 (Cerulean Tower) and 3/3-3/6 (Palace and Shangri-La -- switching in such a short time due to some annoying pricing/availability issues). first time in tokyo, so really, we weren't concerned about a dining in tokyo checklist. it'd be cool to check the box on all the iconic places, but part of exploring a new city is wandering in places and finding great food -- having reservations every day (or multiple) is a drag on that. that being said, if we can have some top sushi, it'd be cool to do. i plan to email the concierges (probably less Cerulean and more Palace/Shangri-La) to see if there is anywhere they can get us in. what i don't want to do is email a long list of impossible reservations and have them think i'm a moron. any recommendations for sushiyas that are top quality that aren't straight up impossible? (i presume jiro, saito, sugita, sawada, mizutani, hatsune, yoshitake are all impossible, and i understand that)
p.s. if kyoto is easier, i'll be there 2/26-3/3, but staying in an airbnb, which i understand likely precludes me from most reservations.
i just learned from this thread that chowhound is a thing post-redesign apparently, so maybe i'll go over there and check in on this Q too.
i'll report back on the hotels post-trip!
p.s. if kyoto is easier, i'll be there 2/26-3/3, but staying in an airbnb, which i understand likely precludes me from most reservations.
i just learned from this thread that chowhound is a thing post-redesign apparently, so maybe i'll go over there and check in on this Q too.
i'll report back on the hotels post-trip!
Feb 8, 2018, 12:20 pm
#1389
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: BKK
Posts: 6,741
hey guys! i've had flights booked for months and months but haven't nailed down hotels etc. until, well, now. i'll be in tokyo 2/19-2/24 (Cerulean Tower) and 3/3-3/6 (Palace and Shangri-La -- switching in such a short time due to some annoying pricing/availability issues). first time in tokyo, so really, we weren't concerned about a dining in tokyo checklist. it'd be cool to check the box on all the iconic places, but part of exploring a new city is wandering in places and finding great food -- having reservations every day (or multiple) is a drag on that. that being said, if we can have some top sushi, it'd be cool to do. i plan to email the concierges (probably less Cerulean and more Palace/Shangri-La) to see if there is anywhere they can get us in. what i don't want to do is email a long list of impossible reservations and have them think i'm a moron. any recommendations for sushiyas that are top quality that aren't straight up impossible? (i presume jiro, saito, sugita, sawada, mizutani, hatsune, yoshitake are all impossible, and i understand that)
p.s. if kyoto is easier, i'll be there 2/26-3/3, but staying in an airbnb, which i understand likely precludes me from most reservations.
i just learned from this thread that chowhound is a thing post-redesign apparently, so maybe i'll go over there and check in on this Q too.
i'll report back on the hotels post-trip!
p.s. if kyoto is easier, i'll be there 2/26-3/3, but staying in an airbnb, which i understand likely precludes me from most reservations.
i just learned from this thread that chowhound is a thing post-redesign apparently, so maybe i'll go over there and check in on this Q too.
i'll report back on the hotels post-trip!
There is no reason why your Tokyo hotel could not book Kyoto restaurants on your behalf. If the restaurant is worried about a no show in that case (because you would not be an in house guest of the hotel on the date of the reservations), then a credit card authorization form would fix that problem.
Keep an open mind and allow your concierge to suggest alternatives if they can’t get you a certain restaurant on a certain date.
Feb 8, 2018, 12:22 pm
#1390
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: AC
Posts: 106
hey guys! i've had flights booked for months and months but haven't nailed down hotels etc. until, well, now. i'll be in tokyo 2/19-2/24 (Cerulean Tower) and 3/3-3/6 (Palace and Shangri-La -- switching in such a short time due to some annoying pricing/availability issues). first time in tokyo, so really, we weren't concerned about a dining in tokyo checklist. it'd be cool to check the box on all the iconic places, but part of exploring a new city is wandering in places and finding great food -- having reservations every day (or multiple) is a drag on that. that being said, if we can have some top sushi, it'd be cool to do. i plan to email the concierges (probably less Cerulean and more Palace/Shangri-La) to see if there is anywhere they can get us in. what i don't want to do is email a long list of impossible reservations and have them think i'm a moron. any recommendations for sushiyas that are top quality that aren't straight up impossible? (i presume jiro, saito, sugita, sawada, mizutani, hatsune, yoshitake are all impossible, and i understand that)
p.s. if kyoto is easier, i'll be there 2/26-3/3, but staying in an airbnb, which i understand likely precludes me from most reservations.
i just learned from this thread that chowhound is a thing post-redesign apparently, so maybe i'll go over there and check in on this Q too.
i'll report back on the hotels post-trip!
p.s. if kyoto is easier, i'll be there 2/26-3/3, but staying in an airbnb, which i understand likely precludes me from most reservations.
i just learned from this thread that chowhound is a thing post-redesign apparently, so maybe i'll go over there and check in on this Q too.
i'll report back on the hotels post-trip!
Feb 8, 2018, 5:01 pm
#1391
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,053
Palace or SL concierges should have no problem doing Kyoto places.
Feb 8, 2018, 8:05 pm
#1392
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2011
Programs: Hyatt Discoverist, SEIBU PRINCE CLUB Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 20,434
The moral of this story: always ask for the moon. When you don't get it, leverage that fact towards obtaining comets, or Space Teslas. ^
Feb 9, 2018, 1:35 am
#1393
Join Date: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,900
Hey Oliver,
Thanks for sharing. I noticed you posted similar comments on Chowhound as well, and wanted to share my recent experience with the RC concierge as well (made this account just to respond!).
Like you, a trip to Tokyo is a rare treat for my wife and I, and I've been looking forward to going since I was there 2 years ago for our honeymoon. Being a big foodie like yourself, I specifically wanted to return to Tokyo to eat at the top restaurants there, in particular sushi. When I was there two years ago, I was able to get bookings at Jiro Roppongi, Mizutani, and Shima. Returning this time, I decided to stay at the Ritz Carlton because I hear great things about the success rate of their concierge, and would really hope to cross some of the top restaurants I've been meaning to try off my list. I also made a booking for the Prince Sakura on a separate night, just to have two concierges trying and maximizing my chances.
From the beginning, all correspondences from RC Tokyo felt...cold. Obviously, it's hard to convey tone over e-mail, and I have to be respectful of cultural differences, but not once did I feel like they were enthused about helping me. Not that it should matter, but I did mention that a) I held Gold Elite status b) it was my first time staying at a RC property c) I am celebrating an anniversary, and was hoping they would help make it special by helping me secure reservations at restaurants we really wanted to go to.
Right in the beginning, I was told Saito, Sugita, Mitani, and Hatsunezushi would be impossible - not surprised, just thought I'd ask anyways. I re-worked my list and sent them a new list and they told me they would get back to me. Since initially sending them list back in October, I've had many exchanges with them via e-mail (I re-did my list a couple of times), and each time the response was rather cold and they told me they would "get back to me when they have results". The only time they proactively reached out to me with results is to let me know that Arai was fully booked, which I was surprised and disappointed by, as the second counter shouldn't be that hard to book.
On the other hand, the Prince Sakura concierge was absolutely phenomenal when it came to communication. Their e-mails were always warm and delightful, and was very proactive in letting me know when each of the restaurants I requested starts accepting reservation, and their plan on the order they will approach each restaurant. The one negative was that Prince Sakura will only help you make reservation for days you are staying with them (1 night), whereas the Ritz will book any nights you request.
Most sushi-yas will accept reservation one the 1st of the month prior to when you are looking to go. Since I'm going in March, most of the top restaurants I requested would accept Feb 1. One of the exceptions to this was Masuda, who accepted reservation as of Jan 25th, which the Prince Sakura informed me on the 24th they will contact, and ultimately was able to secure a reservation for me.
Since I also have Masuda on the list I gave RC, I expected them to also do something similar, but they never e-mailed me. Curious, I proactively emailed them about reservations that can be made prior to Feb 1 (referencing Masuda, Harutaka, and Quintessence), and they maintain they will get back to me Feb 1. The only thing they said (after I proactively asked about it) was that Quintessence was fully booked, and they placed me on a waitlist.
Finally, on Feb 1, they reached out to me to give me my full list of booked restaurants. The most important thing of note is that they were able to make a reservation for me for Jiro Ginza, which was #1 on my list after removing Saito, as Jiro Ono-san is retiring in 2020. It was a 5:30 PM reservation. On that note, I disagree with your statement above that 5 PM or 5 30 PM reservations are necessarily the fault of the concierge, but rather just the nature of trying secure top reservations in Tokyo. Last time I was in Tokyo, my Jiro Roppongi reservation was at 5 and my Mizutani reservation was at 5.
Aside from Jiro Ginza though, they weren't able to book any notably hard to book restaurants (Amamoto, Arai, Sho, Hashimoto, Quintessence, etc.), and was only able to book fairly easy to book ones (Sushi Shin, Shima, Masuda). Interesting note about Masuda, they were able to book it for lunch for me and stated that was the only availability. I wonder if it had to do with the fact that Masuda started accepting reservation on Jan 25th and they might not have called until Feb 1...
TL;DR - I resonate with your sentiment that RC Tokyo concierge has been cold and communication has been poor...certainly much worse than what I expected from a top 5* property. That said, they were able to get me my top restaurant choice, though not much else. On the other hand, Prince Sakura was a delight to speak to, but at the end was only able to get me one reservation - Masuda.
Funny enough, communication from RC since confirming my reservations have been much, much warmer. Regardless, I am now very excited for my first stay at a RC property, and thankful they booked Jiro Ginza for me.
Sorry for the essay - just wanted to share my story about them since we both attempted in the same period. Best of luck to you!
Thanks for sharing. I noticed you posted similar comments on Chowhound as well, and wanted to share my recent experience with the RC concierge as well (made this account just to respond!).
Like you, a trip to Tokyo is a rare treat for my wife and I, and I've been looking forward to going since I was there 2 years ago for our honeymoon. Being a big foodie like yourself, I specifically wanted to return to Tokyo to eat at the top restaurants there, in particular sushi. When I was there two years ago, I was able to get bookings at Jiro Roppongi, Mizutani, and Shima. Returning this time, I decided to stay at the Ritz Carlton because I hear great things about the success rate of their concierge, and would really hope to cross some of the top restaurants I've been meaning to try off my list. I also made a booking for the Prince Sakura on a separate night, just to have two concierges trying and maximizing my chances.
From the beginning, all correspondences from RC Tokyo felt...cold. Obviously, it's hard to convey tone over e-mail, and I have to be respectful of cultural differences, but not once did I feel like they were enthused about helping me. Not that it should matter, but I did mention that a) I held Gold Elite status b) it was my first time staying at a RC property c) I am celebrating an anniversary, and was hoping they would help make it special by helping me secure reservations at restaurants we really wanted to go to.
Right in the beginning, I was told Saito, Sugita, Mitani, and Hatsunezushi would be impossible - not surprised, just thought I'd ask anyways. I re-worked my list and sent them a new list and they told me they would get back to me. Since initially sending them list back in October, I've had many exchanges with them via e-mail (I re-did my list a couple of times), and each time the response was rather cold and they told me they would "get back to me when they have results". The only time they proactively reached out to me with results is to let me know that Arai was fully booked, which I was surprised and disappointed by, as the second counter shouldn't be that hard to book.
On the other hand, the Prince Sakura concierge was absolutely phenomenal when it came to communication. Their e-mails were always warm and delightful, and was very proactive in letting me know when each of the restaurants I requested starts accepting reservation, and their plan on the order they will approach each restaurant. The one negative was that Prince Sakura will only help you make reservation for days you are staying with them (1 night), whereas the Ritz will book any nights you request.
Most sushi-yas will accept reservation one the 1st of the month prior to when you are looking to go. Since I'm going in March, most of the top restaurants I requested would accept Feb 1. One of the exceptions to this was Masuda, who accepted reservation as of Jan 25th, which the Prince Sakura informed me on the 24th they will contact, and ultimately was able to secure a reservation for me.
Since I also have Masuda on the list I gave RC, I expected them to also do something similar, but they never e-mailed me. Curious, I proactively emailed them about reservations that can be made prior to Feb 1 (referencing Masuda, Harutaka, and Quintessence), and they maintain they will get back to me Feb 1. The only thing they said (after I proactively asked about it) was that Quintessence was fully booked, and they placed me on a waitlist.
Finally, on Feb 1, they reached out to me to give me my full list of booked restaurants. The most important thing of note is that they were able to make a reservation for me for Jiro Ginza, which was #1 on my list after removing Saito, as Jiro Ono-san is retiring in 2020. It was a 5:30 PM reservation. On that note, I disagree with your statement above that 5 PM or 5 30 PM reservations are necessarily the fault of the concierge, but rather just the nature of trying secure top reservations in Tokyo. Last time I was in Tokyo, my Jiro Roppongi reservation was at 5 and my Mizutani reservation was at 5.
Aside from Jiro Ginza though, they weren't able to book any notably hard to book restaurants (Amamoto, Arai, Sho, Hashimoto, Quintessence, etc.), and was only able to book fairly easy to book ones (Sushi Shin, Shima, Masuda). Interesting note about Masuda, they were able to book it for lunch for me and stated that was the only availability. I wonder if it had to do with the fact that Masuda started accepting reservation on Jan 25th and they might not have called until Feb 1...
TL;DR - I resonate with your sentiment that RC Tokyo concierge has been cold and communication has been poor...certainly much worse than what I expected from a top 5* property. That said, they were able to get me my top restaurant choice, though not much else. On the other hand, Prince Sakura was a delight to speak to, but at the end was only able to get me one reservation - Masuda.
Funny enough, communication from RC since confirming my reservations have been much, much warmer. Regardless, I am now very excited for my first stay at a RC property, and thankful they booked Jiro Ginza for me.
Sorry for the essay - just wanted to share my story about them since we both attempted in the same period. Best of luck to you!
Why couldn't you use tableall or pocket concierge? Those sites prepay for the time slot and charge you directly. Further, most of those reservations that you wanted only go to japanese speakers now.
Maybe the RC could have been nicer, but the only reason why you didn't dine at top spots wasn't because of the concierge.
hey guys! i've had flights booked for months and months but haven't nailed down hotels etc. until, well, now. i'll be in tokyo 2/19-2/24 (Cerulean Tower) and 3/3-3/6 (Palace and Shangri-La -- switching in such a short time due to some annoying pricing/availability issues). first time in tokyo, so really, we weren't concerned about a dining in tokyo checklist. it'd be cool to check the box on all the iconic places, but part of exploring a new city is wandering in places and finding great food -- having reservations every day (or multiple) is a drag on that. that being said, if we can have some top sushi, it'd be cool to do. i plan to email the concierges (probably less Cerulean and more Palace/Shangri-La) to see if there is anywhere they can get us in. what i don't want to do is email a long list of impossible reservations and have them think i'm a moron. any recommendations for sushiyas that are top quality that aren't straight up impossible? (i presume jiro, saito, sugita, sawada, mizutani, hatsune, yoshitake are all impossible, and i understand that)
p.s. if kyoto is easier, i'll be there 2/26-3/3, but staying in an airbnb, which i understand likely precludes me from most reservations.
i just learned from this thread that chowhound is a thing post-redesign apparently, so maybe i'll go over there and check in on this Q too.
i'll report back on the hotels post-trip!
p.s. if kyoto is easier, i'll be there 2/26-3/3, but staying in an airbnb, which i understand likely precludes me from most reservations.
i just learned from this thread that chowhound is a thing post-redesign apparently, so maybe i'll go over there and check in on this Q too.
i'll report back on the hotels post-trip!
Hahaha.
Last edited by RichardInSF; Feb 9, 2018 at 1:49 am Reason: consecutive posts by same member, please use mukti-quote feature!
Feb 9, 2018, 8:18 am
#1394
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: AC
Posts: 106
OMG. This is really ridiculous.
Why couldn't you use tableall or pocket concierge? Those sites prepay for the time slot and charge you directly. Further, most of those reservations that you wanted only go to japanese speakers now.
Maybe the RC could have been nicer, but the only reason why you didn't dine at top spots wasn't because of the concierge.
Why couldn't you use tableall or pocket concierge? Those sites prepay for the time slot and charge you directly. Further, most of those reservations that you wanted only go to japanese speakers now.
Maybe the RC could have been nicer, but the only reason why you didn't dine at top spots wasn't because of the concierge.
My post did not blame the concierge for not securing reservations for me at all (slightly surprised at not getting Arai second counter, but I was not upset over it). I gave them a list of 10 sushi-yas, in priority of how much I want each one, and asked for them to book 3 of them for me, which they were able to do (including my #1 pick, Jiro Ginza). I merely stated that I felt like communication was cold and not proactive in the beginning, which I think is surprising from a 5* establishment like RC. This was in contrast with the Prince Sakura, which was terrific in communication - very warm and proactive.
At the end, I stated that I am thankful for their help in securing the reservations they did get for me and I was looking forward to my stay.
Feb 9, 2018, 8:34 am
#1395
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Parts Unknown
Posts: 10,053
I certainly don't think anyone is leveraging their bad concierge experience to get Spacebound Teslas. The Ritz Carlton concierge didn't do their job. Full stop. Their general manager likes to talk about hiring and retaining the right kind of people for his RC and it appears the concierge may not be the best at the moment. No one forced him to be generous to the affected party. He's doing this because he clearly sees a service failure and how it affected his guest and the sterling reputation of RC Tokyo.
Sure, there's some wonderful booking services out there but don't we pay a premium for a luxury hotel to do it for us? Some of us have been around the Tokyo block and know a thing or two but not every visitor to Tokyo is in the same boat.
Sure, there's some wonderful booking services out there but don't we pay a premium for a luxury hotel to do it for us? Some of us have been around the Tokyo block and know a thing or two but not every visitor to Tokyo is in the same boat.