Ritz Carlton Tokyo, Japan [Master Thread]
 

I did a search and couldn't find anything conclusive or recent, so my apologies if this has already been covered and I didn't uncover it, but a few questions about the Ritz Carlton in Tokyo.
1. I'll be on a 3-night award stay at the end of April and am wondering if anyone has any recent experience with the hotel that they can share? tips? trip reports? comments about the hotel/staff/etc? Things to look out for?
2/ As a Platinum, can I expect any of my Platinum benefits (lounge access, breakfast, etc.) at the Ritz Carlton? (I suspect the answer is no, based on what I've been able to find here, but what little I've found is old and vague. I'm hoping for something definitive.). Can I at least request late checkout?

I haven't stayed at that RC, so I can't comment on staying there directly. But I can say that your Marriott Plat status probably won't get you much. It can't hurt to mention it when you check-in, but RCs don't generally recognize your status.

After you make your reservation on the Ritz Carlton site and receive your confirmation number, enter that information on the Marriott site and then click "Add Marriott Rewards number to reservation". This will at least put the number on the reservation, although as to whether it actually means anything is up to the individual property. Marriott elite status has no published benefits for Ritz Carlton properties, however, some properties will make exceptions if you mention your elite status. For example, I have been granted late checkouts when otherwise told no after mentioning platinum status at a few properties.

Awesome Hotel
 

I stayed at the Ritz Tokyo in November on points. I can't say enough about the hotel and the staff; they are wonderful. I am a platinum elite member and either the hotel recognized it or they treat every guest like royalty. It took time to get used to the women carrying your bags as I am not used to this in the US. Don't worry about tipping either; they consider it an insult.

Ask for a traditional Japanese room. Very impressive with Maple hardwood, Shoji Screens, Tatami mats, and Rice Paper Lamps.

The hotel is in Roppongi which is the 'Red Light' district of Tokyo. If you go out at night, be prepared to be stopped every few feet for a massage with happy ending.

Any recent experiences staying here? I am going to be visiting Tokyo later in the year. Deciding between this and the Courtyard.

I've booked a couple of reward night for my wife and I in June at the Tokyo RC.

We're on a bit of a budget, but I'm considering paying the extra for rooms on the Club Level (around about $100 per room per night, correct?). I'm thinking for the views of the Tokyo skyline, plus free food and drink it might be worthwhile - any thoughts?

If we do decide to do this, can this be arranged in advance?
If so what should I ask for (there seem to be some options), and can I reserve the Club Level via the Platinum hotline?

You can email the concierge(their email is on the website) and tell them you want to upgrade. They will set it up for you.

It was very cool. But for me, it wasnt really worth it. the food was extremely small plates, difficult to get full on IMO. The views were nice though and the service is OUTSTANDING. If i did the Tokyo RC again, i probably wouldn't do the club level.

Just checked in, service so far has been impressive and very friendly.

Without asking, we got a free upgrade to a Tower Suite.
The suite is huge . The walk-in closet is bigger than my one at home....and I live in Texas! :eek::)

Views from the 51st are very impressive, we are facing Haneda airport in the distance.

The desk clerk very kindly let my wife and I take a look at the Japanese room. But to be honest, as pretty as it was, there's no way I could cope with sitting on the floor for any length of time!

(As it happens, I couldn't justify the increased dollar cost to switch anyway, so it was academic).

Now off to tackle the Roppongi night life, wish us luck! :)

Any recent updates on this property? Just booked 4 nights (in two weeks) after 2 nights (on points) at the Kyoto-Ritz.

Moderators, can you also fix the the thread title "Rtiz" is driving me crazy. LOL

The Treat You Package 4 for 3 is probably available for your dates baccarat_king... it is only valid to my knowledge on the club rooms so it basically equate to free club access vs the standard rates.

How was your stay baccarat_king?
I'm goint to be there in a month and I'd appreciate any feedback.

Thanks

recent visits here ?
 

I'll be at The Ritz Tokyo for 7 nights at the end of April - using points and hoping Plat Status gets an upgrade - Has anyone been here recently? Thanks

Stayed in a Modern Japanese Suite in October for four nights. If you have access, the Club-level rooms are very nice to have because of the extra service/food they provide. Their concierge was prompt with response for restaurant recommendations/reservations.

Depending on what your plans are, the location is desirable because it is within walking distance to Aoyama, Akasaka and sits above a subway stop.

A data point should anyone be interested:

I have a one-night stay at the R-C Tokyo coming up in April for a single night at the end of a trip before flying home out of HND. (Staying at the SPG Prince Gallery Kioicho for 3 nights during the Tokyo section at the start of the trip.)

Award reservations online book into a non-specified bed type, so I emailed the hotel to inquire about confirming a King bed, and they were happy to do so -- so worth sending the request if you are in a similar position.

I also inquired about the rates to upgrade to a Club room and the cash rate was 37,260 JPY per night, which is too rich for my blood. But, they also offered the upgrade for 20,000 points per night, which is a pretty solid value per point relative to the cash price, and I think much more justifiable.

So, I took the upgrade using points, and will report back on the experience after the trip.

20k a night would be worth it. How would they going about deducting the points?

Will Def look into this next time I'm in tokyo

I did this last year. Was definitely worth it and most Ritz dont allow this.

Basically you just email the concierge and they take care of it.

Not clear how exactly they are deducting the points, nothing has been taken out of my account yet (though in Tokyo it is still only the evening of the same day I made the request). But received an email saying the upgrade was confirmed.

A few notes about my stay here.

Club lounge points were deducted a few days after my request (see previous posts). Club lounge is nice, about as expected for R-C, with extensive food and drink selections and attentive, verging-on-overbearing service.

Tokyo is such a great food city that in some ways eating a lot in the club lounge feels like a waste, but it can also be an expensive food city so having the option to get a snack or a meal at no cost can also be nice. I guess if you don't like Japanese food but for some reason were to find yourself in Tokyo, a club level room here could also be good.


As for the rest of the hotel, a few thoughts:

It's hard to believe the hotel is only 10 years old; it feels older and not in a good way. The style is not to my taste and has elements of the faux-grand-old-hotel design that some R-Cs use. But weirdly parts of this hotel feel less like a faux grand old hotel in a new building, and more like an actual shabby-grand old hotel, with worn-seeming carpets, cramped hallways, and other oddities. Meanwhile the light and curtain switches in the room look like they are out of the 1970s or 1980s, and there are no power outlets by the bed despite the hotel being built in 2007 and the rooms renovated even more recently. I'm perhaps being overly harsh, but for such a young, high-profile, expensive hotel, it should do a lot better.

Service is obsequious as always with R-C, though one odd gap: there is an entrance to the hotel from the Tokyo Midtown plaza, which is by far the easiest way to get to the hotel from the Metro, but it is completely unstaffed throughout a long hallway leading to the elevator bank to the lobby. We didn't encounter anyone, have anyone offer to take our bags, etc., until we got to the 45th floor. I'm not trying to be a diva and I can carry my own bag, but it's an odd oversight for an R-C. The car entrance is very well-staffed but it's not exactly unusual to arrive somewhere in Tokyo by Metro.


As for the good, the rooms are large even if this hotel were in suburban America, so extremely large by Tokyo standards. Concierge was extremely helpful and responds to requests by email (if you hope to do any dining at Tokyo's top restaurants I would strongly recommend getting reservation requests to them well in advance of your arrival -- like multiple months in advance). Bed is comfortable and bathroom is well-appointed, including a Toto Washlet--not the most advanced version, but it has the basic bells and whistles, including a heated seat, though one unfortunately with no ability to change the temperature. Views from all rooms are sweeping. Gym is superb, with a wide range of equipment.


All that said, for a high-end hotel in Tokyo using Marriott/SPG points I personally enjoyed the Prince Gallery Tokyo a lot more, and found its sleek, modern, minimalist, but luxurious style more my pace, despite slightly smaller rooms and perhaps a bit less polished (but also less overwhelming) service.

Location preferences in Tokyo depend entirely on activities, but Prince Gallery offers 5 subway lines vs. 2 at the R-C so for general tourism the Prince Gallery probably wins. Prince Gallery also has an edge for rail access to Shinkansen and Narita with a direct subway link to Tokyo station, though R-C has easier train access to Haneda. (To and from either airport I'd strongly recommend looking into the Airport Limousine Bus options rather than using rail anyway, especially if traveling with any more than a carry-on bag.)

However, if you have lots of points but no elite status and want a club access room, paying for an upgrade to a club level room at the R-C is quite a good deal, and I don't think a similarly good deal would be available at the Prince Gallery.

Oh, and, for those who may be interested, the full run-down of club level timings and benefits:

I had a 2 night stay here recently. As a Plat received an upgrade to a very large Towers Deluxe corner room. Another Plat benefit is free access to Sauna.

I wish the renovation went a bit further, as the way it is, it's missing a mark. The room feels under furnished, missing outlets at night stands, and bathroom feels outdated.

Service is top notch.

thanks for the review. after spending 2 week straight in japan. the club lounge sounds like a good idea with some western options. could save the $$ and splurge on high end restaurants.

How are the entry level rooms at this property?

I have a 15 nt stay coming up in a standard deluxe king; obviously not going to upgrade on points for an extended stay like this. I only have Gold status through SPG which means I'm unlikely to see any upgrades, so I'm resigned to the basic room with my award booking.

Probably about as good as you're going to get for an entry-level room in Tokyo. All of the rooms here are on the large side even for mid-sized American city hotel standards, so very large for Tokyo. Also plenty of closet/drawer space if you want to fully "move in" for your extended stay. (The entry level rooms are the same as the club rooms, just without club access, and maybe on a slightly lower floor but all rooms are in the top few floors of the building anyway.)

The three non-club rooms are the same size and same layout. In my experience they pretty much only differ in view. The entry level Deluxe Room faces toward Midtown Plaza and Mt. Fuji.

Thank you both so much!

I'm very glad to read that closet space is ample, since we'll be staying put for the entirety of our two weeks so we'll likely pack on the heavy side since we aren't going to be venturing outside of Tokyo this time.

bgriff, you mentioned in your trip report that you felt the rooms were a bit 'rough around the edges' and I was wondering if this is something that we should set our expectations for, and if you could perhaps expand on that and offer a bit more context?

I'm trying not to compare this trip with previous visits, since we've stayed in some high end multi-room exec suites at The Peninsula and Shangri-La. Still it's tough to beat 2+ weeks in Tokyo at any hotel, booked entirely on award points!

FTR, the description on our reservation indicates "city view", which I gather means nothing considering that's pretty much all of Tokyo. Should I express any preference for one side of the bldg or is it all more or less the same?

PLATINUM helped a lot here
 

I posted this in a different forum too.

Booked a 7 day points redemption at RC Tokyo and mentioned Plat at check in - was told there wasn't any upgrade availability until the 3rd night which I accepted and inquired if this included breakfast and was offered Tower Buffet for the entire stay as compensation for my inconvenience of having to move after 3 days. Left in the morning on day three and came back in the afternoon to find we had moved to a Carlton Corner suite ( 1200 sf ) with sweeping views of the city. My wife and I were more than impressed and this set the tone for a spectacular week in Tokyo, RC delivered BIG time and we had a perfect stay leaving just as Golden week began. I considered club level when making the reservation but I needed to go to Tokyo's abundant offerings of gastronomic delight

Normally plat doesn't mean much at RC.

Got lucky with the upgrade and free breakfast

I´d agree Plat doesn´t mean much at RC, but it means even less at this RC specifically (as do most status tiers).

Because status is such a small thing here, I always book a STARS rate...takes the breakfast out of the equation, at least, and it does give you first choice as to your preferred/best room in the category (not to mention the potential upgrade).

Basically, never rely on status alone here!

IME:
RC in Key Biscayne, South Beach & Toronto upgraded to suites several times and NYC Central Park upgraded to a significantly better room based on Plat status alone even when using a corporate rate.
It has worked for me more than 7 times in the last 2 years.

Thank you. I originally came to this thread just to check out the Ritz as I'll be staying there this weekend. Reading this, I was able to email and get an upgrade to the Club floor for 40,000 points for the two day stay.

Back from my trip to Japan. Co worker and I were there for an inspection at the Navy base in Yokosuka so got to town a few days early with our wives to enjoy a weekend in Tokyo at the Ritz Carlton.

We took an airport shuttle from NRT that dropped us off at the hotel (approx. $30 US each) and were spoiled from the time we checked in until we departed. While all of the club floor offerings were great, I especially liked the wake up call where they had a tray with Coffee outside your door. They also were able to confirm a 4PM check out for me (Plat) and my co-worker (Gold) at check-in.

Not sure how often it is offered, but there was a Sake tasting on Saturday evening (6PM) but not Sunday.

Normally we are locked into per diem rates so being able to splurge on such a nice hotel with points was well worth it for me. Now to build up my Marriott points for another trip in the future.

How did you get the club level access? Through status or using additional 20k Marriot points?

20K points per night. When I first made the reservation I was a night short of Diamond (which explains the language about gold benefits). I did a quick one night stay to hit Plat prior to my visit but imagine the Marriott benefits are similar to the below.

From my email with the hotel

"For this stay we will try very our best to make your stay comfortable with benefits of Gold Elite Member.

Benefits vary between the different brands of our portfolio and The Ritz-Carlton hotels, it is excluded complimentary breakfast/Club Lounge access.
If you are interested in upgrading your room to the Club Deluxe room, another 40,000points would do. If you wish us to modify the room, please let us know it at your earliest convenience so that we would be able to reissue the Club certificate on your behalf by using your 40,000points from your account.

For your information, the benefits of Gold Member is as follow.

[Benefits for Marriott Rewards Gold Member in The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo]
-Early check in based on availability
-Guaranteed late check-out as late as 4pm
- Upgrade to best available rooms based on availability excluding Suite rooms and Club access.
-Complimentary high-speed internet"

I bet the Tokyo Club had nice offerings. Glad you enjoyed yourself.

January
 

Going in January. I guess I can’t expect much for Platinum. Surprised at reviews of this feeling old - at this price point.

The hotel was refreshed recently. It's still one of the finer Tokyo luxury hotels. You'll find more news on it in the Luxury Hotels forum.

Can anyone comment on the best facing rooms (north/east/west) for the most thrilling skyline views? If it makes a difference, we'll be staying during cherry blossom season. I'm not really sure how visible that'd be from the window of a high rise tower though it's not really top factor either. I'm interested in the most impressive city skyline views and from which cardinal direction it would best be experienced. Thx

Sorry, this info isn't based on actually staying there, but I'm in the same boat, because I'll be spending 8 nights there in April. I however do know Tokyo quite well and I gave this a lot of thought. It's all a matter of preference.
- Mt. Fuji is probably the most beautiful sight IF you happen to see it. During the Springtime, there is a lot of haze (not pollution) in the air, which means you have no guarantee that you'll spot it. This can also be seen from the Club Lounge, if you have access there.
- Tokyo Tower will certainly be seen from a Tower-category room. It is the closest landmark to the hotel and it is quite a sight. It's also very iconic to Tokyo. This can be seen from the lobby lounge or at least some of the restaurants (not sure about the lobby)
- One option is Shinjuku, which is great, because you can see skyscrapers (Tokyo isn't that full of huge skyscrapers - they are just concentrated on a few areas, even though some might think otherwise)
- And if I remember correctly the last option is towards Ginza, the Imperial Palace (no idea if it can be seen though) and Tokyo Skytree. I like Tokyo Skytree more as a sight, but it is quite a lot further than Tokyo Tower, so I'm not sure how well it can be seen in the distance if the weather is poor.

So it really is all a matter of preference :). Hopefully this helped a bit.

I stayed here during the week of Christmas and I charged a few items to my room. Spa treatment plus airport limo tickets. Do Ritz-Carltons not give you points for room charges?

Unfortunately, no they don't.