The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo Review

The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo takes up the top floors of the Midtown Tower in Roppongi, the tallest building in the neighbourhood. It opened in 2007, it has 245 rooms on the top nine floors, and the lobby is up on the 45th. When it opened, it was the hotel in Tokyo. These days there's a new luxury hotel opening in this city every few months, and the Ritz doesn't get talked about nearly as much.

I booked it because two friends who stay in Tokyo every year both told me the same thing: the people are the best in the city. And after a run of very stylish, slightly chilly Tokyo hotels, that was exactly what I wanted.

A typical night is about $750, which is roughly $250 less than the Park Hyatt and about a third of the Aman. That's not cheap. But in this company, it's actually one of the better-value big-name hotels in Tokyo, and you'll see why.

Things I Loved about the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo

The staff. This is the best reason to stay, and they were even better than I'd heard. Nobody hovered, but whenever I turned round with a question, someone was already on their way over. There was always someone by the lifts, and they'd have the doors open before I'd reached them. The concierge sorted out everything we asked for, including a sushi counter we'd been told was impossible. And by the second day, everyone knew our names. When we asked for a late checkout on our last day, they gave it to us without blinking.

A navy box of Yoku Moku cookies was waiting in the room when we arrived (the thin, buttery cigar ones…dangerous), and every night at turndown the water had been replaced and there were chocolates by the bed. Mention a birthday or a honeymoon when you book, and they'll notice. After a few days of that, other city hotels felt a bit cold.

Being up in the sky. The lift opens on the 45th floor into a long polished hall with a crystal chandelier, and the windows go all the way down to the floor. When we were there in late March, the Lobby Lounge had tall branches of cherry blossom in black vases against the glass, with the Midtown Garden far below pink with it. In the evenings there's a pianist, and I loved having a drink there before heading out.

The window in our room. We had a Skyline king on a high floor, about 52 square metres, which is big for Tokyo. And the window is what makes it. Pressing the curtain switch by the bed each morning and watching the city appear was my favourite few seconds of the day. At dusk I'd sit on the sofa by the glass while the towers out to Tokyo Bay turned gold and then lit up, floor by floor. On a really clear day you can see as far as Yokohama.

The little things are good, too. There's a long entrance hall with the Nespresso machine and minibar tucked into it, two big wardrobes so you each get your own, Frette sheets, a proper air purifier, and a little kimono-patterned panel by the desk that's the one nod to Japan in the room.

The bathroom. Even in an entry room, the bathroom is huge…two basins set in dark granite, a separate shower with REAL force behind it, a deep tub in its own alcove, a Toto toilet behind its own door, and big bottles of Diptyque. It's the part of the room that's held up best, and honestly it's one of the biggest hotel bathrooms I've had in Tokyo.

My one tip on rooms…think about which way you face. A newer skyscraper now blocks the Tokyo Tower view these rooms were once sold on (hence the name Skyline). Mount Fuji is on the other side of the building, the side the Club Lounge faces, and a clear winter morning gives you the best chance of seeing it. If Fuji matters to you, ask for a west-facing room and cross your fingers.

The Japanese breakfast. Breakfast is at Towers, up on the 45th floor, and the meal I'd come back for is the Japanese set. You order it the day before, and it arrives as a beautiful bento with grilled fish, a Japanese omelette, rice, miso and a row of little dishes. One morning the fog came right up against the windows and the tallest buildings vanished into the cloud while we ate. It was magical.

The Bar. The Bar is the best place to eat or drink here, and it's where I was happiest. After dark a band plays beside the floor-to-ceiling windows with the lit towers just behind them, and I could have stayed until closing. It has around 120 whiskies (plus a Hibiki 30 on show in the lobby, if you're feeling flush), so tell the bartender what you like and let them choose.

The pool. One floor up from the lobby, the heated 20-metre pool lets you swim lengths with the whole city beside you, and there's a big hot tub with very strong jets. Like the saunas and the 24-hour gym, it's free for hotel guests, and we went every afternoon. The gym even has a Tokyo view and protein bars on the way out.

The spa has a heat room with hot and cold plunge pools in separate men's and women's sides (you go in nude, and there are strictly no photos). If you're a runner, ask at reception for a route map…they'll hand you a cold towel and water when you get back.

Midtown on the doorstep. Below the tower is Tokyo Midtown, with its shops, a really good food hall, and a big garden with a lawn and cherry trees where Tokyo families picnic at the weekend. The Suntory Museum of Art is about five minutes' walk, and the 21_21 Design Sight gallery sits in the garden. On a rainy day you can do a whole afternoon without going outside.

Afternoon tea. Afternoon tea in the Lobby Lounge is the hotel's most popular thing, and it's lovely, with finger sandwiches, savouries and a tiered stand of pastries next to those big windows, plus the pianist. Book it, especially at weekends.

Dinner on the 45th floor. For a special night I'd stay upstairs at Héritage by Kei Kobayashi, the French restaurant with a Michelin star. Lunch, at about ¥12,000 for three courses, is the easier way in. At Hinokizaka, on the same floor, I'd sit at the tempura counter and save sushi for somewhere out in the city. And on the first floor, Nina Métayer's patisserie sells Mont-Blanc and Saint-Honoré, with chestnut pastries in the autumn.

The view at night. I keep coming back to it. From the bar, from the pool, from our sofa, Tokyo at night from up here is just endless…red lights blinking on top of every tower, trains sliding through the dark, the bay a black line at the edge. It's the thing I think about most when I think about this hotel, and honestly it's the reason I'd forgive the carpet.

Things That Could Be Better

The rooms are dark and dated. This is the big one. Our room was all brown wood, beige and grey, with a checked carpet, and on a cloudy afternoon it felt dim even with every lamp on. The amber-lit corridors are darker still. The last proper refit was around 2015, and you can see it in a few scuffs, worn edges and slightly tired furniture. The desk chairs are more for lounging than working, and the TV is small and sits at an odd angle from the bed.

It's bearable for a few nights, and the view makes up for a lot. But if you like a bright, modern room, it will bother you, and at these rates it bothered me.

The Western breakfast. Apart from the Japanese set and the pastries, breakfast is the weak meal. My eggs Benedict were well made and nothing special, the buffet is pleasant but ordinary, and later in the morning people were waiting for tables. Go early.

The way in from the station. Arrive by car at the hotel's own entrance, round the back of Midtown facing the park, and check-in up on 45 takes about five minutes. But if you come in through the Midtown shopping centre from Roppongi Station, nobody meets you or helps with your bags, and it feels like a big hotel for the first time. If you're carrying luggage, take a taxi to the park-side entrance.

Getting around. Roppongi Station connects underground, but it's deep and a bit of a maze, and with no JR line close by, Shinjuku or Tokyo Station often means a change or a taxi. Roppongi also gets loud late at night (none of it reached us up there, but you'll walk through it).

The Club Lounge isn't a status perk. The Club Lounge on the 53rd floor faces Mount Fuji and puts out food five times a day, with a harpist in the afternoon and a live udon station in the evening. Everyone who's been raves about it. But Bonvoy status doesn't get you in, so it's a Club room or nothing. And the minibar and lobby lounge prices are steep, so don't do your snacking there.

Ritz-Carlton or Park Hyatt?

They're both towers, they both have big views and a famous bar with live music, and they're both a bit dated in different ways. So this is the comparison I'd make.

Book the Ritz-Carlton. It's about $250 a night cheaper, the people are much warmer, and the bathrooms are bigger. The Park Hyatt has the more famous bar and the bamboo under the glass pyramid, but its newly renovated rooms are so bland I didn't remember them a week later, and the Ritz's older rooms at least come with that window.

And if you want a modern room with the same Marriott points, try The Tokyo Edition, Toranomon. For the palace gardens at a little less, the Palace Hotel. And for the most beautiful room in Tokyo, at about three times the price, Aman Tokyo.

Overall

I think the Ritz-Carlton Tokyo suits couples and first-time visitors who want Tokyo spread out below them, Bonvoy members, and anyone who'll use the bar, the pool and the spa as much as the room. It's the wrong pick if you want a bright, modern room, and a bit of a nuisance if your days run along the JR lines.

So here's my bottom line. I gave it 7.9 out of 10. The staff and the view are the best things about it, the dark, dated rooms are the worst, and I'd come back tomorrow for the bar, the pool and the people…I'd just look hard at the newer hotels first, and I'd be first in line once the rooms are redone.

If you're booking it

Two or three nights is about right. An entry room runs about $650 to $1,050 a night, with about $750 typical. If you're going to spend time in the hotel, book a Club room for the lounge, because status won't get you in, and ask for a high floor on the west side for a chance at Fuji. Order the Japanese breakfast the night before, and book Héritage for lunch (it's closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays). Arrive by taxi at the park-side entrance. And check your dates…the pool closes for maintenance from 11 to 13 November 2026, and the whole hotel closes from 20 to 25 November for building works.