Ritz-Carlton Kyoto
WORLDWIDE
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Seoul, Cuba, Kyoto
Melanie Brandman
A Worldly View on Working, Traveling and Living Well
An International Affair Look back at our 2015 Awards Gala
INSIDER REVIEW
The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto Kyoto, Japan
THE LUXURY OF LOCATION
Known as Japan’s cultural capital, and boasting an impressive fifteen World Heritage Sites, Kyoto is seeing a mini-boom of high-end hotels. Among the most notable arrivals is The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto, opened in 2014, and occupying a prime spot overlooking the sleepy Kamo River, upon whose banks Imperial era nobles built their wooden machiya residences. While subway lines are minutes away, you’ll rarely need them in this walkable city, where one can easily stroll over to the vibrant Shijo-Kawaramachi shopping district, or down the riverside Pontocho area’s narrow, restaurant-lined lanes.
MODERN SPACE, HISTORIC VIBE
Kyoto’s strict building height code dictated that part of the hotel be sunk below street level, and several key facilities are now set on those lower public spaces, with a three-story outdoor waterfall serving as a dramatic backdrop. Created by designer Peter Remedios, the interior aesthetic is a smooth blend of luxury urban resort and classic ryokan inn—Nespresso machines and Asprey amenities meet bonsai trees, cotton yukata robes, and traditional raised wood-slat floor coverings by the enormous bathtubs and rainshowers. Among the resort’s 134 rooms, 17 suites have Zen gardens, some with a tsukimidai, or “moon deck.” Watching a rare Kyoto snowfall from the comfort of my Luxury category room’s super-King bed, it was not hard to imagine that I was enjoying the same moody view over the river and temple-filled Higashiyama hills that nobles did centuries ago.
pâtissiers from Pierre Hermé Paris prepare cakes and macarons. A boutique from the celebrated pastry house can also be found adjacent to the hotel reception.
CRAFT DIVERSIONS
With the waterfall flowing just outside the windows, I relished the muted ambience of the lower level spa during a solitary, 6 a.m. sauna session and swim in the 65-foot-long pool. (If only I’d had time to continue the relaxation with a green tea-scented Ryokucha Serenity Ritual or ESPA oil massage.) Other on-site activities include a wide array of culture and craft master classes, covering everything from sushi prep and sake and matcha tea tastings to lessons in ikebana, origami, and samurai kenbu sword dancing. In the fun kimono class, guests choose colors, patterns, and designs to don in the traditional way—but don’t expect to rival the spectacle of the young couples heading out of the Bridal Salon in full wedding regalia.
INSPIRED FINE ART
A hotel art tour (available through the Guest Activity desk) is the best way to discover some of the 400 works displayed on-site, many of which were produced by local artists. The rich collection starts right at the entrance with a long wall made up of thousands of small, elegant ceramic pieces that collectively form the repeating shippo motif of four ellipses within a circle; the auspicious theme is also etched in delicate patterns on doors throughout the property. The hotel’s collection also serves as inspiration to head out across the river to the Gion district, the epicenter of geisha culture, and explore its wealth of antique shops and art galleries. ritzcarlton.com/kyoto
BY JOHN OSEID
DINING & DESSERT
As part of a kaiseki (Kyoto’s signature multi-course meal based on the concept of five flavors, five colors, and five cooking methods) in the Mizuki restaurant, Ritz-Carlton executive chef Shigeru Murayama presents sashimi on an elaborate “rock garden” ice sculpture places in a huge ceramic bowl. At the Italian restaurant La Locanda, a grilled veal tongue appetizer might be followed by Japanese-inflected gnocchi with bottarga, sea urchin and cuttlefish, while in an open side kitchen, JUNE 2016 23
PT PICKS Top Summer Olympic Events Not To Miss DIVE INTO • Spanish Wineries • Southern Spirits • Spa Sommeliers JUNE 2016 $4.99/$5.99 Canada
PLUS
Seoul, Cuba, Kyoto
Melanie Brandman
A Worldly View on Working, Traveling and Living Well
An International Affair Look back at our 2015 Awards Gala
INSIDER REVIEW
The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto Kyoto, Japan
THE LUXURY OF LOCATION
Known as Japan’s cultural capital, and boasting an impressive fifteen World Heritage Sites, Kyoto is seeing a mini-boom of high-end hotels. Among the most notable arrivals is The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto, opened in 2014, and occupying a prime spot overlooking the sleepy Kamo River, upon whose banks Imperial era nobles built their wooden machiya residences. While subway lines are minutes away, you’ll rarely need them in this walkable city, where one can easily stroll over to the vibrant Shijo-Kawaramachi shopping district, or down the riverside Pontocho area’s narrow, restaurant-lined lanes.
MODERN SPACE, HISTORIC VIBE
Kyoto’s strict building height code dictated that part of the hotel be sunk below street level, and several key facilities are now set on those lower public spaces, with a three-story outdoor waterfall serving as a dramatic backdrop. Created by designer Peter Remedios, the interior aesthetic is a smooth blend of luxury urban resort and classic ryokan inn—Nespresso machines and Asprey amenities meet bonsai trees, cotton yukata robes, and traditional raised wood-slat floor coverings by the enormous bathtubs and rainshowers. Among the resort’s 134 rooms, 17 suites have Zen gardens, some with a tsukimidai, or “moon deck.” Watching a rare Kyoto snowfall from the comfort of my Luxury category room’s super-King bed, it was not hard to imagine that I was enjoying the same moody view over the river and temple-filled Higashiyama hills that nobles did centuries ago.
pâtissiers from Pierre Hermé Paris prepare cakes and macarons. A boutique from the celebrated pastry house can also be found adjacent to the hotel reception.
CRAFT DIVERSIONS
With the waterfall flowing just outside the windows, I relished the muted ambience of the lower level spa during a solitary, 6 a.m. sauna session and swim in the 65-foot-long pool. (If only I’d had time to continue the relaxation with a green tea-scented Ryokucha Serenity Ritual or ESPA oil massage.) Other on-site activities include a wide array of culture and craft master classes, covering everything from sushi prep and sake and matcha tea tastings to lessons in ikebana, origami, and samurai kenbu sword dancing. In the fun kimono class, guests choose colors, patterns, and designs to don in the traditional way—but don’t expect to rival the spectacle of the young couples heading out of the Bridal Salon in full wedding regalia.
INSPIRED FINE ART
A hotel art tour (available through the Guest Activity desk) is the best way to discover some of the 400 works displayed on-site, many of which were produced by local artists. The rich collection starts right at the entrance with a long wall made up of thousands of small, elegant ceramic pieces that collectively form the repeating shippo motif of four ellipses within a circle; the auspicious theme is also etched in delicate patterns on doors throughout the property. The hotel’s collection also serves as inspiration to head out across the river to the Gion district, the epicenter of geisha culture, and explore its wealth of antique shops and art galleries. ritzcarlton.com/kyoto
BY JOHN OSEID
DINING & DESSERT
As part of a kaiseki (Kyoto’s signature multi-course meal based on the concept of five flavors, five colors, and five cooking methods) in the Mizuki restaurant, Ritz-Carlton executive chef Shigeru Murayama presents sashimi on an elaborate “rock garden” ice sculpture places in a huge ceramic bowl. At the Italian restaurant La Locanda, a grilled veal tongue appetizer might be followed by Japanese-inflected gnocchi with bottarga, sea urchin and cuttlefish, while in an open side kitchen, JUNE 2016 23
