The Ritz-Carlton

“Beautiful Property”

Galih at the Japanese restaurant made our trip. Such amazing service.

“The Japanese Restaurant”

Great food and great service! Galih was so kind. It was a wonderful experience

“Not bad but a bit let down”

I went here with high expectations, so I take some blame for disappointment but I would be lying if I say the hotel didn’t let me down. The location is nice and the drive up the mountains was fantastic. The hotel itself looks fairly simple from outside but it’s not unusual for ryokan style hotels… more

I went here with high expectations, so I take some blame for disappointment but I would be lying if I say the hotel didn’t let me down. The location is nice and the drive up the mountains was fantastic. The hotel itself looks fairly simple from outside but it’s not unusual for ryokan style hotels. Check in was a bit odd with me sitting at the bar counter literally staring at alcohol bottles for a while! I asked to move to a table after some time and eventually someone came and did the paperwork. I booked what they call “luxury suite” and the layout is good. Sort of open plan with plenty of seating area, 1.5 bathrooms, balcony etc. However, it certainly lacks the kind of privacy one would expect from a property like this. It is a bit closer to the street and a cross junction. You can see people and vehicles, and you will be very conscious of that when you are in the bathroom and balcony as both are located on the same side. Half of the view on the lake side was really beautiful while the other half was an eye sore. Room was equipped with all modern features and amenities. Furniture was comfortable. Minibar was nicely stacked. Some delicious Japanese grapes were provided as welcome amenities. The “onsen” itself is okay but I guess it’s special just because it’s in Ritz Carlton. If you take out the Ritz Carlton factor then it feels like a very normal public bath including the open air one. I am grateful for experiencing many wonderful onsens in Japan and this one probably wouldn’t come anywhere near those experiences. Also, I wish there was a private onsen at least in the suites. This is very common in most luxury ryokans across Japan, however, I do not know all the challenges behind providing those in the rooms versus having just a public onsen. Service was a hit or miss as is typical with most Ritz Carlton’s. Some staff were very nice and some were not so nice. Overall service was neither great nor terrible. Restaurants and food were probably the biggest disappointments I have had. Most ryokans take great pride in serving an amazing dinner but the dinner at the Japanese restaurant in this hotel is probably one of the most disappointing dining experiences I have had in a long time. The menu was ridiculously small and with absolutely nothing worth ordering. I looked through it 5 times, ordered something which turned out to be ridiculously small and really bad. I ended up going back to my room and ordering a sandwich! What a shame! Somewhat similar experience at the breakfast as well though slightly better than dinner. Seating was bad, very limited food options and I wondered if it was even worth going there for breakfast. I probably should have just ordered something from the room service.The only thing that was good was the martini from the bar. I watched the bartender make it and I could tell he was making a killer martini and he did! Interestingly enough, to me the best part of the stay was actually outside the hotel! Walking around was really nice with many small shops, cafes etc. It was beautiful and felt like straight out of a romantic Asian movie! Overall, I wouldn’t call this a bad stay but definitely a let down. This time I went here as a destination (only to stay here) but next time I will stay here only if I happen to be in the area and I need a place to stay.

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“Over crowded even off peak”

Lovely setting, well appointed rooms and and eye candy common spaces but some disappointments abound. On arrival at 2.40pm we were ushered into the bar area, served some very nice welcome tea and tidbits, and then left to wait for some 20 minutes before being attended to again. I would have much p… more

Lovely setting, well appointed rooms and and eye candy common spaces but some disappointments abound. On arrival at 2.40pm we were ushered into the bar area, served some very nice welcome tea and tidbits, and then left to wait for some 20 minutes before being attended to again. I would have much preferred to have been informed of the waiting time and encouraged to have lunch or drinks in the meantime. We booked a lake view room and unfortunately felt we did not get what was promised. The view from room 313 was mostly of the protruding roof and walls of an adjacent building, with scant views of any lake- see photo. The compromised view should have been disclosed at the time of booking as "obscured lake view" and priced accordingly. Economy with the truth should not happen at this price point.  Our room was eventually changed, but this cost us time and unnecessary scars on our first impressions. Certainly not the frictionless check-in one expects.  The lobby lounge and bar are constantly booked out. Even the time you wake up is dictated by breakfast slots. We tried booking breakfast the night before but only 7am and 7.30am were available. I am here to chill and waking at 6.30am for a 7am breakfast is certainly not palatable. If you have prepaid for your breakfast, which we thankfully hadn't, you are backed into a dilemma of 2 undesirable outcomes. Sacrifice your sleep or your breakfast. This is not a hotel where you decide your own itinerary at will ; the common facilities simply cannot cater for guests on their own schedule. OK for a smaller ryokan style hotel but not a Ritz Carlton. To make things worse, the library was closed for an internal photo shoot during the peak 1pm to 3pm slot during my stay making the seating capacity issue worse. Why? I experienced all this on 2 non peak weekdays in June. I'm told it gets alot worse on weekends and in the autumn; the mind boggles. If you prefer the flexibility to free-wheel during your stay, this is not the place for you but if you're happy to plan every detail ahead, or are content to spend time constantly waiting for a table or just chilling in your room, the hotel certainly has enough to redeem itself. Service levels and food quality were generally of a very high standard. For those so inclined I wholeheartedly recommend the Royal Star Brown pork cutlet sandwich at the Lobby Lounge; if you don't mind the long wait for a table. The best pork katsu sando I have had to date. "Royal Star Brown"  apparently refers to the pork brand.  The Omakase sushi course at dinner was also very decent and not overpriced for a Ritz Carlton. Ravi at the front desk made things that little bit better, always smiling and professional, he was a breath of fresh air. The overall experience was pleasant enough but I don't think I'll be back in a big hurry. I prefer hotels that cater to my on vacation impulsive  preferences. Not the other way around especially in this higher luxury segment. The customer should always come first, not the hotel.

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