The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo Hotel

Tokyo’s all-new Midtown, a massive mixed-use development in Roppongi, has been big news lately — some third-world military coups and minor wars have come and gone more quietly, judging by newspaper and magazine column-inches. It’s already one of the high holy sites of Tokyo retail, including the first Richard James shop outside London, and the first Muji housewares store; and its entry in the hotel stakes is marked by nothing less than the city’s first Ritz-Carlton.

It’s not in a bad spot either, occupying the top floors of the Midtown Tower, currently the tallest building in town; there’s little use describing the views in any great detail, as there’s no way to do them justice in print. The interiors are a bit grown-up, a very subtly localized version of the classic Ritz-Carlton look, but it’s hard to even notice the furniture against the backdrop of the sprawling Tokyo cityscape.

The prevailing theme isn’t exactly one of understatement — the $16,000 diamond martini, with a Bulgari stone at the bottom, is a case in point — but the clean Eastern lines lend a certain calm to the experience. As with most of Tokyo’s top hotels, it’s at once a high-end business hotel and a sort of a fantasy weekend holiday destination; along with the copious business facilities you’ll find a full-service spa and a dedicated wedding planner — not to mention close proximity to quite a lot of the world’s best shopping.

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