The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo

Rooms and decor

The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo takes floor 45 and up of Tokyo Midtown Tower. The lobby at that height has floor-to-ceiling glass that opens onto the whole sprawl of the city below, dressed with Schonbek crystal chandeliers and contemporary Japanese art, and the welcome tea is a roasted Kyoto hojicha. From the first second it tells you that you really are at the top of Tokyo. The Deluxe Room on floor 47 runs ¥120,000 a night (about $820) and measures 52 sqm — the largest of any Tokyo luxury hotel. There is a King bed (200x200 cm) with the firm-but-soft Ritz-Carlton Sweet Sleep bedding, and a daybed sofa by the window made for sipping wine over the city all night. The cream marble bathroom covers 11 sqm, with a separate tub set by the glass so you can soak looking at Tokyo Tower, a rain shower, a Toto Washlet, and Diptyque Philosykos toiletries. The window frames Tokyo Tower glowing orange after dark, and on clear winter mornings Mt. Fuji rises over the skyline — a view no other hotel in the area can match.

Food and amenities

Dinner is at Azure 45, the Michelin-starred French restaurant on floor 45, where the 7-course tasting menu is ¥28,000 a head (about $190). The kitchen works top Japanese ingredients with French technique; standout plates are Hokkaido sea urchin on egg custard and grilled A5 Wagyu, all over a full sheet of Tokyo city lights. The next morning, head down to The Ritz-Carlton Spa at 2,000 sqm, the biggest of the Roppongi hotels — a 90-minute couple treatment in the couple room runs ¥58,000 (about $395) using ESPA products, and there is a warm indoor pool, sauna and jacuzzi. Breakfast buffet at Towers on floor 45 is ¥7,200 (about $50), with a made-to-order omelette station, sashimi and French pastries.

Location and getting there

The Ritz-Carlton sits on top of Tokyo Midtown, with an underground passage running straight to Roppongi station on the Oedo Line — no umbrella needed in the rain. The Hibiya Line is a further 4-minute walk. Below the tower is the Tokyo Midtown luxury mall, the Suntory Museum of Art, 21_21 Design Sight and the Midtown Garden. It is a 7-minute walk to the National Art Center Tokyo and 8 minutes to Roppongi Hills, completing the Roppongi Art Triangle of three big museums in a single day's walk. From Roppongi, the Hibiya Line reaches Ginza in 8 minutes and the Oedo Line reaches Shinjuku in 10 minutes.

Things to know before booking

This is the priciest of the ten, with rates opening at $800 a night. It sits on top of the Tokyo Midtown office tower, so you trade away the street-level buzz of the neighbourhood for the height and the views. And getting from the ground floor up to the 45th-floor lobby takes two lift changes, which is worth knowing if you are coming and going a lot.

Our take

The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo is the most luxurious and the best pick for a special occasion in Roppongi — rooms from floor 45 with the highest views in the city, 52 sqm rooms that are the largest in Tokyo, the Michelin-starred Azure 45, a 2,000 sqm spa, and service to match. It scores 9.4/10, the highest of these ten. Rates from $800 a night are steep, but for a honeymoon, an anniversary or a once-in-a-lifetime celebration trip, it earns every dollar. It is a stay you will remember, and it suits couples and travellers who want the very top of Tokyo.