The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto

The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto graces the eastern bank of the Kamo River in the once-secret former site of the Yoshidaya inn, where Edo-period emissaries lodged. Kuma Kengo-influenced contemporary architecture, an underground stone-and-cedar Mizuki spa, and Tempura Mizuki helmed by chef Atsumi Toshinari express a quietly Japanese sensibility throughout. Grand suites with washi-screened doors and private terraces face the river and the Higashiyama hills beyond — a setting unmatched by any other contemporary luxury hotel in central Kyoto.