The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko

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.

Ritz nikko while very beautiful has become very expensive with the add on tax while food overall has become average . I go each year but I won’t go anymore

Excellent property

The location was fantastic, and the staff were incredibly friendly and attentive, most if not all speak English. The facilities were top-notch, from the well- maintained bathroom to well stocked mini-bar. Housekeeping was excellent, ensuring everything was spotless and make your stay very enjoyable.