Ritz-Carlton Kyoto vs Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto: Which Marriott Hotel Is Better?

Ritz-Carlton Kyoto vs Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto: the short answer

Book the Mitsui. It's the better hotel, and it's the only one of the two that actually feels like Kyoto.

The Ritz-Carlton is a good hotel, but after 12 years without a real renovation it feels like a high-end business hotel that could be anywhere in Japan. It wins on location, food and the pool, and not much else.

The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto

What I liked:

• The Japanese breakfast at Mizuki
• Good location
• A proper 20-metre indoor pool

What I didn't like:

• It feels corporate, with weddings and conferences and a lobby that could be in any city
• It's showing its age, with only a soft refresh since opening in 2014
• Views are hit or miss unless you pay for the river
• The garage-style entrance is an anticlimax at these prices

Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto

What I liked:

• The 1703 temple gate, and the courtyard garden
• Its own natural hot spring, which no other luxury hotel in central Kyoto has
• Nightscape
• André Fu's interiors, which feel like a modern tea house rather than a chain hotel
• Kyoto's only three-Michelin-Key hotel

What I didn't like:

• The location: across from Nijo Castle, and a taxi ride from Gion and the evening dining streets
• No Japanese restaurant and no pool

I send couples, honeymooners and anyone who wants Kyoto to feel like Kyoto to the Mitsui. The only clients I'd point to the Ritz-Carlton are families who need a pool, people who want to walk out to Pontocho for dinner every night, and Marriott points travellers. Otherwise, the Mitsui is the one to book.

At a glance

The hotel itself: Mitsui, no contest

This is the decision, so I'll start here.

Mitsui

It is built on land where the head branch of the Mitsui family kept its Kyoto residence for over 250 years. You arrive through the Kajiimiya gate, built in 1703 and now a registered cultural property, and the whole hotel wraps around a 1,300 m² courtyard garden with a weeping cherry and stone lanterns.

I'm in love with the interiors here: walnut, tatami textures, kimono textiles, soft light. It feels like somewhere that could only exist in Kyoto, which is exactly what I want.

Ritz-Carlton

The water-lined walkway and the kimono-clad greeter at the entrance are lovely. But you arrive through what looks like a garage, and once inside, it feels like... a business hotel. It has hosted weddings and conferences since 2014, and apart from a soft refresh in 2022, the rooms and public spaces haven't been touched. It isn't shabby but it just doesn't make me feel like I'm in Kyoto.

Rooms: Mitsui

Both hotels have generous rooms for Japan, roughly 45 to 50 m² to start. The difference is their design.

Mitsui

At the Mitsui, the room to book is the Garden Room. It costs little more than the entry Deluxe, but you get the courtyard view, which is a game changer in autumn when the leaves turn red and yellow.
I’d definitely avoid the city-facing Deluxe and Premier rooms and the Deluxe Suites if the view matters, because some of them look into privacy screens.

The MUST BOOK are the Onsen Suites. They have a real hot-spring bath in the room, perfect for a honeymoon or a couple.

Ritz-Carlton

At the Ritz-Carlton, my favourite rooms are the garden rooms with an engawa, a traditional wooden seating area looking onto a small private garden that's lit up at night. They're more private than the river-view rooms, which can be overlooked by nearby buildings.

The bathrooms are excellent, with double vanities, a deep soaking tub and a glass wet room. There’s even a sakura pattern on the bathroom wall. I actually like the bathtub here more than the Mitsui’s.

Onsen, pool and spa: Mitsui for the onsen, Ritz for the pool

Mitsui

The Mitsui's thermal spring spa is the best reason to stay there. It covers over 1,000 m² and is fed by a natural hot spring on site, which is rare in central Kyoto. It's mixed-gender with swimsuits (provided), so onsen purists may be disappointed, but after a day of temples it's wonderful. A screen in your room shows how busy it is. Go early morning or mid-afternoon, because it fills up in the evening. The private onsen rooms are bookable by the hour, from ¥24,500 for 60 minutes. Book at check-in or before you arrive.

Ritz-Carlton

The Ritz-Carlton has no onsen and no jacuzzi, but it has a proper 20-metre indoor pool, which the Mitsui doesn't have at all. The La Prairie spa is very good. If you swim every day, or you have kids who need to burn off energy, this matters.

Location: Ritz-Carlton

The Ritz-Carlton sits on the Kamo River at Nijo bridge. Pontocho is about a seven-minute walk, the Kiyamachi bars are around the corner, Nishiki Market is about 15 minutes, and Gion is about 20. Kyoto Shiyakusho-mae station is a few minutes away. For evenings out, it's the better base.

The Mitsui is across the road from Nijo Castle, with Nijojo-mae station three minutes away. The neighbourhood is quiet and un-touristy, and you can be at the castle when it opens. But Gion and Higashiyama are about 10 minutes by taxi, and you'll take one most evenings. If you like to wander out after dinner, that gets old.

Dining: Ritz-Carlton

This is the Ritz-Carlton's strongest card.

Ritz-Carlton

Mizuki has four counters under one roof: kaiseki, sushi, tempura and teppan. The tempura counter is the one I'd book. Mizuki is now Michelin-selected rather than starred, but the food is still excellent. It's closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so plan around that. The Japanese breakfast at Mizuki is one of the best hotel breakfasts I know, a proper multi-course meal. Skip the Western breakfast at La Locanda, which is much thinner. There's also a Pierre Hermé boutique and afternoon tea in the Lobby Lounge, which you'll need to book ahead.

Below is the Ebisugawa-tei, a Meiji-era heritage building. For me, it’s the highlight of the Ritz-Carlton.

Mitsui

The Mitsui has TOKI, an innovative Kyoto-French restaurant from a chef who trained at the Ritz Paris, plus FORNI for Italian and wood-fired pizza, and The Garden Bar. It has no Japanese restaurant at all, which feels like a miss for a hotel this rooted in Kyoto. Breakfast is served at FORNI, and it's the hotel's weak spot. For ¥6,100 a head, I expect better.

There's also an in-house teahouse. LOVED this experience!

Families: Ritz-Carlton

The Ritz-Carlton is the easier hotel with kids. It has the pool, the Ritz Kids programme, and children 12 and under stay free in existing beds. Most rooms take three guests, and there are connecting options.

The Mitsui welcomes families, but it's set up for adults. Children aged 4 to 12 can only use the thermal spring between 9am and 5pm, the Garden Bar is 18+ in the evening, and with no pool there isn't much for kids to do.

My verdict: Who should book which

Book the Mitsui if:

• You're a couple, on your honeymoon, or celebrating something
• You want your hotel to feel like Kyoto, not a chain hotel
• An onsen after a day of temples sounds like the point of the trip
• You'll book a Garden Room or a Nijo Room

Book the Ritz-Carlton if:

• You're travelling with kids, or you need a pool
• You want to walk to Pontocho and Gion for dinner every night
• Food matters most, and you want Mizuki and that Japanese breakfast
• You're paying with Marriott points

Book neither if you want to stay in the old Kyoto of Higashiyama, among the temples. Look at the Park Hyatt Kyoto instead.

How I'd book it

• At the Mitsui, book a Garden Room. It's the best value in the hotel. Choose a Nijo Room for the castle. Skip the city-facing Deluxe rooms.
• At the Ritz-Carlton, book a garden room with an engawa or a river view. Don't risk a courtyard or city room.
• Book the Mitsui's private onsen before you arrive, and use the in-room screen to time the thermal spring.
• Book Mizuki's tempura counter and the Pierre Hermé afternoon tea ahead. Mizuki is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
• Avoid peak weeks if price matters. Late March to early April and mid-November to early December are the most expensive. January and September are the value months.
• Book through an advisor, not direct. The Ritz-Carlton is in Marriott STARS and the Mitsui is in Marriott Luminous (see Marriott STARS & Luminous). When you book through me you typically get daily breakfast for two, upgrade priority, a hotel credit, and early check-in or late checkout when available, at no extra cost. At the Mitsui, the breakfast alone is worth over ¥12,000 a day. Send me your dates and I'll price both side by side.

FAQ

Which is better, the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto or Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto? The Mitsui, for most people. It feels more like Kyoto, has its own hot spring and is the city's only three-Michelin-Key hotel. The Ritz-Carlton is better for families, food and walkability.

Does Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto have an onsen? Yes. It has a natural hot spring on site, with a 1,000 m² thermal spa (mixed, swimsuits provided) and private onsen rooms you can book by the hour. Two Onsen Suites have their own hot-spring baths.

Does the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto have a pool? Yes, a 20-metre indoor pool. The Mitsui has no pool.

Is Mizuki at the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto Michelin-starred? Not anymore. Its tempura counter held a star for several years and is now listed in the Michelin Guide without one. The food is still excellent.

Which is closer to Gion? The Ritz-Carlton, which is about a 20-minute walk. From the Mitsui it's about 10 minutes by taxi.

Which is better for kids? The Ritz-Carlton, for the pool, the kids' programme and more flexible rooms.