Japan
Bvlgari Hotel Tokyo
Bulgari Hotel Tokyo crowns the new Midtown Yaesu, with jewel-box Italian glamour and sky-high views of the Imperial Palace and Tokyo Bay. Sleek rooms and suites, Il Ristorante Niko Romito, the Bulgari Bar, and a sumptuous spa with a 25-meter pool set the mood. Polished, design-led, beside Tokyo Station downtown. 9.8
Six Senses Kyoto
Six Senses Kyoto brings serene, wellness-first design to Higashiyama near Gion’s lanes and Kiyomizu-dera. Calm, wood-lined rooms frame inner gardens; a holistic spa with onsen-style baths, yoga, and Alchemy Bar anchors days. Sekki’s seasonal menus and an omakase sushi counter star. The mood is polished, quietly restorative, temple-neighborhood adjacent bliss. 9.8
Park Hyatt Kyoto
Park Hyatt Kyoto nestles on a Higashiyama hillside above Ninen-zaka, fusing machiya elegance with calm, contemporary lines. Rooms frame pagodas and city lights; a soothing spa, fitness, and terraces set the pace. Dine at Kyoyamato and Yasaka. The mood is polished, contemplative, steps from temples, teahouses, and stone lanes nearby. 9.4
Four Seasons Otemachi
Tokyo.
Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi floats above the skyline with serene, light-filled rooms framing the Imperial Palace and Tokyo Bay. A tranquil spa, 20-meter pool, and rooftop terraces restore. Dine at Est and PIGNETO; sip at VIRTÙ. Polished, contemporary, steps from Otemachi Station, Marunouchi, and the Nihonbashi financial hub nearby. 9.6
Palace Hotel Tokyo
Palace Hotel Tokyo sits beside the Imperial Palace moat, a calm, contemporary landmark with airy, terrace-tipped rooms. Evian Spa Tokyo, a serene pool, and polished dining from Wadakura to Crown set the rhythm. The mood is refined and hushed, steps from Marunouchi’s boutiques, Tokyo Station, and garden-ringed running paths nearby. 9.8
The Okura Tokyo
The Okura Tokyo marries mid-century heritage with sleek new towers in Toranomon. Tatami-calm rooms frame city and garden views; a serene spa, 27-meter pool, and Okura Fitness & Spa anchor wellness. Dine at Yamazato, Sazanka, and Orchid. The mood is polished, quietly Japanese, minutes from the Imperial Palace and Roppongi. 9.8
The Prince Gallery Tokyo
The Prince Gallery Tokyo Kioicho soars above Akasaka, a glassy aerie with floor-to-ceiling views of the city and Imperial Palace. Sleek, artful rooms, a sky-high pool, spa and gym, and bars and restaurants, including Washoku Souten, set the rhythm. The mood is polished, contemporary, steps from Nagatacho/Akasaka-Mitsuke stations and gardens. 9.6
Aman Tokyo
Aman Tokyo crowns the Otemachi Tower, a serene sanctuary above the skyline. Monumental, washi-soft interiors frame floor-to-ceiling views; suites feel ryokan-modern with soaking tubs. A vast spa with onsen-style baths, a 30-meter pool, and calm dining and lounge set the cadence. Polished, contemplative steps from the Imperial Palace and Marunouchi nearby. 9.8
Janu Tokyo
Janu Tokyo brings an energising, design-clean spirit to Azabudai Hills. Light-filled rooms and suites with balconies; a vast social wellness club with pools, hydrotherapy, movement studios, and sauna. Multiple restaurants and bars hum day to night. The mood is polished, convivial, minutes from Roppongi, Tokyo Tower, and leafy temple gardens. 9.8
Mandarin Oriental
Mandarin Oriental Tokyo crowns Nihonbashi with sky-high views of Skytree and the Imperial Palace. Calming rooms and suites blend sleek timber and tech. A sublime spa with onsen-style baths and a restoring pool. Dining dazzles from Sushi Shin to Sense and Tapas Molecular Bar. Polished, discreet, steps from Mitsukoshi and Marunouchi nearby. 9.6
Rosewood Miyakojima
Okinawa.
Rosewood Miyakojima spreads along sugar-white shores in Okinawa’s Miyako Islands, where airy pavilions and villas with private pools face electric-turquoise reefs. A serene Asaya spa, calm lagoon pools, and refined island-to-table dining shape the days. The mood is plush, barefoot-luxe, with diving, paddle boarding, and coral gardens minutes from the jetty. 9.6
Shangri-La Tokyo
Shangri-La Tokyo crowns Marunouchi beside Tokyo Station, a calm aerie with glittering skyline and Skytree views. Spacious, silk-trimmed rooms and suites; CHI, The Spa; a serene pool and fitness. Dining spans Piacere and Nadaman. Service is polished, warmly attentive. Steps from the Imperial Palace, Ginza’s boutiques, and bullet-train adventures nearby. 9.6
Park Hyatt Tokyo
Park Hyatt Tokyo crowns Shinjuku’s skyscrapers, a hushed aerie with floor-to-ceiling views of Fuji on clear days. Spacious, wood-lined rooms and suites, a tranquil spa and pool, and refined dining at New York Grill and Girandole shape city days. The mood is polished, cinematic, steps from neon streets and parks. 9.6
Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto
THE MITSUI KYOTO, a Luxury Collection Hotel, sits opposite Nijo-jo, fusing machiya elegance and contemporary calm. Tatami-soft rooms frame a lantern-lit courtyard. The Thermal Spring Spa with onsen, pool, and gardens; FORNI and TOKI lead dining. The mood is serene, adjacent to a temple neighbourhood with riverside access and the Gion within reach. 9.6
Four Seasons Kyoto
Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto wraps a 12th-century pond garden in hushed, contemporary elegance. Tatami-soft rooms and suites, a serene spa and pool, and Michelin-starred Sushi Wakon shape restorative days. Tea houses and Fuju lounge hover over water. Polished, contemplative steps from temples of Higashiyama and the lantern-lit lanes of Gion. 9.4
Ritz-Carlton Kyoto
The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto lines the Kamo River with town-house calm and contemporary understatement. Rooms and suites feature tatami flourishes and cypress baths; a serene spa with pool. Dine at Mizuki and Pierre Hermé. The mood is polished, contemplative, steps from Gion, Nishiki Market, and lantern-lit temple lanes at night. 9.6
The Tokyo EDITION, Ginza
The Tokyo EDITION, Ginza is a polished, boutique hideaway amid Ginza’s neon and Namiki-dori boutiques. Minimalist, light-washed rooms feel cocooning; a discreet fitness studio, all-day dining, and a high-energy cocktail bar set the pace. The mood is design-forward, intimate, steps from Ginza Six, Kabuki-za, and subways to Marunouchi and Asakusa. 9.6
Halekulani Okinawa
Halekulani Okinawa is on Onna’s emerald coast, with serene, ocean-facing rooms and suites. Five pools and a natural beach set sunlit days; SpaHalekulani, fitness, and golf access restore. Dine at House Without A Key, Shiroux, and Aomi. The mood is polished, whisper-quiet luxury, minutes from reefs, capes, and sunsets. 9.8
Higashiyama Niseko Village
A Ritz Carlton Reserve.
Higashiyama Niseko Village, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, folds Japanese minimalism into alpine warmth on Hokkaido’s powder-sure slopes. Calm, wood-lined rooms frame Mount Yotei. Ski-in/ski-out access, a soothing onsen and spa, fitness, and chef-driven restaurants shape days. The mood is polished and contemplative, minutes from tree runs, summer hiking, and gondola sunsets. 9.5
Hoshinoya Koyoto
Hoshinoya Kyoto is nestled in the lush greenery of the Arashiyama hills, accessible by cedar boat along the Oi River. Ryokan-style pavilions feature tatami salons and cypress baths, overlooking maple gardens. Expect seasonal kaiseki, tea ceremonies, and soothing spa rituals. The mood is hushed, poetic, steps from bamboo groves, temples, and the Togetsukyo Bridge nearby. 9.8
Sowaka Kyoto
Sowaka whispers Kyoto elegance in a maze of restored machiya near Yasaka Shrine. Tatami-soft rooms with shoji, hinoki tubs, and courtyard views cocoon you. A serene bar, kaiseki dining, and tea rituals set the cadence. The mood is refined, poetic, steps from Gion’s lantern-lit lanes and Kiyomizu-dera’s hillside paths nearby. 9.6
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