At a workshop held at the Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo, I learned the basics of ikebana—Japanese flower arrangement. As beginners, we start with the basic style called moribana, composed of three main branches of flowers, of which the length, angle, and position are determined and masterfully arranged in a shallow vase.
It’s mid-March, and Japan’s famed cherry blossoms have just started to bloom. There is no better time than the present to use the emblematic flower for the primary and secondary branches. For the ornamental stem, I choose a delicate Thunberg spirea, a species also native to Japan. For a livelier look, I place some chrysanthemums and sweet peas at the bottom as a base.
Curated cultural workshops and experiences like these are available at the Ritz-Carlton Club upon request. Frequent travellers are no strangers to club lounges—think of the complimentary food, free-flowing drinks, and the lounge itself as a place to unwind or work, not to mention the range of value-added services like express check-in and personal concierge.
The newly elevated journey at The Ritz-Carlton Club can be experienced across Asia-Pacific. Its access however is strictly limited to those booking club rooms or suites to ensure privacy and exclusivity. This means even elite members of Marriott Bonvoy don’t get complimentary access to the club level. In the brand’s portfolio in Japan, the Ritz-Carlton Club can be found in Tokyo, Osaka, and the recently opened Ritz-Carlton, Fukuoka.
The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo sits in the Roppongi area, synonymous with its luxurious residences, shopping destinations, and bustling nightlife. Crowning the top floors of Tokyo Midtown—one of the city’s highest skyscrapers—from the 45th to the 53rd floors, the hotel is blessed with, and famously known for, the impressive, unhindered vistas of its surroundings.
The Ritz-Carlton Club Lounge is perched on the highest 53rd floor. The long, narrow venue is conceived as a luxury residence. Expansive windows frame the uninterrupted skyline view as a backdrop to allow you to experience what it’s like to dine and relax high up in the sky of Tokyo. The library, nestled deep inside, is a tranquil corner with books about Japanese culture for a leisure read.
Whenever you visit the lounge, you will never get hungry or thirsty, thanks to five meal presentations from 7 am to 10 pm every day. For breakfast, order the croissant waffle served with whipped cream and seasonal homemade fruit compote. Also, ask for the seasonal secret menu if you drop by during lunchtime. On occasion, the Ritz-Carlton Club lounge also plays host to a wine and cheese presentation, inviting guests to sample and choose the best ones to be served in the lounge.
While these are things you might already expect from a club lounge, the Ritz-Carlton Club wants to take the experience a step further. “We are seeing an even greater shift towards guests seeking experiences that inspire them and help bring balance into their lives through the discovery of fresh perspectives, new ideas, and local connections,” says Jennie Toh, vice-president of brand marketing and management of Asia-Pacific, Marriott International. With this in mind, the Ritz-Carlton decided to come up with an elevated journey that aims to enhance the club lounge experience with a highlight on the destination.
In addition to the ikebana workshop, more surprises are hidden in the room. A paperback copy of Louis Vuitton’s city guide to Tokyo is offered as a welcome gift to help club lounge guests plan their wanderlust. A daily platter of locally grown fruits constitutes another delight. Since bathing has long been an important pillar of Japanese culture, the hotel specially prepares fragrance-free bath salts from Kyushu-based brand Haa for club lounge guests, made from mineral deposits that come from the Kannawa hot springs in Beppu, the cradle of the Japanese bath healing culture known as touji. Guests can experience Japan in all its aspects without leaving their cosy rooms.
Around 500 kilometres to the west of Tokyo, located in Osaka’s prime Umeda area, The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka exudes a completely different ambience from its modern Tokyo sister. Look at the vintage wall lamps at the entrance, doormen in silk hats, classic furniture in the lobby, and a slew of antique paintings adorning the wooden walls and corridors—it’s like stepping into the past to find yourself in the mansion of an 18th-century aristocrat.
Located on the 34th floor, Osaka’s club lounge is aligned with the Ritz-Carlton’s classic design with a colour palette of light taupe and orange, while plush classic sofas and leather chairs create a residential atmosphere. Staff members in kimonos greet and lead us into the inner dining sanctum for a leisurely check-in, plus a seasonal welcome drink and English-style afternoon tea courtesy of Pierre Hermé. Among the five meal presentations daily, the food presentation area will cherry-pick select signature dishes from one of the four restaurants in the hotel.
Instead of preparing locally sourced in-room amenities, the Ritz-Carlton, Osaka immerses its club lounge guests with diverse tours and cultural experiences. We are invited to a running or bicycle tour from the hotel to Osaka Castle the next morning. As the suited and booted salarymen make their way to work, we explore the neighbourhood on two wheels, making brief stops to get a closer look at Western-style architecture on the Nakanoshima sandbank that recalls Osaka’s historical identity and significance as an ancient port city and getting the tour-guide treatment from hotel staff as they share stories about the city. If time allows, you may also pay a visit to nearby markets for street-food hunting. The bike tour gives me a fresh perspective on city travel and allows us to get closer to the local neighbourhoods. On wheels, I no longer feel like a tourist, but among residents, just like the ones I pedal past.
After Osaka Castle, we return to the hotel to prepare for a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, held in the Shinto hall, a special venue designed to host Japanese wedding ceremonies. An additional kimono experience is also on the cards, for a fee. After getting dressed in kimonos with the help of veteran dressers, we sit on both sides of the hall while a tea master sits in the centre and performs the rituals. Everything feels authentic, novel, and enriching.
Many consider the club lounge as a “hotel within a hotel” for the added privacy and privileges. But with most of them offering more or less the same services and amenities, club lounges have, to some extent, become cookie-cutter. The Ritz-Carlton has taken the traditional club lounge experience to the next level, which is not merely about the enhancement of existing services, but one that goes beyond the expectations and spatial limits of a club lounge.
What I like most are all the local and cultural touches woven into the stay, from the thoughtfully arranged ikebana workshop and tea ceremony to locally sourced amenities in the room. These small touches open up new perspectives on how hotel experiences can be made even more authentic, and how to make the most of the destination. What’s more, each hotel creates its own bespoke, location-based experiences, so no two are ever the same.
On the night before we were to depart Osaka, I notice that the TV is on when I returned to my hotel room after dinner. My eyes are drawn to a device connected to the TV and a small note asking me to hit “play.” When I do, a 90-second montage of photos and short clips of myself and my group of fellow travellers, collected by the Ritz-Carlton team during our stay, plays automatically.
Revisiting the experiences we shared together in the past two days immediately transported me back in time. The Ritz-Carlton team captured valuable memories that guests can take home and cherish long after their trip. It’s this attention to the guest experience that elevates the Ritz-Carlton’s club lounge service far beyond the perfunctory lounges that are common elsewhere.
All images courtesy of Jackie Chen and The Ritz-Carlton.
