The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto – Pool, Sauna, and Bicycle Tour Review (You Really Should Sign Up!!)

Hello.

I’m Dr. Baek, the director of Rev Dental, the go-to destination for teeth whitening near Sinsa Station.

This is the final post in my Ritz-Carlton Kyoto series.

I’ll wrap things up with a brief introduction to the hotel facilities and my firsthand review of the bicycle tour.

I was lucky enough to be assigned the Kamogawa Suite, right?! I truly felt the prestige of NUA... Forever loyal to Marriott.

After spending two nights in such a spacious room with excellent facilities, it was really hard to leave...

A memory with my wife that I’m recording so I can remember it~

The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto

Pool, Sauna, and Bicycle Tour

Most people would visit the pool and sauna if they had the chance, right~?

The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto—although you can probably tell without seeing it that it would be luxurious—so please make sure to visit the pool and sauna. The amenities are amazing, too.

Located on the basement level.

The passageway, with its impressive combination of black and white.

If you turn around the wall marked “SPA RECEPTION,” a staff member will be waiting for us at the far end.

A hallway where black, white, and straight lines are harmoniously combined.

It is designed to wind around the spacious basement area.

You could say the interior seems to have staked everything on luxury, couldn’t you? Haha.

The spa uses amenities from the brand La Prairie.

It seems to be a Swiss product.

Come to think of it, I remember that many spas at hotels in Korea also use Swiss products. I guess Switzerland makes good cosmetics, too...!

The cosmetic prices I looked up in real time on Naver were roughly...?

They’re quite expensive products, haha.

You have to change clothes before entering, right?

This is the entrance to the men’s changing room.

There are two sinks! Two-sink... no, actually, there are even more sinks. Haha.

It wasn’t extremely large, but since there wasn’t a single other person using it, I could use the changing room as if it were my own room.

I did run into one white-haired elderly man on my way out after enjoying myself for quite a while.

It has everything except the things it doesn’t~

This is the shower room.

The point to note is the amenity I was curious about...

They use ESPA products.

Looking it up on Naver, it costs around 100,000 won for 250 mL...

I’m not sure why it was provided alongside it, but an Aesop body cleanser costs around 60,000 won for 500 mL. That’s three times the price.

But even that Aesop body cleanser costs more than three times as much as most domestic products... haha...

I used plenty before leaving. (I honestly couldn’t really tell what was better...)

There is a bath where you can soak in warm water and enjoy some quiet meditation by yourself.

It was a little small, so it might feel awkward with two people in it... Anyway, there wasn’t anyone else there~

I used it as if I had rented out the whole place and then left. Haha.

Although it is underground, sunlight comes in from outside through this indoor swimming pool.

A wonderful place with a sauna right alongside it.

Ta-da~! This is the pool at the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto.

It is smaller than the pool at the Bulgari Tokyo that I showed you recently, but the facilities are by no means lacking.

The water here was incredibly clean and the facilities were so nice... The pool at the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto was also really clean.

The notable points are that sunlight comes in from outside despite the pool being underground, and that the sauna is located right next to it.

This is the sauna, right next to the pool! Isn’t that interesting? Haha.

The blue pool and the red sauna interior create a wonderful presentation, subtly complementing each other like water and fire.

It was a dry sauna.

You can actually see the pool from inside the sauna~ Haha.

You can find moist heat in the steam room—or cool off in the pool.

Refreshing water with “flavor” was available for anyone to drink as much as they wanted.

There were, of course, plenty of towels prepared, and there didn’t seem to be anyone waiting... but...

That doesn’t mean there was no safety staff! The employees remain stationed out of sight so guests can use the facilities comfortably.

How do I know? As soon as we leave, a staff member comes out to tidy everything up.

Luxury hotels really are different...

It is a truly wonderful space.

This photo was taken from the opposite side of the entrance where we first came in.

If you look to the left, you can see sunlight coming in from outside.

Even though the indoor pool is underground, perhaps they dug out the ground outside a little to let the light in?

This is the view that opens up when you lie down.

I thought this was a fantastic view, too... haha.

Who knew you could use an underground space so beautifully!!!

Our Rev Dental near Sinsa Station, which proudly calls itself a destination for teeth whitening nationwide, is also underground, but it has a wonderful interior, too!! Haha.

A free morning bicycle tour (!?)

This was an activity service my wife found after doing extensive research.

At the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto, an in-house staff member offers a morning—actually, early morning—electric bicycle tour.

As far as I know, bicycles can also be rented for around 50,000 won per day, but we signed up for the morning bicycle tour.

It is technically free, but it is customary to give the staff member a tip because they take photos while guiding you around and explain the locations. It seemed that people usually gave at least 100,000 won. (Please make sure to give one~!!!!!)

I followed behind and recorded the atmosphere in short video clips here and there. Haha.

Riding bicycles around Kyoto is truly romantic and joyful.

We went to a temple in the morning and took a photo at the entrance.

(The staff member, of course, took it!! Interestingly, he was Italian and could speak Italian, Japanese, and English!)

As we rode around, there were many alleys that felt like they could be anywhere in Japan, so I had my wife stand there and took a photo. ^^

Actually, we took a huge number of photos!!

We rode bicycles around here.

Since they were electric bicycles, we could get around with almost no effort at all. My wife was pregnant, but she was still able to manage the tour comfortably.

Senbon Torii—the place lined with countless traditional gates that can be created through donations.

Surprisingly, there were an enormous number of Western tourists. It must be a hot spot~

The way back also took us through an alley filled with a distinctly Japanese atmosphere.

There were even railway tracks, and the neighborhood had a really calm, gentle feel. I suppose that’s why it is so loved.

Finally, after returning, we took a photo with the electric bicycles in front of the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto!!

They then printed three of these photos and made us a wooden commemorative album.

It became a surprisingly meaningful keepsake. The photos have an analog-film-like feel, so it really felt like we had been to Japan!!!

One more photo with the Italian Ritz-Carlton staff member who helped us with our bicycle tour~

It is a truly kind and attentive hotel. It is a place that will stay in our memories for a long time.

The next day in Kyoto was bright and blissful.

And with that, I’ll wrap up this three-part hotel review~!

Just like the Bulgari Tokyo trip I took in March, the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto in April was a space that showcased overwhelming luxury.

Usually, Ritz-Carlton hotels do not provide breakfast as a tier benefit, but when I visited Kyoto with Titanium status, they provided breakfast throughout our stay. (I suspect they might offer it to Platinum members as well.) I suppose it was compensation for not having an executive lounge.

The suite was incredibly spacious and beautiful, and the Ritz-Carlton Kyoto also offered various activities. If I get the chance someday—or rather, soon—I definitely want to visit again!!!

That brings my two-night, three-day Kyoto series to an end. I’ll be back with a two-night, three-day Osaka series.

That was another look at the daily life of Dr. Baek from the dental clinic!!