The new Ritz-Carlton Kyoto lives up to the hype

Expectations can be a tricky business. When everyone's talking up a film as "brilliant" or "a classic", it's difficult to see it without questioning if it meets the hype. The same goes for hotels. But I still looked forward to the February opening of The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto, as I had previously stayed in its Tokyo counterpart.

The Ritz-Carlton Kyoto is the first big luxury hotel to open in the city, which is strange, given how many options there are in Tokyo. But I'm told land in the historic Japanese city, the country's former capital, has been hard to come by.

That seems to be changing: Four Seasons and Aman are both said to be planning to open here in the next year or so. For now, Ritz-Carlton is leading the charge - and in style.

The 134-room hotel has an "urban resort" concept. It's near the downtown area, a 15-minute walk from the famous geisha district of Gion, but it feels warm and calming as you walk through the door.

There are bonsai trees, works by Kyoto artists, and large wooden chandeliers in the lobby, next to the Lobby Lounge. The latter is already popular with local families for afternoon tea, as are the macarons and other cakes in the Pierre Hermé shop near the entrance.

I stay in a luxury Kamogawa room. Everything still looks and smells showroom new. The room is long and spacious, modern but decorated with Japanese elegance. It's simple, uncluttered, and refined.