QUIET CONTEMPLATION IN KYOTO

A quiet haven thoughtfully integrated into a property’s indoor or outdoor space invites guests to a restorative oasis. At The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto, for example, Zen gardens and a three-story waterfall create a peaceful welcome.

The hotel also merges traditional Japanese and modern design seamlessly and is home to a collection of art revolving around the 11th-century novel “The Tale of Genji,” with over 400 works by mostly Kyoto-based artists.

TROPICAL IMMERSION IN GRAND CAYMAN

Looking to nature can also serve as inspiration in immersing a traveler into a destination. The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman rises from the seashore like a grand, fantastic sandcastle — and that’s by design.

Architects created an exterior of stacked towers painted the same shades as the resort’s white-sand beach. Inside, designers layered bold colors and textures that reflect the island’s geography and tropical landscape.

EAST MEETS WEST IN TIANJIN

Evoking a sense of harmony for The Ritz-Carlton, Tianjin meant more than just surveying the Chinese city’s surroundings — it meant gracefully blending Tianjin’s East and West influences.

The hotel’s Neoclassical façade is suggestive of a prominent historical landmark from the 19th-century, when classicism and eclecticism merged, fusing European and Chinese architectural aesthetics.

An energetic color palette was specially developed for the interiors, using yellow, cobalt blue and celadon — evocative of Chinese ceramics and jade treasures — with black and white to create definition and contrast.

BALINESE BLISS AT MANDAPA

Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, situated in the Ubud forest of Bali, Indonesia, draws on the area’s Hindu temples, ancient spiritual sites and verdant natural beauty to accomplish this.

Traditional Balinese décor with vivid painted wall panels and rich textiles adorns the rooms in villas that open to Balinese gardens, rice paddies and the Ayung River.