Luxury Hotels in Kobe

"The room is large and well-equipped. The gold bath in the room is a little small, but the public bath is OK. It is very comfortable with few people. The hotel's kaiseki cuisine is very unique."

"We had a pleasant stay at Grand Nikko Awaji Hotel which is located at Awaji Yumebutai (淡路夢舞台). It takes less than 50 minutes from Kobe Sannomiya to Awaji Yumebutai by bus. The hotel room is clean and spacious, and all rooms face the sea. The hotel is part of Awaji Yumebutai complex with direct access to conference centre and various attractions such as Hyakudan-en Garden (百段苑) and Akashi Kaikyo Park (明石海峡公園)."

"We stayed at Negiya Ryofukaku in Arima Onsen during the maple leaf season, opting for the West Wing's deluxe Japanese-Western mixed room with a mountain view. The hotel staff were incredibly attentive and thoughtful, making us feel truly comfortable. Looking out the window, the mountain was ablaze with vibrant red maple leaves, like a flowing oil painting—the scenery far exceeded our expectations. Upon check-out, the hotel even thoughtfully arranged a car to take us to Arima Station, which was incredibly convenient."

"The room was quite spacious, and the massage chair was a pleasant surprise – very comfortable to use. The room introduction was quite detailed, and it was my first time experiencing a traditional Japanese onsen ryokan. The tatami mats were interesting, and I slept well. The entire hotel felt like a museum; despite its age, it had a lot of character. I felt like I got a deeper understanding of Japanese culture, which I really appreciated. The service, apart from being led to our room with traditional Japanese bows and the room introduction, was mostly self-service. However, this was my first time staying at a 'one night, two meals' ryokan, so I'm not sure if all onsens are like this. We also didn't have large luggage, just our bags, so maybe that's why we didn't notice any issues with luggage service. On a positive note, the front desk immediately knew which pair of shoes were ours when we checked out, which was good service. On the downside, the room's air conditioning unit was so well hidden that it took ages to find, and I was cold for quite a while. The phone either didn't work or I couldn't figure out how to use it. Also, we booked the private onsen from 8 PM to 9:30 PM. After relaxing for a bit, it was already close to 11 or 12. The public onsen closed from 12 AM to 1 AM, so we couldn't use it. We needed about 8 or 9 hours of sleep, and breakfast was scheduled for 9 AM. After breakfast, from 9:30 AM to 11 AM, the public onsen was closed. When we asked, the front desk informed us that check-out was strictly at 11 AM and we couldn't use the public onsen after checking out. So, we missed out on the public onsen, which was a real shame and couldn't be negotiated. In any five-star hotel in any country I've traveled to, it's usually possible to discuss using facilities after check-out. But it seems traditional onsen ryokans are all this rigid. While that might be how Japanese people are, for a hotel of this price, and for clearly inexperienced foreigners (we were even reminded we wore our kimonos the wrong way), when asking about meal times, couldn't they have kindly informed us that we needed to plan our breakfast, dinner, and onsen times accordingly? The food was light and flavorful. I don't eat seafood, and they were able to adjust the meals to my preferences. Communication two months prior was very responsive. However, for us, it was a bit too plain; Japanese people would probably love it. This was my first trip with my husband after giving birth, and I had been looking forward to the onsen part for a long time. I was very happy on the check-in day, but not being able to use the public onsen on the second day was still a big regret."

"Excellent stay! I was in town for Ayumi Hamasaki's concert, and the venue was right across the street, just one block away. The hotel is also conveniently located near Citizen's Plaza Station, which is why I chose it. The hotel itself is grand and impressive, with a spacious and comfortable lobby. I arrived in the morning before check-in, so I relaxed in the lobby. There's even a convenience store inside the hotel, making it easy to grab anything you need. The room was very spacious, and the window offered a great view. While it's an older hotel, what truly matters is the comfort and overall feeling for guests, not just having the newest gadgets or facilities."

"I stayed for four consecutive days, and the view outside the window was as beautiful as I expected. However, when I checked in on the first afternoon, a large cruise ship was docked right outside my balcony, completely blocking the view even though my room was on the 11th floor. I contacted the hotel through Trip.com, and they responded that the ship would depart by 5 PM. When I looked at the pictures before, the cruise ships always docked on the south side, so I didn't expect this situation. On the morning of the fourth day, I woke up to find another cruise ship docked outside. Just a heads-up for future guests. The overall room environment was fine, but the cleaning staff seemed a bit lazy. Disposable slippers weren't replenished daily, nor were the disposable toiletries or the coffee and tea bags. Each day, they only replaced the trash bags and refilled three bottles of mineral water. My shower gel ran out, so I deliberately left the empty bottle on the sink to remind them, but it remained untouched for three consecutive days. During check-in, the hotel overlooked one night of my reservation. I was initially supposed to stay in one room for the first night and then move to another room on the second day. This meant I'd have to check out at noon and couldn't check in again until 3 PM, which would have completely disrupted my plans for the second day. In the end, I had to communicate with the hotel through Trip.com to ensure I could stay in the same room for all four days. The hotel breakfast is pretty standard Western fare, nothing special. It's okay for a day or two, but after that, you might want to switch it up and try the Starbucks next to the hotel."

"The hotel pool isn't free; it costs 5500 JPY to swim. The hotel's location is super close to Daimaru department store—just take the elevator down on the right. A short walk further brings you to Hankyu, and then Sannomiya. Kobe really is small, but it has everything you'd want to buy. It's a small but refined city, making it hard to get lost. To get to Arima Onsen, the shuttle bus stop is in the same place as the Sannomiya bus terminal, which is also where you catch the bus back to the airport. The transportation here is incredibly convenient; you don't need a taxi at all. The hotel's free shuttle takes a long time, so walking is often faster. You can even reach Sannomiya directly from the Daimaru underground passage in about 10 minutes."

"This is a truly excellent hotel. It was exceptionally clean and the room was spacious. As I was traveling solo, I left the second bed completely untouched to make cleaning easier for the staff. The friendliness of the staff was also very impressive, and breakfast was superb. Many thanks to all the ANA staff for such a wonderful experience."

"This is one of the best hotel we have stayed. The hotel is in an upscale district with a number of high ends shopping destination. The view is very nice. Dinner and breakfast are good. Staff can speak very good English. I really like the hotel. We drove there with free parking."

"★★★★★ Amazing Ryokan Experience in Arima Onsen We had an absolutely wonderful stay at Arima Onsen Taketoritei Maruyama. From the moment we arrived, the hospitality and service were exceptional. The staff were warm, attentive and made us feel very welcomed throughout the stay. The private onsen experience was fantastic — peaceful, relaxing and beautifully maintained. The atmosphere of the ryokan was calm and luxurious, especially with the mountain surroundings and fresh air after the rain. It was the perfect escape from the city. Our room was spacious, clean and very comfortable for the family. The meals were also delicious and beautifully presented, with great quality ingredients and authentic Japanese cuisine. The shuttle service, attention to detail and overall guest experience were all top-notch. We truly enjoyed every part of our stay and wished we could stay longer. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Arima Onsen looking for a relaxing and memorable ryokan experience. We would definitely love to return again in the future."