Kobe Spa Hotels

"Although this is an older five-star hotel, the lobby is spacious and features the traditional five-star amenities, which are well-maintained and appear very clean. The hotel is conveniently located right next to the Shinkansen line. It was raining on the day we arrived, but there's a covered walkway directly from the Shinkansen to the hotel, so we didn't get wet, which was very handy. Check-in was quick, and the staff were friendly. They even informed us about ongoing exterior renovations, mentioning that workers might be passing by at certain times. It turned out to be work on an annex, quite far from our room, but I appreciated the heads-up. We booked a twin-bedded city view room, which was very large and even had a capsule coffee machine, though I couldn't use it as I don't drink coffee. The staff cleaned our room thoroughly every day. For breakfast, you can go to the buffet restaurant on the 4th floor, which offers a good variety of Japanese and Western dishes. The staff there were also very attentive, reminding guests around 10:00 AM that the last seating was at 10:30 AM. Alternatively, you can opt for a set menu on the 5th floor. This is served in a restaurant where the staff wear kimonos and are equally friendly. We had three breakfasts in total and chose the set menu one day; it was simple but tasty. Right next to the hotel is the Herb Garden, which is easily accessible by cable car. A short walk down from there, there's a glass house resembling an indoor rainforest. We enjoyed afternoon tea in a café inside while listening to a piano and violin performance. The hotel is just one subway stop from Sannomiya. It's also easy to walk to the Kitano-cho (Ijinkan Street) area and then to Sannomiya. My only minor complaint was that our room was quite close to the elevator; I would have preferred a room further away. The hotel also offers a direct bus service to Kansai Airport, but it only runs twice a day, at 11:00 AM and 2:30 PM. Since we missed the 11:00 AM bus, we took the subway one stop to the Sannomiya Bus Terminal, which is diagonally opposite Hankyu, where buses run every 20 minutes – also quite convenient."