Kobe Marriott Hotel

The English proficiency of the local staff is appallingly bad. I went to drop off my luggage and was told I couldn't check-in yet as it was too early. After finally checking in, I discovered my room was right next to the elevator. When booking, I had specifically requested a room away from the elevator, quiet, and non-smoking. It's my fault for not reconfirming with them, so I had to drag my luggage back to the front desk to change rooms. The new room was still on the street side, right next to the elevated highway, and directly opposite Kobe Station – you can imagine how noisy it was. This is an old hotel that's been renovated. You don't need a key card for any of the elevators, so female travelers staying alone should definitely be mindful of their safety. The quality of the renovation can only be described with a 'heh,' the details are just dreadful. Forget the small details, the door wouldn't even close automatically; you had to manually push and pull it to make sure it latched properly. The mini-bar light switch had an intensely bright light that was dazzling at night. Amenities weren't replenished on the second day, not even the drinking water. The staff passage, which also serves as a fire escape, was left wide open until 8 PM, indicating a lapse in safety management. The water pressure and temperature in the shower were unstable – hot one moment, cold the next, and then the water flow would suddenly diminish. I don't even want to comment on the breakfast; it felt worse than what you'd get at a slightly better budget hotel. The only made-to-order hot dish was an omelet. Every single cup was endlessly covered in limescale and scratches.

Clean hotel after the renovation... The only merit is its location, otherwise it's nothing special.

飯店房間是翻新的，所以很乾淨又明亮，樓下過地下道就是捷運，很方便

When choosing a hotel, I always consider whether it has a large public bath or a nearby super public bath. I didn't know much about hotels in Kobe, so I searched and found this hotel first. While the spa is a paid service, there was a limited-time sale offering a single room for ¥6,800, a 40% discount with travel support, and a ¥2,000 digital coupon for each person. It was also directly connected to Kobe Station, just two minutes away, so I decided on this hotel. I later discovered that it was the former New Otani Hotel, built over 30 years ago. The lobby was luxurious, but the room, as many have noted, was dilapidated, though there were no hygiene issues. They said they provided nightwear, but I didn't bring my own. It was a prison-style pull-over top that exposed my legs when I slept, similar to a yukata, which I personally dislike. The pillow was also a bit uncomfortable to sleep on. Perhaps because it was a holiday, my room was the closest to the elevator, so I didn't encounter many people. There were two other guests at the spa at first, but only one later, so it felt generally empty. While they did offer free VOD, the TV monitor was small, and the lineup of titles, mostly from 2020 to 2022, seemed a bit dated. The next day, check-out was at 12 noon, so it was nice to be able to relax in the room.