Top 5-Star Hotels in Kobe

I recently had the pleasure of staying at the Kobe Portopia Hotel, and I must say that it exceeded my expectations in every way. From the moment I arrived until my departure, I was thoroughly impressed by the hotel's impeccable service, luxurious amenities, and stunning location. It's without a doubt that I would wholeheartedly give this establishment a well-deserved 5-star rating.

Stayed a couple of nights in this Hotel on our recent trip to Japan and it was the best of the lot. From the moment you are greeted at reception on the 17th Floor the service you get is excellent at this hotel. The room was a good size and the 3 of us had enough room. It was very clean with a great bathroom and a wonderfully powerful shower. The supplied cotton pyjamas were so good we ended up buying a set to take away. The breakfast was very good, a standard buffet with Japanese items available as well. Plus its the only breakfast I've had where sparkling wine was available. The terrace bar is also based on the 17th floor and has a great view of the city and a good selection of Japanese whiskeys and cocktails. We had dinner one night at the steakhouse which served us with the best Wagyu beef we had in Japan. If we are in Kobe again we will stay in this hotel. The staff were very attentive and always did their best to please us and the quality of the accommodation and the food was excellent.

Superb concierge and all staffs service. Truly helpful and we really appreciate the outstanding service of all the crew. Big scale hotel in Kobe. A bit date for its 30s years history of the hotel yet very clean and comfortable. Amenities and facilities are really good. Kids playground, indoor golf, gym, Japanese garden, shops, parking, restaurants, and etc. Breakfast buffet also worth the pay. Another plus point is that there is pet hotel in the area outside main building. Location is prime, just few steps to port area and BeKobe. During our stay, there is Kobe hanabi festival and the location of our hotel is the most benefit. Indoor parking with fee.

Chose this hotel as I was attached by the line” renovated in 2023” in trip.com. It did not live up to my expectation as the room was rather old esp carpet, not feeling it’s clean. The twin beds were small while the picture didn’t show that they were that small. Well, the description was like 0.9-1.4m wide so I can’t blame anyone given it’s a wide range in the bed size. Breakfast is good with lots of variety. The view was great. All in all, it’s not a bad experience if you can manage yourself with the misnomer description of “renovation”.

All the staff were very polite and welcoming. The check in and check out procedure was fast even though there was a lot of people queueing, it took me 5 minutes to finish that process. The staff were very helpful to bring my luggage up to my room. The room was small, but it was very comfortable to stay. The view from the hotel room was extremely nice. I booked this hotel because I would like to use the swimming pool, but I didn’t know that I need to pay entrance fee in order to use their swimming pool. The view from the gym and the swimming pool was extremely beautiful.  I recommend this hotel to you all because all the transportation and convenience store are exactly near the hotel (Shikensen 新幹線/ local subway 地下鐵/ local bus) there’s a lot of attraction near the hotel as well. Some special information: if you would like to use the swimming pool, they will charge you around 2000 yen or more need to check it in their website ;)

We had a wonderful 1 night stay a few months ago before tourism opened back up. Highly recommend this place for people who are into more private, chill time. Loved the concept of this ryokan because instead of shared baths there were numerous choices of private baths throughout the property! Each needed to be booked in advance for a 45 minute session. They had an online reservation system but I think it was only in Japanese (my husband's native language) so I can't comment on that. Our room was fantastic; modern and huge, but still had charm. I think we were in Suite 13 which had its own private bath which you could open up the huge windows to a nice tranquil view of greenery. I liked that the entry had a super long hallway which helped with any noise (so quiet!). Personal touches such as selecting a complimentary gift (small drawstring bag) and fruit tray was noticed and appreciated. They were also very helpful to find us a restaurant to eat dinner at on a Sunday night (since we opted to not have the course dinner) - it was a delightful local meal ran by a married couple! I wish I remembered the name but it was izakaya home cooking style and so delicious. The breakfast on property was AWESOME. I opted to get the Western Style and my husband the Japanese. Such presentation and variety and a perfect start to our day. We would definitely be back to visit this place. They made us feel very welcome and relaxed! Arigatou gozaimasu *bow*

Pros: service, amenities, Western and Japanese style rooms, food, location Cons: there is no elevator in this old Japanese building, so prepare to walk up stairs; the wifi reception in our room was not reliable We had an absolutely amazingly relaxing stay during our 3-day-2-night trip, enjoying the peace Tocen Goshobo had to offer, as well as their exceptional customer service. I searched high and low to finally find this ryokan with very specific amenities. Since my elderly parents had issues with getting up from the floor had we stayed in a traditional ryokan only, while I wanted to enjoy the full traditional ryokan experience, the Deluxe Suite with Private Hot Spring and Sauna was the perfect compromise for both our wants and needs. The Deluxe Suite has both two full sized western beds that were perfect for my parents, and the tatami sitting room that could be closed off for me to sleep in with my super comfy futon bedding. By no means is the room and experience itself a compromise, as my father kept calling it the ‘Presidential suite’ since it was on the top floor, and we had abundant space with our own onsen attached to the room! The room can fit 6 total guests, and has a secret playroom, a seating nook/area with perfect natural light, a dining room with regular table and chairs (in other ryokans, my tall Caucasian husband commented on how much he missed having actual chairs with space for your legs to stretch when seated), an office, a powder room, two bidet toilets rooms, a space to prepare tea with its own sink in the tatami room, and let’s not forget the massage chair. The room was clean, tastefully appointed, had everything we needed and plenty of space to either gather, or spend some ‘me time’. We opted for breakfast and dinner at the inn, which we looked forward to each day. The breakfast was pleasant and filling, while the kaiseki dinners were amazing. Kobe beef was featured as well as plenty of seafood both nights. We had a great time with our host, Yoshinori Tatebe-san, who tolerated my many questions of ‘what is this?’ or ‘how do we eat this?!’; his professionalism absolutely made our meals a tremendous delight! The location of the ryokan/onsen is ideal, walking distance to everything and right next to a bus stop. It’s in the heart of the Arima area, which has many temples, restaurants, and shops to explore. One cannot deny the outstanding customer service Tocen Goshobo’s team offers. Shout out to Hatsumi and Matsu at the front desk, making sure we were well taken care of, offering absolutely above and beyond service! When Hatsumi was helping me get settled on my first day arrival, I had asked her about the beautiful tokonoma (alcove) that was in the wa****su (tatami room). Unfortunately, I had asked so many questions she couldn’t quite answer me fully! A few days later, she showed me a note where she apparently took the time to think over my question and write it out in English so I would understand the importance of the a

We used the hotel for our second wedding anniversary. The welcome service hand towel smells good and makes you feel relaxed immediately. All rooms have a luxurious rococo style with an ocean view. You can spend a blissful time while enjoying the scenery that is unique to Kobe, such as　the Mosaic Ferris wheel and the Port Tower. We had dinner in the room to prevent infectious diseases.It was an impression that it was cold overall..Next time I would like to have it in the restaurant. After taking a jacuzzi bath with a view of the sea, we stayed up late relaxing on the terrace with the night breeze.When you get sleepy, you can snuggle up in the fluffy bed. Breakfast was very satisfying with lots of bread and fruit.

As the name suggests, you can enjoy hot springs in a corner of Kobe Port. There are hot springs that can be taken outpatient bathing on the first floor and hot springs dedicated to guests on the 10th floor. The hot spring on the first floor is surrounded by red and fresh green young leaves of azaleas, and is it azaleas in the garden pond? You can rest leisurely in the feeling of being swollen. From the 10 hot springs, you can see the sea and the sky and feel magnificent. The room is a half tatami room, probably because it is a fusion style of a hot spring inn and a hotel. I didn't use the tatami part. There is a large balcony outside and you can overlook the sea. The meal is buffet style and feels busy. It's a mysterious feeling whether it's a resort hotel or a hot spring inn.

I chose this inn for morning and evening room meals with an open-air bath in the room. This condition was very cheap and affordable compared to other hotels. The food in the room is devised and delicious, and the person in charge is polite and good. It was at the front desk, but it was a pity that there was no alcohol spray in the room. The open-air bath in the room has a ceiling when the large open door is fully opened, but it becomes an open-air bath. Is it semi open-air? Radon hot spring water is always poured in, and the bathtub is deep and wide, and it is large enough to put in four couples and two children at once, and it has a very open feeling. The room has only one bathtub and there is also a body wash space. The view from the open window is wonderful and it is very relaxing as it is a refreshing green side of the mountains across the river. The scenery at the top of the Kokokan website remained the same. In addition, compared to high-priced inns, the facilities are a little inferior to the luxury feeling, but other inns in Arima are in the city, so you will not be able to see this view. I didn't go to the large communal bath, but small canned beer was also provided free of charge in front of Corona. It was currently canceled. There is also a Kinsen bath along the river. There is a shuttle bus from the station, and if you go up the river a little, you will find a trout fishing ground and a waterfall that is surprisingly crowded.