Scenic Hotels in Kobe

"This hotel is located in Sannomiya, the heart of Kobe. It's within walking distance of major attractions like Ikuta Shrine, Kitano Ijinkan Street, Kobe Port Tower, and Meriken Park, making its location excellent. The front desk and restaurant are both on the second floor, offering a quiet retreat despite being in a bustling area. The room size is quite large by Japanese standards. They also provide free multi-purpose charging plugs, which is a nice touch. The bathroom is also very spacious, clean, and tidy. The TV looks to be about 36 inches and is very new."

"It was a realy great hotel, on walking distance from everything we wanted to see and do. The room itself was really nice and the breakfast that was included was really good. Any breakfast where I can get boiled eggs is great but I mean this breakfast is extensively and of high quality! Never had my matcha dessert but maybe that was a good thing for my waistline. My friend said it was really good! I would definitely go back there! Just for the breakfast alone so only thing you need is kobe beef in the evening to have had enough food for the whole day."

"First off, the rooms were really clean and spacious. I booked a connecting room which was perfect for a big family; one room for the elders and one for the kids. The front desk gave us a room on the 10th floor with an ocean view. Below us were the Ocean Museum and Meriken Park, offering not just a wide-open view but also super convenient access for walking around with the kids. Secondly, there are attractions nearby like the Anpanman Children's Museum and Daimaru department store, both about 900 meters away. If it's under 30 degrees Celsius, you can easily walk there. We often took a taxi to Sannomiya, which only took about 5 minutes. Lastly, I have to praise the pool. The water was crystal clear and clean, with one large pool and a jacuzzi. Floats and armbands were available for free use, and the best part was, there was hardly anyone there! 3300 JPY per person was definitely worth it. The bakery in the lobby (I think it was called Camellia) was excellent. They restocked daily, and their bread was more authentic than most bakeries in Kobe."

"The hotel's location is excellent, very close to Sannomiya Station and the green Kobe Shimbun building. However, the hotel itself is a bit tucked away. I really struggle with Google Maps' walking directions; the arrows are often erratic, even when I try to 'realign' myself, and it frequently leads me on detours. It took me a while to find it, circling around. A tip for finding the hotel: first, look for Starbucks, then turn in from that intersection, find Yoshinoya, and once you see 7-Eleven, you should basically spot the hotel sign. The room has a standard Japanese layout; it's not large, and my 28-inch suitcase couldn't fully open, but it was perfectly fine for a one-night stay. The front desk staff were all very friendly, welcoming, and helpful. In the lobby on the first floor, there are complimentary skincare samples and other amenities. Breakfast was a bit basic, just a small counter, and you had to queue to get your food. One thing I definitely want to praise is the abundance of power outlets: several by the headboard, on the side panel, and underneath, which made charging devices incredibly convenient."

"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."

"This hotel is quite close to JR Sannomiya, Hankyu Department Store, and the bus stop for Kansai Airport, though you'll need to cross a couple of traffic lights. It's a bit further from the bus stop where you arrive from Kansai Airport in Kobe and the bus stop for Arima Onsen, but overall it's acceptable, as Kobe is small and walking with luggage isn't a problem. Montbell and Patagonia are just a 2-minute walk away. It's an older hotel, but the exterior is very grand. The foreign front desk staff speak excellent English. You can store your luggage on the day of check-out and also before check-in. For under 300 [currency, e.g., Yen/CNY] without breakfast, it's fantastic value for money for a one-night stay."

"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."

"After reading many reviews, I finally chose Hotel Monterey, but I'm a little disappointed. First, it's really hard to find from the station, especially since it's tucked away in an alley. The map's markings aren't clear, and you can't even see the exterior from the road, so it takes a long time to find every time. If you see a long line at the Zhang Liang Malatang on your way, you'll know you're getting close. Of course, the service and facilities are still great, and the breakfast, in particular, was satisfying. The Japanese beef bowl and curry rice were delicious, and the buttered rice was super tasty! The Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens near the hotel are definitely worth a visit; the scenery is beautiful."

"Great hotel to stay in and relax. They have everything we need to rest with comforts, onsen, sauna, massage chair, free ramen every night and free ice cream after onsen, just to name a few. Our room (18sqm) is more spacious than the typical business hotel. Hotel location is good, right at the edge of Kobe Chinatown, 3 min walk to the Kobe Motomachi Shopping Street, 7 min walk to the nearest JR Line of Hanshin Line Motomachi Station and 10-15min to Sannomiya Center Gai Shopping Street."