Find 5-Star Hotels in Kobe

"Our second stay was just as wonderful as the first. The hotel boasts excellent facilities, comfortable rooms, and a beautiful environment. From the balcony, you can enjoy views of Kobe Port Tower, the harbor, and the Ferris wheel. It's also conveniently located close to Nankinmachi (Chinatown) and Sannomiya."

"My husband fell ill on the second night, so we asked them to bring breakfast to our room, which was very helpful. When my husband was resting in the room, I went outside so as not to disturb him, but there was a sofa and reading space in the hotel, so I used them. It was very nice. I would like to stay again."

"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."

"The hotel itself isn't up to par. The amenities provided are quite subpar; the toothbrush, for instance, was so rough it made my gums bleed. Right from check-in, they try to upsell you to a more expensive room. If you refuse, they deliberately assign you a low-floor room with a terrible view – I'm convinced it's intentional. So, if you want a decent experience, you're practically forced to upgrade. After upgrading, they cheerfully provide a hotel map and some greenhouse coupons. Otherwise, you just get a key and that's it. While I can't pinpoint any specific service issues, there was an overall 'off' and unsettling vibe. Even the renowned architecture nearby is poorly maintained. You can't truly appreciate the details; it only looks decent from a distance. This is quite rare in Japan, where I've always found people meticulous about maintenance. This place, however, completely overturned my expectations. Overall, it feels like quite a desolate and depressing place."