4-Star Hotels in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan

Had a great stay here! The location is perfect—super close to Sannomiya Station, which made getting around a breeze. The room was nice and spacious, really comfortable. The area is safe and quiet at night, so I could actually get a good night's sleep, which is so important when traveling. Highly recommend!

Stayed here 2 days before my Kobe cruise and it was good enough to rebook for another 3 days after we returned. The hotel is quiet new and located on top of the sannomiya station, giving underground access to most trains and shopping malls nearby. It's basically the center of Kobe. Exits are 1st floor to the street and 2nd floor to station. Reception is 17th floor. Rooms are slightly bigger than most hotels in Japan. Even number room gives you the larger massage machine but room is smaller than odd numbered rooms. These have a smaller massage chair but bigger space and faces the port terminal if you have a cruise ship waiting. They provide amenities, coffee and tea at 17th floor. Did not try the breakfast but there is a convenient store on 2nd floor of the station, near the hotel exit - lots if sandwiches and snacks here. There're hundreds of restaurants and malls underground and you'll get lost most of the time so look for entrance A1 and A2 to get back. Airport bus from kansai stops 200m away and bus to the airport departs 100m from the station. Most of the highest rated restaurants are not more than 400m from the hotel. I'll definitely stay here again.

The hotel's location is excellent, making it super convenient to get anywhere, and there are plenty of food options nearby. Right across the street from the hotel is a Don Quijote. The hotel itself offers free tea and coffee during the day, and even ice cream in the evening. Most importantly, the shower is a proper walk-in shower, which is much more comfortable than the typical shower-over-bathtub setup you find in most Japanese hotels.

It's a bit of a walk from the station. The famous internet-famous church cafe is just a three-minute walk behind it. There's a Matsuya downstairs, perfect for breakfast. I stayed in a double room by myself and had plenty of space to open my suitcase. All the essential amenities were there, and the lighting was adjustable. I thought the service was great; the front desk always greeted me when I came and went.

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.

Compared to Kyoto, the Monterey in Kobe offers much better service. Sona is quite small, and lately, there's been too much of a Korean presence there. Although the hotel is a short walk from the station, it's still easy to find. There is indeed a red-light district nearby, making it a bit noisy and messy (though understandable). The room layout is reasonable, the TV supports screen mirroring, and the toiletries are generously provided, with the DHC lotion being particularly good. Don Quijote is just a short walk away, and it's very convenient to get to Sannomiya Station and Kitano Ijinkan (home to the famous 'Life Toast' and the 70-year-old coffee shop), all within walking distance. The breakfast selection is rich and delicious, with the bread being a pleasant surprise. On a side note, you should definitely avoid the Monterey in Kyoto. Their unfriendliness towards Chinese guests is blatant, especially from the middle-aged Japanese female receptionist! She denied us available rooms unless we insisted and argued on the spot. She also reneged on a promised room type change, even rolling her eyes when a colleague confirmed it with her.🙄

Good location but poor amenities and services, no water was provided in my room and there wasn't coffee available in the morning too, the bedsheets were dirty! What's the point of paying for 4star hotel when I have to do everything myself? Coffee Machine in the lounge was also off n there was no hot water at the lounge too! After check out apart from luggage deposit there is no customer service afterwards they said no when I asked for hot water, in the middle of a snowing day!

The facilities are simply perfect. The front desk on the second floor has a bar that offers 2 glasses of wine or sake for 300 JPY. Free soft drinks are available from 3 PM to 10 PM, and you can chat, relax, or even work in the restaurant area. The room is spacious and not cramped at all; I could open a 30-inch suitcase without obstructing movement. There's a small desk, and the bathroom is even better, with a small chair and a stand-up shower. It's super close to outdoor gear stores like Arc'teryx and directly across from Daimaru.

I want to stay again

The entire apartment is equipped with brand new facilities, very neat and clean. The water pressure in the bathroom is excellent, and the space is ample, giving a good sense of openness. Self check-in was simple, convenient, and fast. There are cooking utensils and an extractor fan for cooking. The air conditioning is sufficient, and the toilet and shower are separated. Thumbs up. Downstairs, there are many restaurants and shops, making shopping and dining very convenient. The only downside is that towels are not provided and need to be rented for a fee.