Spa hotels in Kobe

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.

I won't dwell on the ambiance, as my particular room didn't have the issue of a slightly sagging mattress. However, after using the private onsen only twice and a short-haired woman washing her hair once, the bathroom drain clogged, with water pooling about 3 cm high. It almost overflowed into the cold sauna area. When I checked out and reported it, all I got was an apology. Additionally, there's a service point I don't quite understand: check-in was very warm and the refreshments came quickly, but after checking out, not even a glass of water was offered. The initial warmth quickly turned cold. I'm not sure if this is unique to this hotel or if all high-end hotels in Japan operate this way.

This was the kids' favorite hotel during our 15-day trip to Japan. The mountain scenery is beautiful, it's very quiet, and the air is fresh. We had a lot of fun making a fire, cooking, and having a BBQ together. The house is well-maintained, clean, refreshing, and warm enough. The staff are all very friendly and always provide timely assistance. The hotel's paid shuttle service can take you to some nearby attractions, which is also very convenient.

The front desk service is very good. The room is very good, the floor-to-ceiling corner window has a beautiful view outside the window, the room facilities are very new, the room facilities are very complete, the room coffee and the refrigerator are very rich, the drinks are full, very considerate. The shampoo, conditioner and body lotion are all Bulgari, the experience is very good. They also thoughtfully prepared men's and women's skin care travel packs, which is very attentive. I would like to especially praise the staff of Hiroko-san who has been serving us since we received them during our stay. They are very enthusiastic, very attentive and very nice. The experience brought to us during our stay was very comfortable and very good. I look forward to meeting Hiroko-san again next time I stay.

I booked this hotel because it was touted as one of Asia's top 100 onsen hotels for 2025. However, apart from the hot springs being decent, every other aspect of the service was a massive letdown. To begin with, both the kaiseki dinner and the breakfast the following day were truly subpar. The room was dreadfully small. Furthermore, despite inquiring about kimonos (as there were none in the room) with both the front desk manager and a server, who assured us they would send them up shortly and even took our sizes, not a single kimono materialized by the time we checked out the next day. We paid over 7,000 RMB for a family tatami room for four, including breakfast and dinner. At this price point, anyone staying here is simply getting ripped off. There will absolutely not be a second visit, and I also sensed a certain unfriendliness towards Chinese guests.

I highly recommend the Gekkoukan (Moonlight Pavilion) after a two-day stay. It's divided into the main building, Kōmōkan, and an annex. There are three hot springs in total, but the water quality is pretty much the same across all of them. I'd suggest sticking to the main building's baths as they are more spacious and convenient. The only downside was that transfers need to be booked in advance, and there isn't a scheduled shuttle bus. Plus, it's quite a hike uphill to get there, which was a real struggle in the summer heat while lugging suitcases.

We stayed at Negiya Ryofukaku in Arima Onsen during the maple leaf season, opting for the West Wing's deluxe Japanese-Western mixed room with a mountain view. The hotel staff were incredibly attentive and thoughtful, making us feel truly comfortable. Looking out the window, the mountain was ablaze with vibrant red maple leaves, like a flowing oil painting—the scenery far exceeded our expectations. Upon check-out, the hotel even thoughtfully arranged a car to take us to Arima Station, which was incredibly convenient.

The hotel is not located near bus station and transportation is required to the hotel. If you cannot contact the hotel for the transfer (like our case) head on to the tourist information centre and they will help you to contact them for the transportation. Check in is strictly after 2pm, but they will offer to take your luggages to the hotel first while you explore around the Arima Onsen vicinity. Contact them again via information centre when you are ready to check in to the hotel. We were greeted by a lady that dressed up in kimono and guided us to the check in counter. The room is spacious and clean. The view is spectacular and you can hear the birds chirping here and there. The environment is totally pleasant and peaceful. The onsen is very therapeutic and our body feel rejuvenated after soaking. As we opt for room-in Kaiseki dinner, we are able to enjoy full privacy while eating the sumptuous course of dinner that serves by a friendly lady attending to us. In all, it is a great experience.

:) Thankful for the hotel shuttle service as the hotel is located after a really steep slope. Both onsen in hotel and the next building are good and clean. :( Amenities didn't include facial cleanser and milk lotion. The pillows are too hard for me. The dinner plate arrangement setting appears to be dated - some of the food containers are old/ worn out with visible scratches on the surface. The menu is in Japanese wordings - will be good to provide English version.

The food is absolutely delicious. Breakfast is healthy and varied: miso soup, curry, rice, omelets, potato salad, sausages, boiled potatoes and broccoli, succulent fried tofu and dried tofu, fish for grilling on a mini-grill, red smoked fish, and cherry tomatoes. There are also tasty pastries like croissants and cinnamon rolls – they don't skimp on butter and jams. Plus, yogurts, sweet fruits in syrup, and muesli. For drinks, there's hot/cold coffee, tea, milk, orange juice, and iced water. The hot spring in the hotel is magnificent – both golden and silver springs, a jacuzzi, a cold pool, and cold rice tea after the onsen. They even sell sake in vending machines! You can buy souvenirs right in the hotel, and the prices are reasonable. It's a 4-minute walk from Arima Onsen station and 6 minutes to the bus stop (which goes directly to Kobe). The value for money is perfect, and the staff really go the extra mile. The kimonos are beautiful!