Luxury hotels in Kobe

Hey! When I travel I love to stay at luxurious hotels - especially the kind of places that offer over the top extras and really spoil their guests with great service, nice spas, awesome restaurants and beautiful views. What more can you want? To save some time, I've put together this list of my favourite 5-star hotels and resorts in Kobe. I hope you will like it!

• 1 Hotel La Suite Kobe Harborland Kobe, Japan

  

  Hotel. Stay in the heart of Kobe. Located at the waterfront of Kobe Harborland, Hotel La Suite offers spacious rooms with ocean views and a spa bath. It features concierge service, a French restaurant and massage treatments. Free Wi-Fi/wired internet and free videos on demand are available in the rooms. This hotel was selected as one of Top 25 Hotels in Japan by TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Award 2013. Luxurious rooms come with a large flat-screen TV, a DVD player and extra long beds. Bathrooms have a TV and a hot tub, some with sea views. Amenities include a bathrobe, a humidifier with aroma diffuser and Phytomer brand bath salt. Guests at La Suite Kobe can lounge on comfortable sofas on the rooftop terrace. The hotel offers laundry and baby-sitting services. Bicycle and laptop rentals are available, and a free internet-PC is provided at the lobby. Creative French cuisine is presented in a decor of soft carpeting and wide windows at restaurant Le Coeur, while cafe Grand Blue serves a wide range of drinks and light meals. Restaurant Kokoro offers contemporary Japanese cooking inspired on traditional dishes. Hotel La Suite Kobe Harborland is a 4-minute walk from Minato-Motomachi Station. It's only a 3-minute walk from Kobe Tower, and a 6-minute stroll from Meriken Park. Kobe Airport is a 15-minute drive away. Show full description Guest review score 9.5, rooms from around 33540 JPY.

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• 2 Oriental Hotel Kobe, Japan

  

  Hotel. Stay in the heart of Kobe. Overlooking the beautiful Kobe Harbour, Oriental Hotel offers luxurious accommodation in the heart of the historic Kyu-Kyoryuchi area. Guests can work out at the free-use fitness centre, or relax with beauty massages at the on-site salon. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property. Rooms with chic décor are fitted with stylish furnishings, and feature a flat-screen TV, a fridge and an electric kettle. The en suite bathroom includes a bath tub and free toiletries. Most rooms boast views of either the harbour or the city. The 24-hour front desk at the Hotel Oriental offers luggage storage services for free. In-room massages can be arranged at an extra charge. A range of items like a DVD player, humidifier and iron can be borrowed from the reception. A laptop can be rented for a fee. The hotel is a 10-minute walk from both JR Sannomiya and Motomachi stations. Shin-kobe Shinkansen (bullet train) Station is a 5-minute drive away. Kobe City Museum is situated right next to the hotel, and Meriken Park can be reached within a 5-minute walk. Main Dining by the House of Pacific serves sophisticated Western dishes, while Kanbe offers delicately prepared sushi. Teppanyaki can be enjoyed at Steak House Medium Rare, and The Bar J. W. Hart lets guests savour cocktails with the gorgeous harbour views. Show full description Guest review score 9.1, rooms from around 19540 JPY.

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• 3 Kobe Kitano Hotel Kobe, Japan

  

  Hotel. Stay in the heart of Kobe. Featuring 2 gourmet restaurants, Kobe Kitano Hotel offers superb dining experiences and elegantly decorated guestrooms fitted with British interiors. JR Sannomiya Shinkansen (bullet train) Station is a 15-minute walk away. Free WiFi is available in all rooms. Ash French restaurant serves exquisite dishes prepared with select ingredients. Dining Café Igrek offers European-style breakfast, as well as lunch and dinner courses. Each with unique décor and pastel colours, rooms come with a fridge, a telephone and an electric kettle. The en suite bathroom features a bath tub and free toiletries. Hotel Kitano’s 24-hour front desk provides free luggage storage services. In-room or salon massages are available at an additional charge. Laundry services are also offered for a fee. Kazamidori no Yakata, one of the historic Western-style houses, is a 10-minute walk away. Show full description Guest review score 8.8

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• 4 Hotel Okura Kobe Kobe, Japan

  

  Hotel. Stay in the heart of Kobe. Hotel Okura Kobe is located on the waterfront, 500 metres from the Motomachi shopping area. Featuring Western-style rooms with free WiFi access, the hotel offers 6 dining options. Guest rooms offer both air conditioning and heating facilities. Each room is equipped with a fridge and a flat-screen TV with satellite channels. The en suite bathroom comes with a hairdryer and a bathtub. Guests can request air-purifiers for in-room use. Guests can work out at the fitness centre, the indoor pool or unwind in the sauna rooms at a surcharge. The hotel also has a seasonal outdoor pool and a tennis court. Laundry and dry cleaning services are available. Overlooking a Japanese garden, restaurant Yamazato serves regional specialities. Other restaurants offer French cuisines, Western and Chinese food. Hotel Okura Kobe offers a free shuttle service from Sannomiya Station. The hotel is adjacent to Meriken Park and Kobe Port Tower, and a 5-minute walk from Chinatown. Show full description Guest review score 8.7, rooms from around 9720 JPY.

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• 5 Kobe Portopia Hotel Kobe, Japan

  

  Hotel. Offering 13 restaurants, cafes and bars and a 24-hour front desk, Kobe Portopia Hotel is conveniently located just a 5-minute walk from Shimin Hiroba Station on the Port Island Line. Free WiFi access is available throughout the property. A free shuttle service from JR Sannomiya Station and Shinkobe Station is also available. Rooms here will provide you with a flat-screen TV, air conditioning and a minibar. Rooms are equipped with a refrigerator, an electric kettle and a green tea set. En suite bathrooms come with free toiletries, a hairdryer and a bath. Portopia Hotel Kobe offers an indoor pool, a fitness centre and a tennis court. In addition, reception services such as a concierge service, currency exchange and luggage storage are also offered. A wide variety of Japanese, French, Chinese and Western cuisines are available at the many restaurants, cafes and bars on site. The Nankin-machi China Town area is a 10-minute train ride away, while Sannomiya Station is a 15-minute shuttle bus ride away. Kobe Kitano Ijinkai-gai can be accessed within a 25-minute train ride. Kansai International Airport is a 65-minute shuttle bus ride away from Sannomiya Station. Show full description Guest review score 8.5, rooms from around 8700 JPY.

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• 6 Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel Kobe, Japan

  

  Hotel. Stay in the heart of Kobe. Just a 3-minute walk from Kobe’s Meriken Park, Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel features 5 dining choices. Rooms have free WiFi and a balcony with park or harbour views. Air-conditioned rooms with a satellite TV and pleasant earthy colours welcome guests at Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel. Each has a private bathroom with a bathtub and slippers. Kobe Maritime Museum is a 5-minute walk from Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel. JR Kobe Train Station is a 5-minute drive and Minato-Motomachi Subway Station is a 10-minute walk away. A free daily shuttle goes to JR Sannomiya Train Station. Shuttles from Shin-Kobe Train Station to the property are also available on weekends and holidays. The 14th-floor Oriental Steak House offers Kobe skyline views. Sushi and Minatomachi views are available at Sekitei. Other options include Chinese and Western cuisine, buffet dining and the top-floor View Bar. Show full description Guest review score 8.4, rooms from around 10800 JPY.

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• 7 ANA Crowne Plaza Kobe, an IHG Hotel Kobe, Japan

  

  Hotel. Directly connected to Shin-Kobe Shinkansen Station, ANA Crowne Plaza offers 8 dining options with views of Kobe City and Rokko Mountain. Free Wi-Fi is provided throughout the property. The air-conditioned rooms at ANA Crowne Plaza Kobe feature a crisp modern style with bright whites and dark contrasts. A fridge, a minibar and a flat-screen satellite TV come with the room. ANA Crowne also offers a gift shop and car rental services. ANA Crowne Plaza Kobe is just 1 subway stop from Sannomiya Railway Terminal, at the heart of Kobe's exciting downtown area. Kobe Airport is 8 km away. To Kyoto it takes 30 minutes by Shinkansen train, and to Osaka only 15 minutes. Show full description Guest review score 7.7, rooms from around 7650 JPY.

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• 8 Arima Onsen Taketoritei Maruyama Kobe, Japan

  

  Ryokan. Taketoritei Maruyama is a non-smoking Japanese-style accommodation featuring natural hot spring baths for private use and free Wi-Fi throughout the property. From its hilltop location a 15-minute walk from JR Arima Station, it offers sweeping views of Arima Onsen. Guests at Maruyama Taketoritei can privately unwind in a hot spring bath, or relax with a massage treatment. Facilities include a souvenir shop and drinks vending machines, while a free shuttle service is available to/from Arima Station. Air-conditioned rooms feature a seating area with a tatami (woven-straw) floor and a low table with seating cushions. Some rooms offer beds, while others have traditional futon bedding. All rooms are equipped with an LCD TV, yukata robes and a fridge. The property is a 10-minute walk from the Arima Onsen area. Osaka’s Umeda station is a 55-minute bus ride away. Show full description Guest review score 9.2, rooms from around 61600 JPY.

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• 9 Arimasansoh Goshobessho Kobe, Japan

  

  Ryokan. Spacious and stylish, the villas at Gosho Bessho pair traditional Japanese woodwork with modern furnishings. Rooms have a terrace with forest views. The peaceful hot-spring baths use Arima’s natural sources. Set along a quiet stream, villas at Arima Onsen Gosho Bessho feature wood floors and high ceilings. The full en-suite bathroom comes with a bathtub and bathrobe. A computer with free Wi-Fi and a flat-screen TV with DVD player are provided. The hotel is a 3-minute walk from Arima Onsen Train Station. Arima Toys and Automata Museum is 500 metres away. Guests can enjoy an aromatherapy treatment or massage. The resort complex also offers tennis, horse riding and fishing. Hiking trails and ski slopes are near at hand. French breakfasts and dinners are served at the dining room. Show full description Guest review score 9.2

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• 10 Arima Onsen Tocen Goshobo Kobe, Japan

  

  Ryokan. Founded in the 12th century and beloved by Junichiro Tanizaki and other Japanese novelists, Tosen Goshobo is the oldest of the hot-spring inns at Arima. Standing beside the Taki River, it features outdoor hot-spring baths and traditional in-room meals and is a 5-minute walk from Arima Onsen Train Station. The Japanese rooms have traditional futon bedding and a minibar. The 20 rooms at Arima Onsen Tosen Goshobo include tatami (woven-straw) floors and shoji paper screens. Guests can relax at the seating area and enjoy the zen atmosphere with a cup of green tea. Bathing facilities are shared. Right next to the Hankyu Highway Bus station, the ryokan is a 3-minute walk from the Arima Toys and Automata Museum. Zuihoji Park is 900 metres away. Shin-Kobe Shinkansen Station is a 45-minute train ride. After going hiking, guests can recover with a massage. A library-salon and tea-ceremony-style open-air bath are on site. Bar Poco D'Ouro boasts excellent Japanese sake and an international selection of wines. Breakfast is Japanese-style, and dinner features specialties such as Kobe beef, fresh fish from Akashi-Ura port, and black-bean tofu. Show full description Guest review score 9.0, rooms from around 44300 JPY.

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I try my best to keep this guide up to date and I last refreshed it in November 2022. Did I miss a luxury hotel that should be on this list? Send me an email and let me know!