Kobe Minato Onsen Ren — Hotel in Kobe

I stayed for 2 nights prior to a cruise and enjoyed the hotel room, onsen facilities and half-board meals but did find the location inconvenient. ||||I arrived by train from Osaka at Sannomiya and took the complimentary shuttle to Kobe Minato Onsen Ren. The shuttle pick-up point is a bit of a walk from the station on the opposite side of a busy roadway so you have to go up to the above road walkways to cross and it was a bit of a walk with luggage. I was the first at the shuttle stop but soon after, many others appeared waiting for the shuttle. It turns out all the others were not hotel guests but customers who were planning to go use the onsen facilities only, made no allowance for me with my heavy luggage and, uncharacteristically for Japanese, pushed ahead of me to board. There are no luggage racks in the interior of the shuttle bus and no luggage storage space under the bus so I had to place my suitcase across two seats, luckily available up front. It would have been very difficult to drag the luggage much further back in the bus through the narrow aisle had space not been available in front. I mentioned this to hotel reception when I arrived suggesting they update their website to warn guests the shuttle bus is not designed for hotel guests with full size suitcases (as opposed to carry on size bags) so guests with suitcases would be better off taking a taxi. The other slightly tricky point is that the shuttle bus stops in front of the onsen facility entrance rather than the hotel entrance and hotel guests have to walk around to the side of the building for the hotel lobby. ||||I arrived around 12:30 or 1 pm and was originally told rooms would not be available until check in time at 3 pm. Fortunately the manager was able to expedite cleaning and I did not have to wait long for a room to be ready. The hotel operates with a wristband system where the band acts as the hotel room key, onsen facility pass, as well as is used to charge for food and beverage. ||||Once I was in my room, all frustrations of the arrival process quickly dissipated as the room was huge, beautifully furnished with typical Japanese elegance and had a balcony with a great view of Meriken Park across the water (especially beautiful when lit up at night). The room had two Western beds but also a tatami mat sitting area where staff will in the evening set up a futon for sleeping if the guest requests. I ended up opting for sleeping in the futon for my stay and it was very comfortable. Staff first put down a cushioned mattress pad on the floor before putting the futon bedding on top. I also asked for the futon to be arranged so I faced the water view so it was a beautiful sleeping experience to fall asleep to the night view and wake up to the morning view. ||.||The hotel provides yukatas that guests are welcomed to wear throughout the hotel and onsen facility, including at the restaurants. One weak point is the hotel wifi. It was generally OK for my cellphone but slow, but was really slow for my laptop and not that functional to use on my laptop. ||||The onsen facility is in a separate building connected by a walkway from the hotel building on the second floor and use is complimentary for hotel guests. One advantage of staying at the hotel is that you can use the onsen baths either very early in the morning when it first opens or late at night just before it closes when no onsen-only guests are there and you can enjoy a more peaceful experience. The onsen facility is beautiful and has great variety. There are several indoor pools with different qualities - one with floating grass or herbal packets to infuse the water and another carbonated to provide benefits for circulation. There is also a sauna and a steamroom. Outdoor, there are several rock garden style pools with different depths and different temperatures and, in my view, the best part of an onsen experience is always to sit in the outdoor pools looking up into sky. The hotel building itself also has small baths, separated for men and for women - in each, a small indoor pool, an even smaller outdoor pool and an outdoor jacuzzi tub but none with any of the Japanese flavour of the main onsen facility.||||I booked a half board rate inclusive of breakfast and dinner. Breakfast is open seating starting at 7 am but dinner is in two fixed seatings. I had the later dinner seating at 7:45 pm. Both meals are served buffet style and there is a huge selection of food at both times. Food quality is very good and at dinner, there were several dishes featuring the famous local Kobe beef - in slices from a roast, in stews and in individual sized hotpots. Breakfast features both Western standards such as eggs, sausage and bacon but also many Japanese items. There are cute rolling tables set up next to each table for guests to roll over to the buffet to gather their food so that guests do not need to hold the trays and can also put more food on the two shelves of the rolling table in one trip than one can carry on a tray. ||||The hotel is not located close to anything so you pretty much need to take the complimentary shuttle to and from Sannomiya station to do anything. It is set at the end of a pier in a mostly industrial area and there is not even a ubiquitous convenience store such as 711 or Family Mart within walking distance. Of course with the wonderful onsen facility, it is quite possible to spend all your time and eat all your meals at the hotel and attached onsen facility but if you need to venture out, you will need to follow the shuttle schedule or take a taxi. ||||Overall I found the location of the Kobe Minato Onsen Ren not convenient, but I loved the hotel facilities, the room, the view and the...

Location: Located by the harbor in the lively center of Kobe, walk 600m to Famous Street.Price: Ctrip booked RMB 2380 including double breakfast + buffet dinner, but the hotel told children to pay an additional 11,000 yen (more expensive than fufu, haha). Parking is free.Features: 1. Hot spring. The hotel has 2 floors of hot springs, the 1st floor is open to the public, and the 10th floor only accepts accommodation guests. We went to the 10th floor, men and women are separated, and we can overlook the Kobe Sea. There are three pools in total, and there are basically no people. Sorry I can't take pictures so no photos.2. Wanlian buffet dinner. Because I arrived at the store around 4:30, only dinner was arranged until 7:40. I was told that I had to push the cart to pick up the food (see Figure 5), and it really opened the buffet like a supermarket. Although there are not many types, the wagyu sukiyaki pot and raw wagyu beef are definitely worth the fare. Apple juice is really good.Surrounding dining: recommend tooth tooth maison 15th, Japanese-style French food in a century-old French building, lunch 3-5k a set, cost-effective. You can ask the hotel to help you make a reservation. Just on Famous Street.Surrounding activities: On the first day of arrival, I went to Suma Seaside Park. The parking lot is under repair and I can only go to the nearby corner parking lot. The beach is not soft sand, but crushed stones and shells, which are quite harsh. It is recommended to directly put on beach shoes for children who like to go into the water. But because there is less sediment, the sea water is really clear.After checking out the next day, I went to Kobe Rokko Mountain Ranch. The top of the mountain is really cool, but the mountain road is not very easy to drive. You can choose to take the cable car up the mountain, every 20 minutes.PS: The location of the hotel restaurant is...

Accommodation and Comfort: Our family stayed in a west-facing Seaside Deluxe room during our trip. The room, a harmonious blend of Japanese and Western styles, featured two beds and space for laying out two futons in the living area. It was thoughtfully equipped with yukatas and pajamas in sizes S/M/L, and an ample supply of towels, ensuring a comfortable stay for everyone.

Culinary Experience: The dining experiences were remarkable. Dinner offered a buffet that included sushi, sashimi, Kobe beef sukiyaki, and a variety of small dish options. The beverage selection featured local and famous types of sake and shochu. Breakfast was equally diverse, with a buffet that ranged from bread and egg dishes to traditional Japanese options like porridge, miso soup, and assorted small bowls.

Onsen and Amenities: The hotel features two onsen (hot springs) facilities: one on the ground floor open to all visitors and an exclusive one on the top floor for hotel guests. The top floor’s onsen provides a serene environment with baths that offer views of the sea. While the sea view is clear, it’s worth noting that occasionally, you can see ships passing by, which adds a dynamic aspect to the tranquil setting. The ground floor onsen includes both indoor and outdoor baths of various types. Each room in the hotel is equipped with a bath, with suites featuring baths that emulate the onsen experience. Guests can enjoy complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, and a wristband system simplifies room access and on-site payments.

Location and Accessibility: The hotel provides a complimentary shuttle bus service to and from Sannomiya Station, with two trips per hour. Its location near Kobe Port Tower, the Maritime Museum, and the aquarium makes it an ideal base for exploring Kobe’s...