Hotele Hot Springs w: Hyogo Prefecture, Japan

Nice, modern and new hotel in Kinosaki onsen with great hospitality from the hotel owner and his staff. I was welcomed by the owner at the door when I arrived, and they even prepared a beautiful greeting card on my arrival. Welcome drink was provided and the owner recommended good restaurants and provided the USP of each onsen in Kinosaki. The room is spacious, clean and new! I especially like the Japanese style of the hotel. Yutaka and 1-day onsen pass were provided for my stay. As the next day I had to move to another hotel, the owner very kindly helped me to transport my luggage to another hotel near the JR station. Overall, excellent stay, excellent people and excellent breakfast! :) Would love to visit Kinosaki onsen again and stay with Utsuroi Tsuchiya.

对不是日本人完全不友善的酒店 Not foreigner ( Western & Asian) friendly. We travelled around 70 Roykan in the last 3 years and this is the wrost service we ever had. Japanese get to seat and offered juices when they checked in while we have to stand at the front desk and no juice offered. We asked for the yukata rental (free rental) and the young staff just ignore us twice. We asked for sizes a few times then he just said it’s all here. Then when we picking the only two small sizes he grabbed and give it to the Japanese girl and ignore us or never ask us before he took it as he knows we are looking into those. Very rude. Most of ryokan will bring you to the room or assist to bring luggage or already put in the room for you. This one you do everything yourself after check in. When we get into the hotel room it’s hot as no aircon is on. Then air con is broken so we called reception. With their broken English they insisted I don’t know how to turn on the aircon which I told them the air con is broken, after 15mins on the phone showing me how to on I keep telling them to send the staff up as we are so hot in the room as it’s summer and no window open and no fan was on after moving luggage. They came up and fix the air con for 45mins then told us it’s broken and need to change room. The whole hour we were sweating but no offer of water / drinks or anything and we just stand in the room while they fixing. When they decided the room need to be changed, they asked us to wait downstairs but leave the luggage in the room so we thought they will move luggage to the new room but they did not. Staff see us so hot at lobby didn’t tell us there is free drinking machine that we can get ice juices , they just watch us hot and sweat and not saying a word. When the new room is finished, they gave us the new room key and asked us to move the luggage ourself and return the old key. No help at all and wasted 1.5 hours of our onsen time. No apologies as well. I feel like being treated like a trash. Not enjoyable at all. I paid extra for the sea view room which when they change my room they offered a slightly bigger room but my sea view was mostly blocked (in the pic )which I am not so happy. There is amenities corner at the lobby, at night after the onsen we come back and want to take the lotion as early on it was gone and they didn’t replenish, the female staff have a bad attitude and flip her eyes ask us which room we stayed, we showed her the key and she said the cream is already in the room which her broken English. There is one set in the room but those are small one time pack which we finish after we had the onsen so we want to take another one. She was rude and insist we can’t take. Her attitude was so bad seems like we are stealing. There is an amenities cornor, if you not allowing guest to take please do not have this setup. Food is okay with the buffet. Wagyu beef is nice but they is a normal standard for Japanese onsen buffet nothing too special. Overall, with the price paying compare to other roykan in Japan, this hotel have very bad service to non Japanese. There is also nothing special for this onsen. Probably best to try somewhere else.

We stayed at the hotel in October 2024. We took two rooms for two. Pros: 1. Magnificent rooms in the style of a classic ryokan: everything is very beautiful, authentic, lots of small details, notes and tips for guests, interesting trinkets in the room. We had beds, not futons, but this is not a minus - the beds are very comfortable. The view from the room (3rd floor) is of the mountains. The cleanliness is perfect, the room has everything that should be in a classic ryokan room: from tatami to a low table for relaxing. 2. Incomparable kaiseki dinner. Excellent sukiyaki breakfast (you cook it yourself). 3. The most beautiful interiors of the hotel, it is interesting to walk around it, exploring it from the inside. The hotel is beautiful from the outside too. 4. You can smoke in the rooms (we did not do this, and the rooms are not smoked at all). There is a smoking room at the entrance to the hotel. 5. Wonderful staff. All requests and complaints are satisfied within minutes. They speak English poorly, but it's not a problem, we communicated through a translator. The guys are cool, cheerful. Quick check-in, a bunch of reminders about where and when to come / what and how to do correctly. 6. There is a private onsen (we did not use it). 7. They give a free pass to 7 public onsen. They give discounts on souvenirs. 8. They give excellent yukatas for onsen, for women - they will give beautiful ones, the choice is huge. Nuances: 1. The only downside of the hotel is the distance from the center of Kinosaki (15-20 minutes walk through not very beautiful places). But! There is a free transfer from the hotel to the city center, plus there is a transfer station-hotel-station. And the walk from the hotel to the center of Kinosaki did not bother us much. 2. This is not a business hotel, so there is no washing machine, iron or shower in the room. The shower (and in fact - onsen) is shared on the minus first floor - separate for men and women.

Grand Mercure Awaji Island boasts unparalleled sea views of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge and the Seto Inland Sea. Its excellent location, however, makes it best suited for guests traveling by car. Our sea-view room was spacious and comfortable, with floor-to-ceiling windows that made the morning sea sunrise a daily spectacle. Both breakfast and dinner offered a wide variety of dishes; we especially recommend the Awaji Island milk and local onion specialties. However, dining options nearby are limited, meaning you'll likely rely on the hotel's restaurant for dinner. Without a car, finding other dining spots would require a taxi. The hotel service was attentive, and the front desk staff spoke fluent English, providing helpful guides to local attractions. While the rooftop open-air hot spring bath isn't natural, it was uncrowded, peaceful, and incredibly relaxing with its sea views. On the downside, the facilities are a bit dated, and there's a noticeable lack of family-friendly entertainment options. Overall, this hotel is ideal for guests seeking serene sea views and a relaxed pace, offering particularly excellent value for money during the off-season.

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.

Perfect quiet onsen resort to unwind and relax. The kaiseki dinner was a highlight and buffet breakfast offered a great variety. Onsen is not too big, not crowded during our stay but probably will if it gets busy. The room was a decent size with good air conditioning and being away from the busy streets made for a peaceful stay. The only downside was the bathtub leaked whenever we showered. Free parking is available, though it’s located underneath the property so it’s best to drop off your bags first if you have a lot of luggage.

Enjoyed our stay and experiencing our first onsen and kaiseki! They provided us with yukatas and passes to access the public baths, also had 3 private onsens on site. Friendly staff, lots of food included in the dinner and breakfast which they serve in your room and set up/pack up your bedding, with option for continental breakfast on our 2nd day instead of japanese style. Quiet, clean and futon bed was surprisingly comfortable. It’s about 8min walk from the train station which was fine for us but there’s a bus shuttle option right outside the station, and the hotel also offer bag drop off for a small fee when you leave so you don’t need to carry them. It’s close to the ropeway that you can ride up for nice views. Also right near the best public onsen in our opinion. (Be sure to check the onsen hours we missed out on one and note 2 are currently closed for renovations). A few things worth noting - breakfast is served early, you can pick 8 or 8.30am. If you are sensitive to light, it’s not completely dark when sleeping, sun comes through the windows as it has the traditional paper screen style. Also there in not a shower in your room, you need to use the onsen showers (either the private ones on site which you can’t book so can’t guarantee availability but both times we wanted to use them we were able to, or at the public onsens.) Overall we would recommend staying here to treat yourself to some peaceful rest and relaxation.

The hotel service and environment are excellent, offering a free shuttle service from the station to the hotel. The meals and private hot springs are highlights, making for a perfect overnight stay with two meals. The entire hot spring town also has six public hot spring pools, each with its own unique features. There are many charming little shops along the street to explore, offering a tranquil escape from the city's hustle and bustle, allowing you to relax and rejuvenate!

Miya took care of us so well. He kneeled the entire time while serving us tea and talking with us. He drove us to the station and even went above and beyond to help with our luggage and take pictures for us. 1. Wonderful staff — especially Miya. 2. Colored yukata are free, and the onsen pass is also included. They provide separate yukata for sleeping and for wearing around the hotel/onsen town. 3. Around 6 PM, the staff comes to set up your futon for you. They also bring an ice-cold pitcher of water to your room. 4. They have 2 onsens (one on the 1st floor and one on the 2nd floor). The men’s and women’s baths alternate depending on the time. 5. They offer a shuttle service to the furthest onsen and to the station — just let them know what time you’d like to go. 6. The breakfast is THE BEST! There’s so much food and variety, and everything is very clean and fresh. 7. They give you a pamphlet to collect stamps, and once completed, you receive a souvenir afterward (a pair of wooden chopsticks). 8. They also have fancy hair dryers here (Dyson, ReFa, etc.). The onsen town experience itself was amazing, but honestly, it’s the service and hospitality at the hotel that will make me want to come back again someday. Thank you all the staff. Staying in such a beautiful place surrounded by breathtaking views and genuinely kind people has been such a memorable experience.

Great hotel to stay in and relax. They have everything we need to rest with comforts, onsen, sauna, massage chair, free ramen every night and free ice cream after onsen, just to name a few. Our room (18sqm) is more spacious than the typical business hotel. Hotel location is good, right at the edge of Kobe Chinatown, 3 min walk to the Kobe Motomachi Shopping Street, 7 min walk to the nearest JR Line of Hanshin Line Motomachi Station and 10-15min to Sannomiya Center Gai Shopping Street.