Kobe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel

This was my second stay at this hotel, and everything was fantastic. The breakfast was absolutely delicious, with the Japanese options being even better than the Western ones. Every room has a balcony, and on a clear day, the views are incredible, both day and night.

The room was spacious with two floor-to-ceiling windows offering a direct view of Kobe Tower. The complimentary samples and bath amenities provided were excellent and very useful.

I saw this hotel on my last visit to Kobe, so I decided to stay here this time. I was a bit confused about which direction to book (north, south, east, west), but after reading some reviews and considering the price, I chose the north side for its good value for money (it's slightly west-facing, so you can see the sunset). As expected, there was a large cruise ship docked on the west side, so guests on floors below the 10th on the west side probably wouldn't have much of a view. When I checked in, I got a room on the 13th floor, which is the second-highest floor. Each room has an outdoor balcony with seating, and the view outside the window is excellent. I've decided to go out and buy some snacks later so I can sit outside tonight, enjoy a drink, and admire the night view. I'm really looking forward to it!

I highly recommend doing the Smart Check-in beforehand; they even delivered the kids' toiletries to the room in advance. The hotel has great views and excellent 'do not disturb' service.

What I liked were the balcony sea view and the breakfast. However, the room was really small, and the bathroom door had to open outwards, which then blocked the hallway. Also, this morning I had planned to take the hotel's free shuttle bus to Sannomiya to catch a coach to Osaka Kansai Airport, but the hotel's shuttle bus wasn't running according to the timetable posted at the entrance (there should have been a bus at 8:20). I was waiting from 8:15 AM, and by 8:25 AM, the shuttle bus still hadn't arrived. When I asked the front desk, their English was limited, and they just said the bus had 'left' without being able to explain why. In the end, I took a taxi. Taking a taxi to and from Sannomiya is quite interesting; I've tried it twice, once costing 76 RMB and another time 50 RMB. It really depends on how many traffic lights and how smooth the road is on the way to Sannomiya.

I booked a west-facing room, directly opposite the Ferris wheel, and the view was incredible! Watching the sunset from the balcony was perfect! The breakfast was good, with fresh squeezed juice! However, the hotel's towels and bath towels were too old, yellow, black, and stiff!

The hotel is located in Kobe Port, with a convenient shuttle bus to Sannomiya. It's clean, hygienic, and offers great service. Excellent value for money. In the evening, you can take a stroll by the sea in the park downstairs. I had a very comfortable stay.

This hotel felt like good value. The 3rd-floor lobby offered free welcome drinks (I had several, haha!). Parking is available on the 3rd floor for 1800 JPY per day for guests. Breakfast was pretty good; the mini burgers and fresh orange juice were particularly memorable. The room was 30 square meters, quite clean, and the view was decent too.

Overall, it was quite good. The only downside was that the lighting was really dim. I called the front desk to ask why two lights weren't working and they said they were emergency lights. This isn't very friendly for people who want to study/work a bit or handle some things in the evening. The cleanliness was excellent. Although the hotel is old, the details were handled spotlessly. The environment was also quite good. From our east-facing room, we could see the BE KOBE landmark in Meriken Park ^ ^ The hotel lobby offers self-service welcome drinks, and it was pleasant to grab a drink when leaving or returning to the hotel. The breakfast was also good, with a variety of Western and Japanese options. We had a sea-view table on the first day, but unfortunately, we weren't assigned a window seat on the second day (╥﹏╥) In terms of location, it's natural that beautiful views and shopping can't be had at the same time, but it's only a twenty-minute walk to the shopping district, which is fine. If you want more comfort, you can take a taxi directly; there are plenty of taxis in front of the hotel. It's very friendly and convenient for tourists! One of the days during our stay happened to be my birthday. I emailed to ask about birthday decorations and was told they didn't offer that service, but when I entered the room, I saw a small card and a flower on the table, which made me very happy!