Japan Guide
Kansai
Accommodation
1 Crowne Plaza Hotel Kōbe 1-7-14 Kitano-chō 
078/291-1121 
www.cpkobe.com This upmarket hotel occupies a soaring skyscraper next to Shin-Kōbe Station, with fantastic views from its (smallish) rooms and a good range of restaurants both in the hotel and the connected shopping plaza. Price: ¥20000-30000
2 Green Hill Hotel Urban 2-5-16 Kanno, Chuō-ku 078/222-1221 www.ghu.jp/index_e.html The cheapest of this mini-chain of hotels (the Green Hill Hotel and Green Hill Hotel Annex are up the hill, closer to Shin-Kōbe Station) has reasonable deals for single and twin rooms. Price: ¥7000-10000
3 
Kōbe Dears' Backpacker House 4-2-1 Minami Uozaki 070/6453-1583 www.kobe-dears.com Located in the Nada sake-brewing district, this is Kōbe's best budget option. Only ten minutes away by train from the Sannomiya area, and overlooking Rokko island, it has good facilities and no curfew. Price: ¥2500
4 Kōbe Meriken Park Oriental Hotel 5-6 Hatoba-chō 078/325-8111 www.kobe-oriental.co.jp Very reasonably priced upmarket hotel, with a distinctive humpback shape that juts out into Kōbe Harbour. Rooms have balconies and lovely views and there's a good range of in-house restaurants. Single rooms with breakfast are just over ¥10,000. Room rates almost double at weekends and at peak holiday times, however. Price: ¥15000-20000
5 Kōbe Plaza Hotel 1-13-12 Motomachi-dōri 078/ 332-1141 www.joytel.co.jp/kobeplaza Good-value mid-range hotel in a convenient location opposite Motomachi Station, near Chinatown, although the décor's slightly old-fashioned. The cheapest rooms are without windows. Price: ¥10000-15000
6 Kōbe Tarumi Youth Hostel 5-58 Kaigan-dōri, Tarumi-ku 078/707-2133 hostel.fc2web.com . This hostel, eight train stops west of Sannomiya Station, is worth considering if you want to hang out at the beach or are planning trips to Awaji-shima and Himeji. To reach the hostel from Tarumi Station, walk west along the main road running parallel to the shore for around ten minutes. The main road makes it a noisy choice, however.Price: ¥2500
7 Ōkura Kōbe 2-1 Hatoba-chō 078/333-0111 kobe.okura.com Elegant luxury hotel with smartly designed rooms, beside the Port Tower. Facilities include tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools and several restaurants and bars. It's worth stopping by to check out the beautiful paintings by Hirayama Ikuo in the main lobby. Price: ¥20000-30000
8 Shin-Kōbe Sun Hotel 2-1-9 Nunobiki-chō 078/272-1080 sunhotel.royal-corp.jp Reasonably priced if undistinguished business hotel towards the Shin-Kōbe end of the Flower Road. Price: ¥10000-15000
9 Tor Road 3-1-19 Nakayamate-dōri 078/391-6691 www.hoteltorroad.co.jp Mid-range hotel with spacious rooms and a little more character than similar establishments, plus a better than average café-restaurant. Breakfast included. Price: ¥15000-20000
10 Tōyoko Inn Sannomiya No.1 2-2-2 Miyuki-dōri 078/271-1045 www.toyoko-inn.com/eng Good value, friendly and reliable business hotel chain with two central Kōbe locations – No.1 is nine minutes' walk from the east exit of Sannomiya Station and No.2 just three minutes' walk (5-2-2 Kumoi Dōri 078/232-1045). Free internet in the lobby and LAN connections in all rooms. Breakfast included. Price: ¥7000-10000