My recent two night stay was a joy. Though the hotel caters mainly to Japanese, I was made very welcome though I don't speak the language. My room was roomy and immaculate. At 11,000 yen per night ($110 US at current exchange rates) it was a real bargin. Located in the port area of Kobe, the views were wonderful. The hotel provides a shuttle service to the Sannomiya which is a major train station. The Assistant Manager's Desk was extremely helpful in providing directions and advice for my sightseeing forays. Be warned however that food prices in Japan are very very high. The hotel features many eating venues and at least two lounges. Breakfast was aproximately $26 while a hamburger dinner ran $42 in the Cafe. Prices in the dining rooms were astronomical. The food was excellent and the service impeccable.

I regularly travel to Kobe on business and whenever possible I always stay at this hotel. Quite simply it is the best in the area. More expensive than the New Otani, but infinately a better experience. Rooms are well decorated and comfortable, most rooms are nice and queit (avoid rooms next to the han shin expressway), although the TV is very old fashioned now. The best rooms are the ones that face te ocean, or the harbour. The hotel is set within Meriken park next to the maritime museem and the earthquake memorial. A short ten minute walk gets you to Motomachi station. Breakfast provides lots of choice, but I have never eaten dinner in the hotel. 1, its very expensive and 2. in motomachi and nearby Sannomiya there is a huge choice of restaruants to suit all pockets and tastes. Join the Okura club, it gets you free use of the leisure facilities - there is a charge otherwise. Not much more to say really, its a good hotel.

Stayed here for two night in room1919 - a corner room with one queen size bed and small sofa. The TV was a small one with the standard Japanese channels available. English channels (or at least I guess they would offer a couple of English channels) are available if you pay about $12 extra per day to have SkyPerfect TV access. The room was slightly larger than a standard hotel room you would get at most major western hotel chains. It was all very nice and very clean. The staff were kind and helpful. And yet the Hotel Okura is definitely luxury in the older Japanese style. The furnishing and general feel of the hotel feel outdated to me. The location is next to a small waterfront park and it is about a 15 min. walk to the Motomachi train station. In between the hotel and the station you can find the China town area of Kobe, a large shopping arcade and the Daimaru department store. I flew in and out of the relatively new Kobe airport which is about a 15min./$20 taxi ride from the hotel. All-in-all a very pleasant experience, but I'm not sure I would necessarily stay here again. My taste is for something more modern and up to date. The location, while not being really very inconvenient, does require a good walk to really get anywhere of interest.

I've stayed here 3 years in a row and each time the expereience is solid. I enjoy the water views and the city views as the hotel is perced on the waterfront facing both. It is an easy walk to shopping an restaurants, though not to the train station, take a cab for 1200 Y.

The rooms are pretty dated, though confortable, quality and clean. You need an ethernet cable to access internet, though they clearly have wireless which they do not share.

I booked through Asiarooms.com, which worked out fine.

The staff is a team that will work hard to help you achieve what is necessary for you in Kobe, though English is a tough hurdle for them, if you are not a Japanese speaker. Still, in a town such as Kobe, that is true everywhere and much moreso outside Hotel Okura.

Annoying: they charge a great deal (like $15 US) per day to watch TV in your room. That really is terrible. They have made internet free (I think) in the past year.