ANA 크라운 플라자 호텔 고베

This was not my first stay, but it was the best one yet. I invited my sister-in-law this time, so I really didn’t want anything to go wrong and was a bit on edge, but the Hotel’s thoughtfulness and service were perfect—beyond my expectations. While many Hotels are short-staffed these days, this Hotel has enough staff, so you never have to worry about not being able to find someone to ask for help. Refills in the club lounge and clearing used plates were done quickly, so there was nothing frustrating. Breakfast at the restaurant is as delicious as ever, and I especially loved the onigiri service that wasn’t available last time; the sea bream chazuke was also excellent. It’s also great that the spa is available again. My sister-in-law seemed very satisfied and said she would definitely like to come again, which was a relief. Everyone on staff provides great service with no inconsistency from person to person—this is a good Hotel. A Hotel is all about its people; I believe good service can make up for things like an older property. I will definitely visit again.

I stayed again following last month, and made a new discovery: the Hotel is truly close to the Kobe Nunobiki Ropeway. It’s embarrassing that I hadn’t realized it before, but I was surprised at how clean the gondolas are and how impressive the herb garden is. I ended up buying an annual pass on impulse. It feels so close that it’s almost like a Facility attached to the Hotel, so I’m looking forward to enjoying it more in the future. Also, I really like the breakfast buffet—especially the live onigiri station. One thing I noticed on this visit on the club floor: several groups stayed in window-side seats straight through from afternoon time into cocktail time. I assume they were trying to secure seats, but isn’t that against proper etiquette? The issue lies with guests, but would it be possible to strictly require everyone to leave their seats at the end of afternoon time?