Comfort Hotel Era Kobe Sannomiya

We picked this hotel partly because children up to sixth grade can stay for free. But when we checked in with our family, including our sixth grader, there was no pillow or bedding provided for our child. That was inconvenient and surprising. A child still needs their own pillow and comforter for a comfortable, hygienic night's sleep, so we had to sort this out ourselves. For a hotel advertising a family-friendly policy, I expected those basics to be available. I hope management takes this feedback seriously and provides them for children staying under the free policy.

We booked this place for the extra room, and there was enough space to open three large suitcases comfortably. Getting around was easy too, with the train station and airport limousine bus stop very close by and mostly flat routes for wheeling luggage. They also have Kinujo hairdryers and hair curlers, which I liked even better than Dyson, so ladies can leave their own hair tools at home. The toilet flush was weak and caused clogs now and then; repairs didn't fix it. It was a little challenging to navigate with only one English-speaking staff member, but the whole team was helpful and accommodating. I'd still happily stay here again.

A special thank you to Miss Masudome at the front desk. We thought we might have left a personal item at the hotel we stayed at in Kyoto, and she kept calling them to explain the situation and try to help us. Her service stood out among the front desk staff, and I hope others can learn from her. Thank you again for being so helpful. I found the room much more spacious than at other hotels, and the self-service check-in and check-out were convenient. The one thing I missed was free bottled water. In Japan, I sometimes feel there's a lot of smiling service, and it's possible to tell which smiles feel sincere to me and which don't.

The tea-time snacks, tea and coffee were a nice offer. Three of us shared a four-bed room. With large luggage for everyone it might feel small, but it was just right for us.