Hotel La Suite Kobe Harborland

**AMERICAN FAMILY VISITING** We’re a Hyatt family in America, and La Suite Kobe may be the most luxurious hotel I’ve stayed in. The staff were patient, friendly, and very helpful while we checked in. Even though we were tired and disheveled and probably looked like we’d just been dragged in off the street, they treated us wonderfully. I felt like royalty. Our balcony suite had a gorgeous port view, a jacuzzi hot tub, a large bedroom and living room, and more room than I could ever need. The traditional oversized keys for the doors had a lovely antique charm. Nearby shopping and attractions also make the location convenient. For a quiet, romantic, luxurious stay or just some time to relax, La Suite Kobe is a great destination.

The location and breakfast were the only things I liked. I would not recommend this hotel to foreign tourists, and I was disappointed by the rooms and service at La Suite. I booked six days across two different suites. Both looked much older than the photos on the official website and were poorly cleaned. The carpet had lots of old stains, hair was left on the sofa cushions, and all the furniture was dusty. The breakfast itself was good, but the dining table wasn’t cleaned after it was served. I told the staff my housekeeping schedule when I checked in. For the first two days nobody came to clean, even though I hung the “please clean the room” tag. I had to keep calling room service after returning to the hotel. They also didn’t arrange breakfast for days three through six. I would have gone without it if I hadn’t specifically asked. This was shocking service from a well-known hotel. Most staff had very poor English and often misunderstood my requests. Their attitude also didn’t feel welcoming to foreign tourists, especially the person I dealt with at checkout. The bill had an incorrect room service item, and I only wanted to confirm what I’d ordered and the total since it had been a few days. She was impatient and didn’t understand me. Once it was sorted, she didn’t thank me for staying and just stared at me. After I left the counter, her coworker shook his head and said “room service” with a mocking expression.

On this visit my family were especially impressed by how kind and attentive the staff were. They arranged a taxi reservation and had baby amenities ready in advance, which made things easy for us. The rooms were spacious and comfortable, with a stunning view of Kobe’s nightscape. I’ve stayed here before, and it’s still my favorite choice in Kobe. We had a lovely stay, and I’d definitely choose it again if I return. Highly recommended.

The rooms are nice, and at face value the price is probably fair, but the service left me very upset. I arrived at 2 PM, an hour before official check-in. They had rooms available, yet the person I spoke to said their policy was never to let anyone check in even a minute before 3. I found that outrageous and offensive for a luxury hotel. He just walked away. I went away for an hour and returned five minutes early, but he made me wait until exactly 3. My flight the next day wasn’t until midnight, so I asked about a later checkout and offered to pay for a couple extra hours. The hotel wasn’t close to full, but a different staff member gave me the same answer: no one could check out even 10 minutes late, under any circumstances. That was especially frustrating because I’d committed to a $400 dinner at their restaurant, was trying to book a massage and spend a few hundred more, and had paid their premium room price. This seemed to be hotel policy, not just one employee’s call. They showed no flexibility or concern about my situation or the hotel’s occupancy, and didn’t apologize. I stay in luxury hotels around the world, and they’re usually eager to go further to earn customers’ business. The owners and management here seem not to care how they treat guests, apparently believing they’ll get business regardless. I wouldn’t stay here again or recommend it to anyone I care about visiting Japan. Kobe has plenty of other hotels that care about guests and will work with individual circumstances. Service matters most to me in luxury travel.