Nesta Resort Kobe Hotel The Pavone

The resort has loads to do, and our premium terrace room came with a spacious balcony and private onsen. The minibar was complimentary, and the amenities were great. The private lounge didn't feel worth visiting unless you need the ice machine. One thing to plan for: most staff don't speak English, so have Google Translate ready and use your own hotspot. There is free Wi-Fi, but it barely reaches the activity areas even though it works well around the resort facilities.

There are different activities to try at this day-use resort, but getting there takes planning. The station is two hours away, and the only way to reach the place is by bus. Buses come every two hours, so catch the first one if you don't want to lose most of your day.

Don't expect a quiet room during the day, the resort music is so loud that you'll probably want to head elsewhere. The onsen is a good place to get some peace, and it's one of the best I've visited in Japan. I really enjoyed Nesta's food choices, too. Try timing your bath so you can have a relaxing meal afterward at the onsen restaurant.

By 10:30am, around four of the main attractions were already closed for the day, which made what could have been a fun visit really disappointing. If they're going to close that much, they should charge half price. The queues need better organization and more efficient systems, too. I won't be back.