Arima Gyoen

1) Convenient. Near to bus and train station. Hence no need to lug your luggage to far as Arima is known for its hilly slopes. 2) Comfort. Though it is an old onsen hotel, it is still very well kept and welcoming. Onsen is not big but well furnished with the necessary amenities. 3) Food. As usual, they will provide excellent traditional Japanese cuisine with local produce. Another plus is that they provided a different menu for the 2nd night dinner instead of just repeating the same menu (which some onsen hotel do). 4) Luggage: We took a bus from Kobe Sannomiya to Arima Osen and return using the same. Luckily, we parked our huge luggages at Sannomiya station lockers, as the return bus do not take in luggage storages - I have seen people carried the huge luggage up the bus and cramped the whole aisle. But it won't be a problem if you decide to take the local train instead. 5) Dates: We chose to stay during weekdays (Thur-In and Sat-out) to avoid the crowds. Most people stayed for one night for the onsen experience which is more than enough as the shopping streets are touristy and not that big too. We stayed for 2 nights so that we can have a little more time to explore the Mt Rokko side via the ropeway and do some little hikes, and to explore other food options in the area. 6) Price: Well....all onsen hotels are expensive unfortunately :P.

The location is good, very close to the bus station and the Arima Onsen street. The staff is very friendly as well as they helped us to book the bus ticket back to Kobe! Both the dinner and breakfast are delicious and well served too! Towel, shampoo, body shampoo, face cleanser, lotion, and etc are all provided at the hotspring area!

The room was a traditional Japanese room with a balcony. It was very spacious and the bathroom was very large. We had our dinner served in our room and it was delicious with many different traditional Japanese dishes. Breakfast was served in the dining hall, but there was too much food for me to eat in the morning.

Location - right smack at the front and within walking distance to shops around town and bus stations. Staff - courteous and welcoming, and service staff during meals were highly efficient. Food - in-room dinner was a marathon and a feast for royalty. We had breakfast in private banquet room just for our family of four with personalized service. Onsen - fabulous

Food, Onsen, quiet atmosphere