Arima Grand Hotel is a nine-floor, 246-room hot-spring hotel in Arima-cho, the old onsen town in the hills north of central Kobe. It has an indoor mineral hot spring and a public outdoor bath, a full-service spa with six treatment rooms, a sauna, a steam room and two hot tubs, plus two restaurants, a bar and a cafe. Free self-parking and free shuttles to the nearby stations make it easy to reach, and the town's narrow streets and bathhouses are a one-minute walk away.
Location and getting around
The hotel stands in the middle of Arima Onsen, one of Japan's oldest hot-spring towns, about a one-minute walk from the town's bathing area and about seven minutes on foot from Arima Onsen Station. A free shuttle runs to the train station and the bus station between early morning and the evening, which helps when you arrive with luggage.
Mount Rokko is a few miles away, and the Rokko-Arima Ropeway links the town with the mountain and the city's night-view lookouts. Central Kobe is a train ride away rather than a short walk, so plan on using the trains for evenings in Sannomiya. The nearest airport for many guests is Itami, around a half hour by car.
Rooms and facilities
The main reason to stay is the water. The hotel has an indoor mineral hot-spring bath and a public outdoor bath, and the public baths are open from the mid-afternoon until midnight. Around them are a full-service spa, a sauna, a steam room and two hot tubs, plus a seasonal outdoor pool that opens for a few weeks in midsummer. Two restaurants, a bar and lounge and a coffee shop cover meals, and the hotel also has a garden, a terrace, a karaoke room and a banquet hall.
Free WiFi and a 24-hour front desk are standard. Check-in starts in the early afternoon and check-out is before half past ten, which is earlier than in many hotels, so plan your morning. Pets are not allowed, and a small per-person nightly city tax is charged, so check when you book.
Who it suits and what to know: couples, families with older children and anyone who wants a night or two of soaking and quiet after the sightseeing in Kobe. It works well as the second half of a trip, with a few days in the city followed by a night in the hills, and it is a comfortable base for Mount Rokko and the Rokko-Arima Ropeway.
Bathing rules apply in the public baths, so read the guidance at the front desk if you have not used an onsen before. Weekends, autumn leaves season and holiday periods fill up first, so book early, and compare room-only rates with plans that include dinner and breakfast, which can be good value in a hot-spring town.
Why stay here
- ✓Indoor hot spring and outdoor public bath
- ✓Full-service spa with six treatment rooms
- ✓Sauna, steam room and hot tubs
- ✓Two restaurants and a bar
- ✓One minute on foot to Arima Onsen
- ✓Free shuttle to the stations
- ✓Free self-parking
- ✓24-hour front desk
Good questions
Does Arima Grand Hotel have its own hot spring baths?+
Yes, there is an indoor mineral hot spring and a public outdoor bath, open from the mid-afternoon until midnight.
How do I get to the hotel from the station?+
A free shuttle runs between the hotel and the nearby train and bus stations during the day and evening. Arima Onsen Station is also about seven minutes on foot.
Is it close to central Kobe?+
It is in the hills north of the city, a train ride from Sannomiya, so it suits a night or two of soaking more than a stay built around city evenings.
