Surrounded by water on three sides, this hotel could be mistaken for a futuristic cruise ship, its elliptical design rising 14 stories straight up from the water. With a balcony for each room, this 1995 entry on Kobe's revitalized waterfront (opened soon after the Great Hanshin Earthquake) offers the best bay views of any hotel here. Coupled with moderate rates, this makes it a worthy alternative to the Okura.
Facilities are first-class throughout, from the 14-story atrium full of soft lounge chairs and potted palms to the panoramic elevators rising to the top floor, where the
sky lounge and Chinese, Japanese and steak restaurants await. The lobby lounge features elegantly draped windows framing industrial port scenes. The Santa Monica Wind restaurant off the lobby has a sophisticated look supported by black lacquer buffet counters and tables. The lobby lounge, Pier, has floor-to-ceiling windows and low, red-brocade bucket armchairs and offers nouvelle French cuisine along with champagne. Rates are moderate—certainly less expensive than the nearby New Otani's. A food court is on the fourth level, along with a gym and indoor pool. Parking is available, and the tourist-oriented waterfront is just outside via moving walkway.
Accommodations are the equal of any in Kobe. The best rooms (and most expensive) are on the Comm'fill floor (designed to "fill you with comfort" and offering luxurious beds and aromatherapy) and the Sea'fill floor, where stylish furnishings fuse earth tones with splashes of red and blue, meant to relay ocean sunsets. Located on higher floors, these rooms boast a flat-screen TV, a sleek chaise longue and better amenities; corner rooms have views even from their tubs. The cheapest rooms, in contrast, have blond furniture, a small desk, and an armchair beside a glassed-topped table, but balconies in all rooms more than make up for what the rooms lack in inspiration. All afford nautical vistas, though at night, the blue-green lighting on the balconies can be distracting. One room for the handicapped and 50 are for nonsmokers, but smoke-free rooms are all located on the Sea'fill floor.
The staff is friendly, and with a location next to the sea, this is a good choice for those who desire breathing space and prefer less staid surroundings than the more ponderous Okura.
