SK Hotel Kobe Ekimae has an excellent location, which is opposite Kobe Station. The hotel looks rather new. Room is not big but my single room has enough space for me to open my suitcase fully. I stayed for two, non-consecutive nights and they allowed me to store my luggage between nights. The luggage storage was spacious and very secure with locks which you could set your own 4-digit code. It has great value as the tariff came with buffet breakfast which was very good. The hotel was very clean and staff was friendly and helpful. They even lent me an umbrella when I went away for more than 24 hours. I would defintely stay here again.
The hotel is only a 5-minute walk from Kobe Station, yet it's relatively reasonably priced, and although there is a lot of traffic on Prefectural Route 21 right in front of the hotel, it's well soundproofed and quiet at night, etc. I think the conditions are quite favorable. The hotel's location a little far from Sannomiya, the central area of Kobe where the Shinkansen bullet train and express buses are concentrated, may be one of the factors contributing to these favorable conditions. The rooms are about the same size as those of a typical business hotel, and the same can be said for the bathrooms and facilities. It goes without saying that each guest room, as well as the lobby, is kept clean. On the other hand, there seem to be few restaurants around the hotel. There are a few restaurants in Kobe Station, but many of them close relatively early, so if you want to eat your favorite food late at night, you may have to go further to Sannomiya Station (on the other hand, such an environment may create a relatively quiet environment at night). There are several convenience stores around the hotel, including on the first floor of the hotel, so procuring food does not seem to be a particular problem. I think this hotel would be one of the best candidates as a base for sightseeing in Kobe, if you want to stay at a relatively reasonable price. Perhaps because of this environment, the staff's customer service was generally good.
