Arima Onsen (onsen means “hot spring” in Japanese) is said to be one of the top 3 onsen spots in Japan. Found in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, it is a convenient location that can be accessed from major cities like Kobe or Osaka within an hour. There are many retro and olden style accommodations in the area, so check out the best ryokans and hotels in Kobe.
1. Okuno Hosomichi (from USD 1497)
Located just a short walk from Arima Onsen Station and Tsuzumigataki Park is Okuno Hosomichi. This four-star hotel ryokan offers free Wi-Fi and a television. Some of the things to do within the property are karaoke, getting a massage, using the sauna, and of course, soaking in the hot tub. One of the best features of this accommodation is the open-air bathtub in some of the luxury suites. Imagine yourself soul-deep into your bath and marveling at the spectacular nature view!
Okuno Hosomichi
Address: Kita-ku Arimacho 1683-2
Parking Sauna Terrace Non-smoking rooms Family rooms Free parking Internet services Lift
2. Arima Grand Hotel (from USD 657)
Arima Grand Hotel is surrounded by the “Arima Three Mountains” that include Mount Ochiba, Mount Haigata and Mount Yubuneta, with a height of 533 meters (582 yards), 619 meters (677 yards) and 801 meters (876 yards) respectively. This allows the hotel to have one of the best views around the region. The onsen of Arima Grand Hotel is located at the top floor (9th floor) of the hotel, allowing guests to enjoy the fantastic scenery of the nature surrounding Arima Onsen. It’s highly recommended that you visit Arima Grand Hotel during seasons where the weather is known to be consistently good. The sunrise and sunset scenery from the onsen is stunning!
Arima Grand Hotel
Address: Kita-ku Arimacho 1304-1
Accommodates: 7
Parking Restaurant Room service Meeting/banquet facilities Bar 24-hour front desk Sauna Garden
3. Arima Onsen Koki (from USD 219)
Arima Onsen Koki is an ideal place to stay for visitors who are longing to experience the Arima Onsen natural hot springs. Veering a little further from traditional-style houses, the rooms at this property somewhat resemble a modest hotel room that you’ll find in big cities. These suites feature a flat-screen television and free Wi-Fi. Guests may also book massages on-site. You could book the private onsen ahead of time and may even do so multiple times depending on availability.
Arima Onsen Koki
Address: arimacho1401, Arimacho, Kobe, Japan, 6511401
4. Arima Onsen Tosen Goshobo (from USD 193)
A Shukubo is a temple lodge where monks and pilgrims stay. Arima Onsen Tosen Goshobo, today a hotel for tourists as well, used to be a Shukubo. This gives the hotel an extremely unique atmosphere due to the arrangement of the buildings that is much like a temple.
At Arima Onsen Tosen Goshobo, not only will you get to experience what it is like to stay in a monk’s lodge, you will also be able to savor in the stunning traditional Japanese dishes during meals. To add to that, a fully natural open air onsen can also be enjoyed here, making it a place you should definitely consider!
Arima Onsen Tocen Goshobo
Address: Kita-ku Arima-cho 858
Parking Restaurant Meeting/banquet facilities Golf course (within 3 km) Garden Non-smoking rooms Fishing Skiing
5. Arima Hot Spring Ryokan Hanamusubi (from USD 489)

Flowers are integral to Japan’s natural landscape, and every season will have a different flower associated to it. Even across regions within Japan, there are specialties. Arima Hot Spring Ryokan Hanamusubi is a hotel that is themed based on the beauty of flowers.
The main entrance of this Kobe ryokan will be decorated with different flowers according to the seasons to welcome their guests. The rooms in the hotel, too, have different names of flowers. There are a total of 31 rooms, of which 5 rooms have private open air onsens attached. The onsen of Arima Hot Spring Ryokan Hanamusubi can be enjoyed as well. To add on, the indoor onsen in this hotel is barrier free and those with physical disabilities can enjoy it too! Full course Japanese meals are served here and this is another reason you should definitely consider staying.
Arima Hot Spring Ryokan Hanamusubi
Address: Kita-ku Arima-cho 351
Parking Room service Bar 24-hour front desk Garden Non-smoking rooms Business centre Facilities for disabled guests
6. Gekkoen Korokan (from USD 362)
Arima Onsen Gekkoen Korokan is the perfect hotel for those who want to enjoy the best of the fantastic natural hot spring of Arima Onsen. The rooms in this Kobe onsen are plain and simple, with a modern western design. What makes this hotel special is that there are a total of 9 types of onsens available in 2 separate buildings. It is said that the hot spring of Arima Onsen has healing effects. Apart from the fantastic onsen, full course Japanese meals can be enjoyed here as well.
Arima Onsen Gekkoen Korokan
Address: Kita-ku Arima-cho 318
Parking Restaurant Room service Meeting/banquet facilities Bar Sauna Family rooms Breakfast in the room
7. Hotel Kanponoyado Arima (from USD 407)
Posted by PupuLove Narak on Thursday, 13 December 2018
Hotel Kanponoyado Arima is located about 20 minutes from the city centre of Arima by foot. However, the location should not be a major factor when choosing this hotel because there are free shuttle bus services provided every day. At Hotel Kanponoyado Arima, you can enjoy 3 types of natural onsens. This includes the Gold onsen and Silver onsen (that were introduced earlier), as well as the Radon onsen. 3 types of rooms are available in the hotel as well including Japanese style, Western style and hybrid. Finally, fantastic Kobe-gyu can be enjoyed during dinner. The Kobe-gyu steak is marvelous, but the most popular dish there is the Kobe-gyu Shabu-shabu. Definitely a must-try!
KAMENOI HOTEL Arima
Address: Kita-ku Arima-cho 1617-1
Accommodates: 6
Parking Restaurant Meeting/banquet facilities Non-smoking rooms Free parking Internet services Lift Safety deposit box
8. Motoyu Kosenkaku (from USD 321)
Nestled close to Mt. Roko is Motoyu Kosenkaku. This beautiful ryokan has a few rooms that have an amazing view of the mountains. Guests are welcome to enjoy Japanese and French dishes at the in-house restaurant. At first glance, ryokans may intimidate family travelers due to their peaceful and intimate nature, but Motoyu Kosenkaku has a family cottage and large standard rooms that will make everybody in your group feel right at home. The inviting hot spring bath is, of course, open for everyone’s use.
Motoyu Kosenkaku
Address: Kita-ku Arimacho 1455-1
Accommodates: 4
Parking Restaurant Meeting/banquet facilities Bar 24-hour front desk Sauna Golf course (within 3 km) Garden
9. Arima Koyado Uraku (from USD 151)
Are you looking to stay somewhere a bit more modern? Arima Koyado Uraku may be right up your alley! This almost-minimalist ryokan is near Gokurakuji Temple and Arima River Kasen Shinsui Park. A flat-screen television and free Wi-Fi is provided all throughout your stay. Besides bathing in the hot springs, you could request an off-site fishing day trip at an additional fee. If you’re traveling by car, do keep in mind that there is a parking fee at the property.
Arima Koyado Uraku
Address: Kita-ku Arima-cho 818
Accommodates: 10
Parking Non-smoking rooms Fishing Internet services Heating WiFi Available Free WiFi Non-smoking throughout
10. Hotel Harvest Arima Rakusai
Hotel Harvest Arima Rakusai is a hotel most famous for its fantastic meals. There are several restaurants available within the hotel such as a buffet style restaurant as well as one that serves Italian cuisine. It is highly recommended that you try out the restaurant Miori where you can enjoy fantastic Japanese cuisine. Traditional recipes that originated from the Shokubo (temple lodges) in the past are used in Miori’s dishes, allowing guests to appreciate the true beauty of Japanese dishes.
Hotel Harvest Arima Rakusai
Address: 341-1 Arima, Kita Ward, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture
11. Koyado Toji
Many of the hotels that were introduced in this article are high class hotels, and budget constraints might be a problem for some. For those, we highly recommend the Koyado Toji - a fantastic hotel where you can enjoy the accommodation and of course, the great natural Arima Onsen hot spring! While the building of Koyado Toji is slightly old, the rooms are clean and cozy and basic amenities are provided as well. Those who stay at Koyado Toji have unlimited access to the public onsen where you can enjoy both the Gold onsen and Silver onsen! Now here’s the important part – all these fantastic deals can be enjoyed for a price as cheap as 4500 JPY (42 USD) per night!
Editor’s note: No photos were available for this accommodation as of article publication date
Koyado Toji
Address: 1019 Arima, Kita Ward, Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture
12. Negiya Ryofukaku (from USD 168)
Negiya Ryofukaku is at a very convenient location within the Arima Onsen region – just 5 minutes from the city centre by foot. Despite that, this hotel with onsen in Kobe is surrounded by maple trees and sakura trees, allowing guests to enjoy the nature of Japan. This beautiful nature can be enjoyed from the open air onsens there as well. Negiya Ryofukaku is specially known for their fantastic dinner options, where traditional Japanese dishes prepared from seasonal vegetables are served. Furthermore, you can even enjoy premium quality Sukiyaki made from the high-class Kobe-gyu, so definitely check Negiya Ryofukaku out!
Negiya Ryofukaku
Address: Kita-ku Arima-cho 1537-2
Parking 24-hour front desk Golf course (within 3 km) Non-smoking rooms Family rooms Free parking Internet services Lift
13. Taketoritei Maruyama (from USD 168)
Taketoritei Maruyama is a convenient ryokan in Arima Onsen which is known for their hot springs. There are 2 types of onsens you can enjoy there – the Gold onsen and Silver onsen. The Gold onsen looks golden due to the high levels of minerals such as iron, while the Silver onsen is transparent, much like other “ordinary” onsens. Apart from the hot springs, fantastic Japanese dishes can be enjoyed at Taketoritei Maruyama as well.
Arima Onsen Taketoritei Maruyama
Address: Kita-ku Arima-cho 1364-1
Parking Golf course (within 3 km) Non-smoking rooms Family rooms Free parking Internet services Lift Safety deposit box
14. Hyoe Koyokaku (from USD 342)

The nature of the Arima Onsen region is extremely beautiful, where different sceneries can be enjoyed according to the seasons. During Autumn, the maple leaves will turn bright red and orange, and Hyoe Koyokaku is a splendid hotel where you can enjoy the marvelous scenery from the rooms. There are open air onsens at the hotel where you can enjoy the scenery as well. What’s better, you can even choose to visit Hyoe Koyokaku just purely for the onsen (entrance fee will apply) instead of spending a night there, so you could even easily plan a day-trip from nearby cities like Osaka!
Hyoe Koyokaku
Address: Kita-ku Arima-cho 1904
Accommodates: 4
Parking Restaurant Meeting/banquet facilities Sauna Garden Non-smoking rooms Family rooms Free parking
15. Arimakaido Yuwa (from USD 410)
One of the bestselling hotel ryokans in Kobe is Arimakaido Yuwa. This three-star property features tidy air-conditioned rooms and is only a few minutes away from Stamp Museum. It may be difficult to get around the area, so if you wish to explore with full convenience, the staff can help arrange a car rental for you. You’ll get refreshing mountain views at the property, as well as a delectable Asian breakfast. Lastly, the most inviting part of this hotel is the wellness area, where you can soak or sweat the stress away in the hot spring bath and sauna.
Tsukie no Fune
Address: Kita-ku Arinocho Karato 4509-87
Accommodates: 6
Parking Restaurant Meeting/banquet facilities Sauna Non-smoking rooms Family rooms Free parking Internet services
Enjoy a cathartic onsen!
Arima Onsen is situated at a very convenient location, and those who are intending to travel to Osaka or Kyoto should definitely consider visiting this place too. The fantastic onsens there have cathartic effects that will relieve your stress from hectic daily life. Enjoy your stay in Japan and make sure you check out these hotels when planning your trip!
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