Remm Plus Kobe Sannomiya (Kobe, JAPAN)

Remm Plus Kobe Sannomiya was the first reservation we made for this trip almost six months before our journey actually began. At the time, it was considered a bargain deal for our 20-hour stay in Kobe. Seamlessly integrated into the upper floors of the Kobe Hankyu Building Higashi-kan, and sitting directly above Kobe-Sannomiya Station, the hotel is one of the most transit-accessible places to stay in the city.

After finishing our seaside outlet shopping spree, we finally arrived in Kobe’s city centre. Our next order of business was a quick check-in at the hotel so we could start exploring the city right away — but things didn’t go quite according to plan (more on that later).

One of the highlights of our stay was the warm atmosphere of our corner room.

The room was bright and airy, flooded with natural light. 

For a space measuring 26 square metres, it offered a pretty decent layout although losing the massage chair in the corner would have made it feel even more comfortable.

As many online reviewers have mentioned, the bathroom was one of the strongest selling points.

It featured a vanity sink positioned centrally, combining a basin with a storage cabinet underneath. While compact, it provided just enough space to comfortably store essentials for two people.

The shower room uses a traditional Japanese-style wet-room setup, where the shower and bath share an open, waterproofed space. 

From the window, we could enjoy a clear city view even while showering.

The toilet was located on the opposite side of the bathroom area.

And yes, the city skyline right from our doorstep was a huge bonus.

Staying above a major train/metro station (or in this case, right next to both) makes getting around Kobe incredibly convenient. Even the underground passage provides easy access to other parts of the city centre. 

In addition to the 1/F hotel exit that connects directly to the station, there’s also a separate street-level entrance leading to Sunset-dori (サンセット通り).

Sunset-dori is a lively, bustling street running west of Sannomiya Station, packed with restaurants, bars, and local street culture.

Kobe-Sannomiya Station itself is one of the busiest neighborhoods in Kobe making it an ideal base for tourists planning their stay.

The lively, bustling nature of the neighborhood also means it’s virtually impossible for hotel guests driving into Kobe to stop or idle on the curbside lanes outside for unloading luggage. That’s one of the hotel’s biggest drawbacks: there’s no designated drop-off zone, and no staff (such as bell service) on street level to help with the luggage. 

Rating: ❤❤❤

Price: ￥￥

Address: 4-2-1 Kanocho, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0001, Japan

Closest Metro Station: Sannomiya

Tel: +81 (0)78-571-0606

Website: https://www.hankyu-hotel.com/hotel/remm/kobe-sannomiya

Fairfield by Marriott Hyogo Awaji Fukura (Minamiawaji, JAPAN)

After making multiple stops across the island of Shikoku, everyone was just happy to be finally checking into our hotel for the night. While the previous hotel accommodations didn't exactly draw rave reviews from the team, tonight’s place should give us a real sense of hope — mostly because it’s a Marriott establishment.

While we were unloading our luggage from the car, we kept looking left and right for bell service, but they were nowhere to be found.

Fairfield by Marriott Hyogo Awaji Fukura is a 4-story hotel on the southern side of Awaji Island. Even with a pretty spacious ground-floor lobby and rest area, the hotel doesn’t have any in-house restaurant. That’s definitely a drawback especially since dining options were far and few between nearby.

As soon as we opened the door into our room, we could immediately sense the comfort and warmth of a cozy, well-designed space.

The interior design was simple yet very user-driven.

Normally, I’m not a fan of having the basin outside the bathroom, but the sliding door positioned behind it completely erased my negative thoughts.

In fact, I found it surprisingly convenient and accessible especially given the small space we had to work with here.

For a room with such a compact floor area, it was genuinely impressive to have a proper shower room, complete with a rainforest shower.

The toilet was located right next to the shower room, keeping everything practical and efficient.

And the best part? These rooms are guaranteed to be quiet. There’s literally nothing nearby, so there’s no noise for disturbance.

For supplies like milk, water, and fruit, there are a couple of family-run market places within walking distance making this hotel a viable option for short stays on the island.

Rating: ❤❤❤❤

Price: ￥￥

Address: 154 Fukurako, Ko-512 Fukura, Minamiawaji, Hyogo, 656-0501, Japan

Tel: +81 (0)799-38-6625

Website: https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/osafi-fairfield-hyogo-awaji-fukura/overview/

REF Matsuyama City Station by Vessel Hotels (Matsuyama, JAPAN)

Our tempura dinner took a little longer than expected to finish so by the time we arrived at REF Matsuyama City Station by Vessel Hotels, it was already 9:30pm. Almost time to crash!

To out a further delay on our rest time, we soon found out that the hotel didn't have any onsite parking (nor was there underground parking at Matsuyama City Station). So after much deliberation among our team members, we decided to find a temporary parking space, unloaded our luggage, and headed up for our check-in first (and returned for the car).

Fortunately, check-in was pretty quick. In fact, we were probably the only group that hadn’t arrived yet, so the key cards were already waiting for us at the front desk.

We quickly grabbed a few complimentary toothbrush and toothpaste, and off we go to our separate rooms from the second-floor lobby.

For a room of about 22 square meters, I didn't expect a lot of space to wiggle around.

Other than the two small single beds, there wasn't much furniture around.

The color palette — white and light wood — plus the simple linens reminded me of a hotel I've stayed in Tokyo before by the name of Karaksa Hotel Tokyo Station.

Not surprisingly, there was no room in the bathroom for the basin.

The bathroom itself looked pretty boring.

The only real “surprise” came from the temperature control. We had a hard time locating the controller on the wall, but eventually mystery solved... it was installed on the ceiling. (But later, we found the remote control, so that explained everything.)

Most of us didn't particularly enjoy the stay, partially due to our late arrival. I personally didn't like the mattress (it was pretty thin so not enough support for the back) and pillows. But hey, tomorrow is another day. The city view from the window was pretty nice.

I also love the abundance of hangers mounted on the wall.

And the ceiling-to-floor window from the hotel lobby, it's almost like a scenic painting of Matsuyama.

While there were definitely some positives in the interior design of REF Matsuyama City Station by Vessel Hotels, it still didn’t feel like it justified the steep price tag for the 12 hours we spent there.

Rating: ❤❤❤

Price: ￥￥￥￥

Address: 5-2 Minatomachi, Matsuyama, Ehime, 790-0012, Japan

Closest Train Station: Matsuyama City

Tel: +81 (0)89-915-8111

Website: https://www.vessel-hotel.jp/ref/matsuyama/

Royal Park Hotel Takamatsu (Takamatsu, JAPAN)

My first-ever trip to Shikoku (四國) got off to a fast start this morning. We had our first taste of the newly launched Terminal 2 at Hong Kong International Airport early on, and a few hours later, we finally touched down in Takamatsu (高松市), the lively capital of Kagawa Prefecture (香川縣) on the north side of the island.

During my research for this trip, I already realized that lodging options in Takamatsu (and throughout Shikoku) weren’t exactly abundant. There are plenty of budget hotels and some mid-tier properties, but for someone like me who tends to prioritize newer hotels with a more contemporary design, the choices were slim picking. Maybe just a handful of them at best.

73-key Royal Park Hotel Takamatsu came to mind mainly because of its proximity to the city centre. It’s basically a stone’s throw from the city’s main shopping street — the very area we planned to head to for our first dinner. So in my mind, it ticked most of the boxes.

Despite a major renovation in 2016, the building that houses Royal Park Hotel still felt a bit aged.

The hotel lobby, in particular, has a nice, modern design that creates an inviting vibe.

But beyond the lobby, the mood changed. Most of the interior areas felt a little dark, including the corridors, and the same was true inside the rooms.

The rooms themselves have been tastefully designed with a modern European style in mind.

The room layout was less than efficient, though. It would have felt even more spacious without the table and two chairs taking up a good chunk of central floor space. Not surprisingly, we ended up re-arranging the setup almost immediately after stepping inside.

When it said everything has been renewed since the major renovation, I guess I didn’t pay enough attention to the bathroom. It was noticeably dim, and based on my first impression, it seemed like it might be due for a facelift at some point.

Overall, we had a nice stay at Royal Park Hotel Takamatsu. With less than 24 hours in the city and even less time inside our room, it wasn’t really possible to judge the hotel in great depth. Still, aside from the absence of an onsite parking lot, it proved to be a serviceable option for a short stay. (The hotel has an agreement with a parking facility just across the street, around 1,200 yen per night.)

Rewind to early this morning — everyone in our group was genuinely impressed by how Terminal 2 at Hong Kong International Airport looked. Little nugget joked that it felt more like an aquarium than an airport. I’m sure a lot of us felt the same too.

Rating: ❤❤❤

Price: ￥￥￥

Address: 1-3-11 Kawaramachi, Takamatsu, Kagawa, 760-0052, Japan

Closest Train Station: Kawaramachi

Tel: +81 (0)87-823-2222

Website: http://ryl.anabuki-enter.jp/

Daybreak 曉宅山 (Jiufen, TAIWAN)

The second leg of my Taipei getaway was a short trip to Jiufen (九份), a charming historic hillside village in northern Taiwan renowned for its narrow, lantern-lit alleyways, traditional teahouses, and sweeping ocean views. I first visited this dreamy village as a young man on a foggy, lightly rainy day and not surprisingly, the atmosphere felt straight out of a fairytale. Almost two decades later, I found myself returning to Jiufen hoping to rediscover that same sense of magic.

After a satisfying lunch at T+T, I called an Uber to take me to my accommodation in Jiufen. The drive from Taipei took around 40 minutes, mostly along highways. It wasn’t until the car began pulling up the tiny uphill roads that Jiufen truly revealed itself. It wasn't long before we arrived right at the footsteps of Daybreak (曉宅山民宿).

When I first came across Daybreak, a hillside Airbnb, on social media, I was instantly sold. The property consists of two buildings. The first, 曉宅山, clings dramatically to the cliffside, offering breathtaking, unobstructed views of the sea. 

The second, 暮宅山, sits higher up the hill across the street, with a more modest vantage point and a noticeably more conservative interior design.

Needless to say, I decided to drop a few bucks more for the contemporarily designed room with the full sea view. Check-in was quick and straightforward. I was given two passcodes — one for the entrance to the Airbnb and another for my room. As expected, the property is unmanned after 6 pm daily.

I went straight to my room to take in the view, and it matched the online photos by at least 95%.

The room was flooded with natural light thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The expansive glass panels framed the hills and sea like a living painting, and in the early morning and around sunset, soft light spilled into the space, creating a visually stunning and almost meditative atmosphere.

The bathroom itself was simple and functional — nothing fancy. 

There was a separate shower room next door.

And of course, a large bathtub positioned by the window overlooking the hills and sea. It was one of those amenities that looked fantastic on paper but, in reality, I never ended up using.

Even from the bed, the view was nothing short of spectacular.

While the scenery was as good as advertised, I didn’t end up soaking in the tub or spending much time on the terrace.

The problem? Directly connected to the terrace was a small, somewhat worn-out grass field that could clearly use better upkeep. Being a corner room, I also noticed groups of tourists occasionally wandering through the backyard area near the grass field, which compromised privacy more than I would have liked.

That said, Daybreak is probably still one of the best accommodation options in Jiufen. After an afternoon spent climbing stairs and weaving through crowded, lantern-lit streets, returning to the room felt like a quiet exhale. At night, with Jiufen’s lights glowing softly in the distance, the space remained calm and still.

A complimentary breakfast was served at the ground-floor restaurant of the sister hotel across the street, and it was a good one — bacon and eggs, vegetables, corn soup, and more.

This trip felt like a long-overdue return to Jiufen. Hopefully, I won’t have to wait another two decades to revisit this magnificent village.

Rating: ❤❤❤

Price: $$$

Address: No. 49, Shuqi Road, Ruifang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan

Tel: +886 2-2496-0988

Website: http://daybreaktw.com/