Kobe Animal Kingdom

Our family of three really enjoyed our stay at MONday Apartment Hotel. There was plenty of space for the three of us and all our luggage (three large suitcases and three smaller bags). Beds were luxury firm and supportive. I especially appreciated the kitchenette, which allowed me to prepare simple breakfasts for the family each morning. There were also several convenience stores and a supermarket nearby with everything we needed. The location was good overall, although it was about a 7–10 minute walk to the nearest subway station, which could feel a little tiring after a long day of sightseeing. There also weren’t many restaurants within a five-minute walk, and it was about half a mile to the nearest family-friendly restaurant, such as Yayoi-Ken. We really liked the neighborhood’s hip, slightly hidden-gem feel, with independent coffee shops and bakeries tucked away in the surrounding streets. Kiyomizu-dera was also within walking distance, at roughly a 20-minute walk. The room itself was great, but my main complaint was an unpleasant, dirty-water smell coming from both the shower drain and the washing machine. The unit combines a washer and dryer, and the hotel provides detergent. The detergent worked well for our clothes, and we had no issues with skin irritation. However, the dryer was a different story. Although the clothes smelled fine after washing, using the dryer seemed to bake the smell into them. I just hung dry afterwards and didn’t use the dryer.