4-Star Hotels in Shiga Prefecture, Japan

The location is very quiet and calm. For those who want a break from the main cities this place is highly recommended. The hotel picked us up from the nearby station and the communication was very active and accommodating (I emailed them when we were in Kyoto station in advanced and once we reached the local station, their shuttle was already waiting for us 🥹). Biwako Valley is near so it was our only planned big activity in the area aside from walking along the quiet road and trying convenience store food and using the 24 hour laundry place nearby. The food is very healthy and you will experience traditional Japanese service (they prepared colorful Yukatas for us and we wore them for bfast and dinner in their restaurant) . The private onsen was great and you can also use the public bath in the hotel itself. I cannot list everything but our experience here was truly amazing!

I am a traveler loving hot springs. This onsen report is the best Japanese style hotel that I ever experience. The hotel was very luxury. The service was great. The breakfast is upscale and wonderful. I would recommend it to any onsen lovers. I will definitely go back in future.

This is a Japanese onsen hotel. The service and food were great, but the rules are a bit rigid. My husband came to drop us off and was planning to leave the same evening without staying. We just wanted to chat as a family of three in our room for a bit. To our surprise, the staff told us we could only talk in the lobby. They said only the person who made the reservation could enter the room, based on how many people were booked. I offered to pay extra so my husband could rest in the room before leaving, but they still refused. Then, to ensure I didn't take my husband into the room, the staff watched us all the way as we put our luggage in, making sure he didn't enter, and then politely escorted him back to the lobby. Alright, I guess we have to follow the rules of Japanese onsen hotels.

Yumotokan was our first stay at an onsen and first trip to Otsu and Lake Biwa. It blew us away at how amazing and wonderful everything was. We took a local train from Kyoto Station to Ogotoonsen Station. The views of the mountains on one side and the lake on the other were stunning and the shuttle service from Ogotoonsen Station to Yumotokan was much appreciated. We reserved two of the Kotone suites with their own private baths attached to our rooms for one night and we were not disappointed. The rooms included breakfast, dinner, and a hour later check-out time with the reservation. The staff were very kind and accommodating, helping us with whatever we needed (so glad we asked for help with the yukata! It became a cute memory for us). The rooms were comfortably spacious with a gracious amount of amenities and the attached private onsen baths were incredibly healing. We utilized them as many times as was healthy. Both the breakfast buffet and course dinner were amazingly delicious and something that'll be on our minds for awhile. Even our check-out was stress free and we were able to buy souvenirs from a little shop they had inside the lobby. I wish I knew what shampoo and treatment they use or where I can purchase it because it left our hair super soft and silky smooth, nothing like what we use at home. Our stay was amazing and we would highly recommend Yumotokan. We'll definitely visit again on our next trip to Japan, hopefully for a couple more nights!

The room was new and spacious. Although we found two or three flying insects in the bathroom, it's understandable that it's hard to avoid. It was much better than the Kame-no-i room in Katsuura, Kii. The upgraded dinner was decent, and the self-service coffee machine had soft drinks, but the coffee was terrible. We checked out at 10 am, and since the onsen (hot spring) was open until 9 am, we didn't have time to soak after breakfast. After checking out, it started raining heavily, so we sat in the lobby waiting for it to stop. The air conditioning was a bit cold, and we wanted to borrow the yukatas (light robes) for guests in the lobby, but were refused. The service was disappointing.

I am very happy to take two dogs to such a beautiful place. The overall environment is very beautiful and quiet, and the dog run brought by the house also makes the puppy have a great time. Dinner and breakfast are made on-site by the staff. The ingredients are fresh and the portion is very sufficient. It is really satisfying. However, at the same time, the overall experience is very good, there are two small suggestions, I hope that the quality of service can be further improved in the future. 1️⃣ Communication on check-in time The hotel's check-in time is 15:00 〜 19:00, so guests arrive before 19:00 is a normal check-in range. On the same day, if the check-in time has not exceeded, the temporary inquiry ”about what time will arrive” will give people a little feeling of being urged. Since the hotel has set a check-in time range, the catering and reception departments may be prepared in advance according to this time period. 2️⃣ About the service experience at check-out The staff was very enthusiastic on the day of check-in. The vehicle just stopped and took the initiative to help carry the luggage, which made a very good first impression. But in contrast, there was almost no assistance when checking out. I didn't even ask if I needed help with my luggage. Since some houses here are far from the front desk, I also saw some elderly guests need to drag a lot of luggage alone to check out. I personally think that a really good hotel is not only the enthusiasm at check-in, but also whether it can still be maintained in the same meticulous and thoughtfulness when checking out. Because the feelings of the guests when they leave, it is often the last impression left by the entire stay experience. The above content is not offensive, only represents a little real feeling of the individual during the stay. I also sincerely hope that the hotel will continue to improve the service details in the future, and do not let such an excellent environment and hardware be affected by the small regrets on the service. Some items were forgotten when I checked out. Thank you for calling me to communicate with me. I will stay next time. Please take care of it.

The hotel owner is very warm and friendly. The room is very clean. Looking at the Wuhu breakfast, there is another flavor. The hotel bathroom has a heated bathtub. Very advanced experience. I highly recommend everyone to go! 😍

Nagahama is the only station on the Hokuriku Main Line that borders Lake Biwa (Hikone and Yonehara are not lakeside), and this hotel is located in Nagahama Port, a five-minute walk away, which isn't far. The hotel rooms face north and south, ensuring all rooms have lake views. The hotel has a public bath and an indoor observation deck (facing south) on the seventh floor, already a high point on the lake, offering excellent views in the mornings and evenings. It overlooks Lake Biwa on three sides (east, south, and north), and Mount Ibuki to the west. The hotel is conveniently located near the Lake Biwa ferry and boats to Chikubu Island. The rooms retain the decor of the bubble economy era and are very clean. Despite the high occupancy rate, the corridors were not noisy. Service was impeccable; everything was provided. While I don't particularly want to comment on value for money, compared to the thousands of yuan for lake-view rooms in Otsu and Kosei online, this place truly offers great value for money. Thanks to the hotel for providing such a relaxing night. I came here because of the song ”Shuhang of Lake Biwa,” and I truly saw the scenery described in the lyrics at the hotel. Hopefully, this affordable hotel with a view can continue to exist.

The breakfast is very good and the hot spring experience is also very good. There was no one when I went there, it was just a charter. The location is right by the lake, comfortable and quiet, there is a 7-11 next to it, you can do some simple purchases. The owner of the hotel is a kind and amiable grandmother, who can recommend local activities to us in simple English. I am very grateful to her for taking care of her for a few days.

Despite the language barrier, you can still feel the enthusiasm of the service staff. There is no bathroom in the room booked this time, a large bath is enough. The free large bath has an outdoor part but no view.