Hotel Otsu Biwako was absolutely superb in terms of both facilities and service. It was the most satisfying hotel stay during my entire trip to Japan. We were given a high-floor room with a delightful view. There's a large VALU supermarket just a 5-minute walk from the hotel, and the drugstore next to it offers tax-free shopping. About a ten-minute walk away, there's also a sushi restaurant with excellent value for money and incredibly fresh ingredients.
This hotel is located right by Lake Biwa, and every room boasts a large balcony where you can take in the stunning lake views. It's truly refreshing and uplifting!
The hotel offers a convenient shuttle bus service right from the JR station, with pretty good frequency. Although you could walk to the hotel, providing a shuttle for this distance really shows their thoughtfulness.
The onsen (hot spring) is definitely a major plus. The water quality, temperature, and ventilation were all perfect for us. Plus, enjoying the outdoor bath with views of Lake Biwa and a gentle breeze, while soaking away the day's fatigue, was just sublime!
Highly recommended; I'll definitely choose this hotel again next time I'm in Otsu!
Facilities: The hotel boasts excellent facilities, including indoor courts for basketball, badminton, and volleyball.
Cleanliness: Spotless.
Environment: Stunning views of Lake Biwa directly from the room.
Service: The front desk and restaurant staff provided excellent service.
The reception was very friendly and helpful. Breakfast was surprisingly good and with variety. Room was not big but sufficient. Very worth for the price
Love the overall experience, sunrise view is a bonus, staff are super friendly.
However, we booked through trip.com, the price shows online does not include the kid, even we selected the kid at the begining, so we had to pay additional at check out. This is agent's issue, not the resort.
This hotel has the best hotel receptionist we met on our 6 week traveling through Japan.
Our bicycle was broken, she was very patient with the language barrier between us.
She insisted we brought the bike insde the hotel as outside it was too hot.
She went collect plastic gloves, carried our bike chain (which was very greasy), helped 10 minutes to work on the chain.
She told us she worked in a bikeshop before she started working in the hotel.
An amazing lady!!
The Western-style room was spacious, with a large, comfortable bed. The onsen (hot springs) were excellent, with several to choose from, and the area wasn't crowded. The water was excellent, leaving my skin feeling smooth and refreshed. The hotel requires a meal plan; adding dinner upon arrival costs 10,000 yen per person. There are few restaurants nearby, but there's a yakiniku restaurant with excellent beef.
The front desk is located on the second floor of the Lawson convenience store in the west exit rotary, right next to Kusatsu Station. The three staff members at the small front desk were efficient and helpful. The contracted parking lot is in the building immediately to the left as you enter the rotary, and the signs were easy to find. The overnight parking fee of 500 yen was a welcome bonus. The amenities were also of high quality. The water, tea, and snacks in the refrigerator were all free, which was a nice touch.
There are three branches in total, and the rooms are arranged in a room type that allows you to bring (bicycles) into the room, a non-smoking room, and bicycle-friendly. The room is spacious, with a sofa, a large bathroom (bathtub), and three types of hair dryers. There aren't many restaurants and shops nearby, but we can find a laundry shop and delicious ramen and convenience stores within a 5-minute bike ride.
Very Good
108 reviews
8.3/10
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9.4/10
Amazing
AAnonymous UserIt was a great stay at this ryokan! The hotel is able to arrange a car to fetch you from the JR station. You can call them using a dedicated phone at the station which is used to contact the different ryokans. The car arrived in 10mins or so. The ride to the ryokan was also less than 10mins. The hotel also fetched us to the station on the last day of our stay.
The ryokan itself is homely and cozy. We were greeted by an english speaking staff who introduced us to the amenities of the ryokan. There was also a nice welcome tea and matcha chocolate. Our bags were brought to our room as well during this time.
The room is spacious and cozy. The hotel prepared 2 welcome biscuits in the room which was a nice personal touch. The room has a nice living room and a great view of Lake Biwa. Recommend to catch the sunrise over the lake! There are 2 normal beds as well as futon beds (need to set up yourself). Both are comfortable. The hotel also prepared pretty yukata for both female and male guests which you can wear during the stay. There are 4 different designs for ladies, and one design for the guys. You can request for different size if the one in the room doesn’t fit you. There is also a full length mirror and a mini dressing area at the side of the living room. It was fun dressing up in the yukata!
The toilet, basin, shower and hot tub areas are all separate. The toilet is a little small, but the basin and mirror area is very spacious. The shower area is quite small as well and the shower head is rather low so you need to hold the shower head if you wish to wash up while standing. There is a small stool given for you to sit down though. The hot tub area is semi-outdoor and you can see Lake Biwa. But it is quite small (only good for one person). It was too cold so we didn’t use the hot tub.
Instead, we booked the private onsen for 50mins. The private onsen has a private toilet and dressing area which is equipped with hairdryer, body lotion etc. There is a water dispenser as well if you need to hydrate yourself. The onsen area has a washing area, and the hot tub area is spacious for 2 person. There are privacy screens around the onsen area but there is a small gap to let in cold air for ventilation. Wish there is a good view from the private onsen but it was still enjoyable!
Dinner and breakfast was Kaiseki style, and the meals were one of the highlights for my husband and I. We really enjoyed the courses which are clean tasting yet wholesome, fresh and flavourful. It was such a sumptuous treat!
The ryokan also has a souvenir shop if you wish to buy anything back.
Overall, my husband and I really enjoyed the stay here and we agreed this was one of the main highlights of our 12 days trip in Japan. Highly recommend!
GGuest UserLove the overall experience, sunrise view is a bonus, staff are super friendly.
However, we booked through trip.com, the price shows online does not include the kid, even we selected the kid at the begining, so we had to pay additional at check out. This is agent's issue, not the resort.
GGuest UserThe hotel is slightly dated but has a strong Japanese aesthetic—stepping inside feels like entering a novel, reminiscent of a quiet rendezvous setting. We arrived after 7 p.m., by which time the hotel no longer served food, and the surrounding area was very dark and quiet, leaving Uber Eats as the only option. If you want to try the kaiseki dinner, be sure to make a reservation well in advance.
The private in-room onsen was a major highlight. It offered excellent privacy, and soaking in hot water on a cold winter night was deeply relaxing. In the morning, the misty view outside the window was beautiful.
The public baths are gender-separated and require full nudity; they are open until midnight and well equipped with toiletries. At check-in, guests receive small amenity kits and face masks. There is also a bar open from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., which was a nice bonus.
__wfo1****Hotel Otsu Biwako was absolutely superb in terms of both facilities and service. It was the most satisfying hotel stay during my entire trip to Japan. We were given a high-floor room with a delightful view. There's a large VALU supermarket just a 5-minute walk from the hotel, and the drugstore next to it offers tax-free shopping. About a ten-minute walk away, there's also a sushi restaurant with excellent value for money and incredibly fresh ingredients.
TthewandercuratorAfter a crowded Kyoto, I love the peaceful and tranquil environment of this beautiful onsen hotel-ryokan and charming castle town. Everything about the hotel speaks of relaxation and well-being. It's only a 7-8min walk away from Hikone Train Station but there is a hotel shuttle that leaves at 9, 10 and 11 am if you need a drop off. Pick up could probably be arranged too. The hotel offers a pretty outdoor terrace with Castle view, an on-site spa with massage, a library lounge with free drinks till 10pm, a foot reflex corner and a compact onsen with a silk bath (all with Castle view) and hot stone benches. I had the whole onsen to myself in the evening, so it was very relaxing. The staff are kind and lovely too, making an effort to explain all the services and amenities in English. The buffet breakfast was also one of the better ones I've seen in my trips to Japan. If you're visiting the Castle, the entrance road is right outside the hotel. The main castle road is about 5-10 min away but you will pass by a famous Japanese confectionery, Taneya and Club Harie. Their souvenirs are one that even the Japanese cherish. I would wish to come here again with my partner one day. Thank you for the wonderful stay.
PPingxinjiejieThe Western-style room was spacious, with a large, comfortable bed. The onsen (hot springs) were excellent, with several to choose from, and the area wasn't crowded. The water was excellent, leaving my skin feeling smooth and refreshed. The hotel requires a meal plan; adding dinner upon arrival costs 10,000 yen per person. There are few restaurants nearby, but there's a yakiniku restaurant with excellent beef.
AAnonymous UserFacilities: The hotel boasts excellent facilities, including indoor courts for basketball, badminton, and volleyball.
Cleanliness: Spotless.
Environment: Stunning views of Lake Biwa directly from the room.
Service: The front desk and restaurant staff provided excellent service.
JJiexixiaokaJapanese version of the full season, the room is relatively large, you can see Hikone Castle, 100 meters away from the JR station, the price is very high, the breakfast is average, optional meals are included, there is a super large store across the road, the second floor taxfree has a variety of cosmetics Clothing and local products, the underground supermarket is large and you can buy all kinds of lunch boxes, with a microwave and dining area.
Hikone is so cute, Hikone Castle is so so
GGuest UserOn short notice, I was looking for various accommodations, including business hotels. I chose this one as I only needed a room for the night. The price was very reasonable, and it was excellent.
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