5-Star Hotels in Shiga Prefecture, Japan

A beautiful hotel with a stunning view of Lake Biwa. The Shuttle bus to and from Katata station made it convenient, as long as you time your transport well, and the staff were very friendly and professional. We recommend staying here for a more peaceful and luxurious experience in Kyoto outside of the city, and it would also be good to visit shirahige shrine and cycle around Lake Biwa!

Transportation: The hotel is right next to Changbin Station, very close, so there's no need for a shuttle. Room: The carpet in the room had a strange, foot-odor-like smell, as if something had been spilled on it. However, the bed faced a scenic window, which was quite nice, though the curtains weren't blackout. Hot Springs: The outdoor hot springs weren't particularly clean. My friend, who has allergies (but usually doesn't react to topical exposure), had an allergic reaction after using them. Entertainment: There's a game room with activities like table tennis, which doesn't require reservations. You can just go in when it's empty, which is pretty good. Food: The breakfast and dinner were fantastic, no complaints there. The restaurant also had a great view, and I even saw a rainbow in the morning. The snacks were good too.

First time staying at this hotel! It's not super close to the JR station, but they do have a shuttle bus. It's about a 15-minute walk otherwise. The hotel itself is very large and impressive, and the front desk staff were incredibly warm and professional. The room was spacious with a beautiful view, all facing the lake. It was also very clean and the facilities felt relatively new. The large public bath on the fourth floor was very convenient to use, well-equipped, and also offered a nice view. Breakfast was abundant, with both Japanese and Western options, and the service staff were very friendly. All in all, if I visit Lake Biwa again, I'll definitely stay here!

The hotel is grand and spacious, and the rooms offer a stunning view of Lake Biwa. There's a shuttle service available. The hotel's breakfast buffet was just average. When checking out, my friend lost a room card and had to pay 1000 JPY. Later, we found it in Kyoto. Luckily, Kyoto is only a 9-minute ride from Otsu, so we went back to Otsu to return the room card, and the hotel refunded the 1000 JPY.

I booked the VIP room and it was huge! It really felt like a traditional ryokan, which was superb! Having the onsen right in the room was also fantastic, honestly. I absolutely loved my stay here. It was so relaxing, and the lake view was just magnificent. Since I'll be in Kyoto for the next few days, I'm definitely coming back for another night to enjoy the onsen and the stunning view of Lake Biwa again.