Hotels near Nagara Shrine, Otsu

"This hotel offers incredible value for money! It's located right by Lake Biwa in Otsu City, boasting stunning views and an affordable price. Getting here is easy: from Otsu Station's North Exit, cross the road directly and walk about 20 meters to your left. You'll spot a small platform – I've included the train schedule in the photos for reference. There's a convenient mini-mart on the first floor for snacks, drinks, and souvenirs. For breakfast, you have a choice of two floors. The 36th floor offers Japanese-style breakfast, but by 8 AM, it was full. The 37th floor, however, has plenty of Western and Japanese options, so you won't have to wait. Near the hotel, you'll find a large supermarket and a fantastic, highly recommended BBQ restaurant – delicious and budget-friendly. Taking a stroll along the lakeside is incredibly relaxing. You'll see many eagles 🦅, people fishing, and dog walkers – it's wonderful to experience the laid-back town life. Staying here makes it easy to visit the Lake Biwa observation deck and Kyoto."

"The shower heads in the rooms and the large public bath were Refa, and there was also Mirable. The hair dryers were Refa and Kinujo, and the shampoo bar had Refa shampoo, which was great. The large public bath had unlimited towels and a wide range of amenities, so I highly recommend it for women. The Omi beef shabu-shabu and mackerel sushi for breakfast were delicious. There were six types of cassette-type coffee in the rooms and at the breakfast venue, so it was quite a selection. I would like to stay here again. The fact that check-out is at 11:00 is also great."

"The views are absolutely stunning, but this hotel has quite a few downsides. First, the good points: The scenery is incredibly beautiful, and you can see Lake Biwa right from your window. The public bath isn't crowded, and the views from there are also lovely during the day. This was the hotel with the best views during our entire trip to Japan. The room itself is huge, with plenty of space for multiple suitcases. Now for the cons: 1. It's an 8-minute shuttle bus ride from Otsu Station. However, the shuttle bus is a mid-sized vehicle, and I always felt bad for the driver struggling with luggage, especially when it was full during peak hours (packed, with just enough seats for everyone). The bus's air conditioning wasn't very strong, so it got quite hot when there were a lot of people in summer. It would be great if they had a larger bus, similar to the Biwako Hotel. 2. The hotel has a very strong, unpleasant odor, almost like body odor. It lingered for several days and was really off-putting. I'm not sure if all rooms have this issue. 3. You absolutely cannot open the window at night. They should really put up a warning sign, because if you do, a swarm of small, light-seeking insects will fly in, and you won't be able to get rid of them all. On our first night, we didn't realize and didn't close the window tightly, and we were incredibly bothered by bugs all night. Even though it's an older hotel, I really hope they can address these issues."

"The bathroom was tiny, only one person could fit in at a time. It's about a 5-6 minute walk from the JR station. The breakfast selection wasn't extensive, but it was enough to fill you up. If you're traveling with children over seven, you'll be required to book an additional room. We had two 10-year-olds in our group of seven, and they insisted we get an extra room. However, the rooms have bunk beds, and the bottom bunk is a double, so a family of three could easily fit. Forcing us to pay for another room was really bad."

"The first time I lived in the orthodox squatter house, I was pleasantly surprised. The house is very distinctive. The sister of the hotel will not communicate with the translator because of the text but has been communicating with the translator. The breakfast is delicious. Everyone must order breakfast in advance. There is also a vinyl dish machine in the living room. It is very nostalgic and sentimental. Otsu is really a very quiet town, and on the last day of 2024 I spent a very peaceful day here."

"The hotel's location is super convenient; it's just a few minutes to Kyoto Station, whether you're heading to a tourist spot or catching the Shinkansen. However, make sure to confirm the correct exit from Kyoto Station beforehand – I went the wrong way the first time without navigation. Each floor has a water dispenser, ice maker, and vending machine, which is very handy."

"We were traveling independently, and the single room was much bigger than the one we had in a tour group before, and the environment was also very good. The highlights of this hotel: it is close to Otsu Tram Station, and there are only two stops to Kyoto by taking the new rapid line: Yamashina Station and Kyoto Station. It is more convenient to travel north to Lake Biwa. It takes less than half an hour to walk to Otsu Cruise Port, and a taxi costs about 1,000 yen. Go to Japan's national treasure town: Hikone; take the Hiei Mountain Line Cable Car (Sakamoto Station) to overlook Lake Biwa; soak in the 1,200-year-old hot springs, etc., and use the tram to transfer conveniently. If you want to see one of the three most scenic views in Japan: Amanohashidate, you can also take the JR New Rapid Line at Otsu Station and transfer to Amanohashidate Tram Station. Although this hotel is close to the tram station, it has good sound insulation and there are few trams after 10 p.m., which hardly affects sleep. We stayed here for 5 nights, visited Gion in Kyoto for one day, Lake Biwa for two days, and Mount Hiei and hot springs for one day, but it still felt like not enough time."

"Being a Toyoko Inn, there's nothing wrong with the hotel itself. The rooms are clean and the service is also excellent. The only downside is the location. It's a bit far from both JR Otsu Station and Keihan Biwako-Hamaotsu Station, so it might be a bit difficult if you have luggage or during hot or cold seasons. Also, there are no convenience stores nearby, so you might find it inconvenient if you forget to buy something."

"The hotel is located right outside the Otsu Station ticket gates. Entering the property is through the attached bar and restaurant. Most of the nearby restaurants seem to close around 11pm. There are no cooking utensils, but you can bring your own food and drink in the common areas. There are also pots and water dispensers, so we were able to eat cup ramen inside the hotel."

"This is my second time staying at this hotel. I chose it because it's very close to Eikan-do and Nanzen-ji, which are great for viewing autumn leaves. Now that I've stayed twice, I want to give a more thorough review of its pros and cons. On the downside, the rooms aren't very soundproof. However, guests generally quiet down after 11 PM. But I could still hear snoring from the next room. Also, this area is considered a high-end residential neighborhood in Kyoto, so you won't find many fast-food joints or snack shops around. On the plus side, there's a shuttle service from Tokyo Station, though it's not very frequent. The hotel also has a large public bath, which is wonderful for relaxing after a day of walking."