Hotels in Otsu

"**Breathtaking Views** The hotel offers stunning views of Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest freshwater lake. My room featured panoramic vistas of the tranquil waters and surrounding mountains, especially beautiful at sunrise and sunset. **Comfortable Accommodations** The spacious accommodations blended traditional Japanese aesthetics with modern comforts. The cozy futon bedding ensured a restful night’s sleep, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. **Delicious Dining Options** Dining was a highlight, with a breakfast buffet that included a delightful mix of Japanese and Western dishes, emphasizing local ingredients. Fresh seafood and seasonal fruits made each meal enjoyable. **Excellent Location and Amenities** Located in Otsu, the hotel is perfectly situated for exploring the area. It offers free parking for guests and complimentary bike rentals, making it easy to explore the scenic lakeside paths and nearby attractions. The staff were incredibly helpful, providing recommendations for local sights, such as the historic Enryaku-ji Temple. Lake Biwa Hotel is a fantastic choice for a peaceful getaway. With stunning views, comfortable accommodations, and great amenities, I highly recommend it for a relaxing escape."

"This summer, the Lake Biwa Hotel was by far the most satisfying part of our Kansai trip. We booked it through a Ctrip group deal for just over 500 RMB, which even included two tickets for the Michigan cruise – an absolutely incredible value! We booked the 90-minute cruise for 11 AM, and after enjoying dining, sightseeing, and a show on board, we had just enough time to head back, collect our luggage, and check into our Osaka hotel. **Transportation:** Getting there was quite convenient. It's a short ride from Kyoto Station to Otsu Station, and once you exit the station, there's a hotel shuttle bus waiting. While it's not a long walk, having the shuttle was much appreciated, especially with luggage. I'd recommend having dinner around Otsu Station, as there aren't many dining options close to the hotel. **Service:** The hotel service was outstanding. As soon as we entered, someone immediately offered to help with our bags. We'd bought a lot of groceries from the supermarket at Otsu Station, and a staff member proactively offered to carry them for us. After taking our name, she even delivered them directly to our room – truly thoughtful service! The check-in staff were also very welcoming and enthusiastic; we felt like we were receiving five-star service. A tip: if you want to book the Michigan cruise, it's best to inform the front desk during check-in. They can help arrange all available time slots. In August, during the summer holidays, they even provided fireworks, which guests could set off at a designated platform in the evening, with staff on-site for assistance. **Facilities:** The hotel rooms are very spacious, and all rooms offer beautiful Lake Biwa views. We were assigned a corner room with a huge balcony and a truly expansive vista. The bed was also very large. Although the hotel shows a bit of age, it's very well-maintained, and the cleanliness was excellent, making for a very comfortable stay. The hotel also boasts hot springs (onsen), with both outdoor and indoor options, which was a fantastic bonus! **Environment:** The hotel is directly adjacent to Lake Biwa. From the second-floor platform, you can directly access the lakeshore. The next day, after checking out and heading to the Michigan cruise, we simply walked along the lake. It was very close, and the scenery was absolutely stunning. **In summary,** our stay at the Lake Biwa Hotel was an exceptionally great value experience. Next time, if I get the chance, I'd love to stay for a couple more days, rent a bicycle, and cycle around the lake. This hotel comes highly recommended!"

"Location is not great but luckily the host offer free connecting transportation; staff service is great and kind to offer us a tour of the hotel"

"Clerks are all very nice, and they have shuttle buses to the JR station. However, foreign tourists with tattoos should note that they cannot use public bathroom, but they will still be charged the service fee of it."

"The hospitality at the hotel was exceptional! From the moment we arrived, the staff greeted us with warm smiles and a genuine willingness to assist. The attention to detail in service, from the personalized welcome to the thoughtful amenities in our room, made our stay truly memorable. It’s clear that the team is dedicated to creating a welcoming atmosphere, ensuring that every guest feels valued and comfortable. I would highly recommend this hotel for anyone seeking a delightful and accommodating experience!"

"This is a ryokan near Lake Biwa. They were always kind to me! The open-air hot spring was also really nice. There was a shuttle bus so it was convenient to go to the station. It was the best experience 😀"

"It 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!"

"I really like this house~ The design and decoration of the house is very Japanese and fashionable. There are many things. It may look messy, but those who choose to live here should not care too much about it. After all, it’s here. For these messy hand-made decorations~! In the room and in the small cafe below, most of them are made by One Piece. The workmanship is exquisite and the styles are many. When the decoration is suitable. On the first night of staying, I didn’t go out to play. It took a long time to take pictures in the house to see the figures. Ahaha~ quite satisfied~!"

"The room is super big, the design is very good, the service is also very good, it is a worthwhile trip!"

"The single room is relatively large. What I like most is the window. The sun shines in every morning and it feels very warm. The bathroom is a bit small, and the space saved is used in the room, so the room does not feel depressing. The location is a few hundred meters away from Otsu JR Station, and it takes 5 minutes to walk there. The hotel logo on the roof is very eye-catching and easy to find. The hotel has a free buffet breakfast, which is quite rich. After staying for three days, there are still some different things. The local specialty Omi beef is also provided, which is delicious. This small town has a small population and is very quiet. The attractions are not inferior to Kyoto. It is worth visiting. It's a pity that the cherry blossoms are not in bloom, otherwise it would be more beautiful. The hotel also provides facial masks, which are also very good."