Hotele Hot Springs w: 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!

One of the best hotels I’ve stayed at. The hotel feels grand and worth the price. Room was spacious and comfortable. The onsen was amazing with multiple options such as a sauna room, an outside jacuzzi style onsen and the main inside onsen. The food provided (breakfast and dinner) was a traditional Japanese style multi course meal. Highly recommended! Room also had a lovely view of Lake Biwa and a comfortable outside bath.

The hotel is about 800 meters from JR Nagahama Station. As I missed the last shuttle bus on arrival, I ended up dragging my luggage and navigating for at least 15 minutes. On the way back, I was familiar with the route and it took less than 10 minutes with luggage. The next day, I took the Chikubushima ferry, and Nagahama Port is also not far from the hotel, reachable within a 10-minute walk. It's very close to Lake Biwa, just seconds away, and the sunsets are absolutely stunning. Due to my early-to-bed, early-to-rise itinerary, I didn't book breakfast or dinner. From 3-6 PM, there are complimentary drinks and snacks, and from 9-11 PM, various alcoholic beverages and snacks are offered. Recreational facilities include table tennis. The public bath was also quite clean. The ventilation in the room's toilet wasn't great, and the drain smell was tolerable. It seemed there were many families with children staying over the weekend, so the soundproofing might not be ideal; I could clearly hear children making noise in the hallway from my room. On the first night, I was knocked on the door twice in the middle of the night... After reporting it to the front desk, the hotel stated it wasn't done by staff. It made me feel a bit uneasy, especially traveling alone.

Overall, the room experience was quite good and offered great value for money. Both the hot springs and the hotel have been recently renovated, so the facilities feel relatively new. The unique lake-view hot springs provide a different kind of scenery to enjoy. Both dinner and breakfast were quite distinctive.

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!

Very great time here, i give it the maximum rate! The people are awesome or particularly kind, the worry about everything for you, shuttle bus to station or from station to hotel, all amenities. The food was absolutely delicious, even tho sometimes it wasn’t at our taste you can see that the products are fresh, carefully selected and very tasty. It had a playing 8ball pool, and a ping-pong table! Very near Biwa Lake. Outstanding view from 11th Floor onsen. I recommend and wish to come back on our next trip to japan.

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.

Booking the room with Lake Biwa is a must. Excellent view you can enjoy and the hotel is full of entertainment services which makes the stay even better.

This hotel is located near Lake Biwa, offering absolutely stunning views. Inside, there are two large public bath areas for both men and women, each featuring both an outdoor and an indoor bath. Private onsens are also available for guests to rent. The breakfast buffet offers a fantastic variety of dishes, and the taste is excellent. The hotel is exceptionally clean and tidy, and there's a large Lawson convenience store right inside, which is incredibly convenient for guests. They also provide a thoughtful complimentary shuttle bus service to and from the JR station. This hotel offers great value for money and is definitely highly recommended.

The room was comfortable, beautifully maintained, and very relaxing. The food was excellent, and every meal was carefully prepared and full of flavor. One of the highlights of our visit was the birthday cake the hotel kindly arranged for us. It was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious, which made the celebration even more special and memorable. The staff were warm, attentive, and made us feel genuinely welcomed throughout our stay. This was a lovely experience in every way, and we would happily return again in the future for another peaceful getaway