Hotel Hot Springs di Shiga Prefecture, Japan

Whenever I travel, I always choose a hot spring ryokan to make the entire trip even more perfect. This time, I stayed at Hanadouya Ryokan. Overall, it wasn't bad, but I wasn't entirely satisfied either. The ryokan's hot spring facilities didn't offer milk or popsicles. In the past, many hot spring ryokans I've stayed at in Japan provided milk and ice cream. Additionally, the staff's attitude was just average; not rude, but they lacked warmth and smiles. For this price, we definitely have better options.

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.

Stepping out of JR Ogoto-onsen Station, I spotted the shuttle bus across the street, waiting at a red light. I quickly waved, and to my surprise, the driver motioned for me to wait, then circled back to pick us up – incredibly grateful for that! 😊 The drive to the hotel took about 5 minutes. Upon entering the lobby, I noticed a slightly odd smell. The staff asked us to take a seat in the lobby. After checking us in and confirming our meal times, they showed us to our room. There was no odd smell in the room or restaurant areas. They even helped with our luggage – truly excellent service. The private hot spring in the room had continuously flowing water; I'm not sure if it's recirculated, but you can see Lake Biwa from there. The summer dinner cuisine was delicious! 😋

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!

I like it very much. It is not worse than Yuyuanguan, and the price is good. The chef's cooking skills are very high. The decoration is a bit old-fashioned, and it feels like a Japanese drama. The hot spring robe is better than Yuyuanguan. The dinner is invincible and delicious! Wagyu! Mushroom rice! Sukiyaki! I ate so much! But the breakfast is not very delicious. The pickled cucumber tastes the same as in China. I thought I couldn't eat it far away from Shanghai. In the end, it tasted like the pickled cucumber and pickled radish at home. But it's very photogenic! There are all kinds of colors, but the taste is killed by the xiaolongbao, wontons and pancakes in my hometown Shanghai. The hot spring in Yuyuanguan is very comfortable! There is just an old lady who keeps coming in to clean the hot spring in the morning! I was scared and didn't care about the front and the back. It was so embarrassing!

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.

This Japanese-style Marriott resort by Lake Biwa offers rooms on higher floors with direct lake views, and some room types even come with a private hot spring bath. I enjoyed the Omi beef dishes at the 12th-floor panoramic restaurant, and the breakfast selection was extensive and to my liking. The hotel also features natural hot springs and a heated swimming pool. There's a free shuttle service to Katata Station, and complimentary parking for those driving. Given the high hotel prices in Kyoto on weekends, the Lake Biwa Marriott, just a 30-minute drive from Kyoto, is an excellent alternative.

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.

Even though this hotel isn't a villa resort, everything was impeccable. It's incredibly busy, yet perfectly managed. The dinner, in particular, was absolutely amazing, easily comparable to a Michelin-starred experience. Chef MAEDA's menu was incredibly thoughtful, with dishes that excelled in color, aroma, and taste, using top-notch ingredients. He even came out frequently to check on guest satisfaction, which was a lovely touch. It's truly worth revisiting! The private onsen in the room was so comfortable; we used it several times a day, soaking while enjoying the sea view. ♨️