Hotel Dengan Pools di Shiga Prefecture, Japan

Gosh, where do I even begin? This stay was frankly perfect. The view was amazing, the open-air private bath was amazing, the service was amazing, the food provided was amazing. There’s even a shuttle bus from the nearby station. I loved it. My friends loved it. The staff even ran across the whole lobby lounge from the check-in counter, and did a full dive into the souvenir store counter for us. Most memorable icecream buying experience.

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.

This hotel is a renovated old building, but the refurbishment was very thorough. The room was clean and new, with a great view. The staff were enthusiastic and helpful. The hotel also offers a shuttle bus service. Besides the dinner being a bit pricey, there's really nothing to complain about. By the way, I'd love to know what brand the lobby's air freshener is, it smelled wonderful!

Lake Biwa is stunning, and this area offers much better value for money than Kyoto. The room was really big and spacious. Even though the hotel facilities are a bit old, everything was very clean. The TV was a little small, though. The large public bath was great for relaxing in the hot springs; it's not huge but definitely sufficient. The service was excellent – the front desk staff saw we had a lot of luggage and immediately helped us with a cart and brought it up. The restaurants on the first floor were surprisingly good too. It's a perfect spot for a relaxing holiday.