L'Hotel du Lac

This was my second visit to this hotel for a meal. The food was innovative and would have cost twice as much as it would have cost in Tokyo. This time, the room was smaller and the price was cheaper, so it was good value for money. You can't expect good rooms at an auberge, but if this place doesn't advertise itself, the oldness of the rooms and other things will be undeniable, so I'm sure there will be a lot of harsh comments.

We stayed in a pet-friendly room. It's a lodge. The room was cleaned well. They prepared some cleaning products for pets. However, the building itself smelled humid! The bedroom smelled especially humid! It was disgusting and we couldn't use the bed. The toilet door opened inwards, so it was very difficult to put on and take off the old toilet slippers. The stairs leading to the front door were so high that our 25kg old dog couldn't go up and down, so we had to carry him every time. There was no ramp. When we walked him on the lawn, there was deer droppings, so we had to be careful. We only had breakfast, so we brought dinner, but there was no kitchen. There was no explanation, but there was only a microwave and a kettle. Maybe it used to work? The electric stove was set up so that it couldn't be used. There was one refrigerator with no storage space, like the ones I've seen a long time ago. The breakfast was like international cuisine. The only thing we enjoyed was the coffee. My 5-year-old grandson had nothing to eat. I wish they had announced this when we made the reservation, or before we stayed there. Of course, the staff smiled, but it was within the normal range. I didn't feel any extra charm or service. The check-in was poorly timed. One of the staff members also saw us off after payment, but the counter staff could do the same... Payment was only done by exchanging money. "How was it?" "Did you enjoy it?" "Please come again next time" - I think there are many things they would say, but there was none! That's it. It's a bad feeling. I'm happy! I don't want to come again! My grandson and husband enjoyed playing in the pool, so that was the only relief.

In a word, it is very disappointing. I have used it three times so far, but I don't think I will be returning. It was a wonderful hotel, like a hideaway in the depths of Lake Biwa... In the first place, are the dining room and the hotel managed by different companies? There is an indescribable atmosphere of tension and not being on the same wavelength? The concepts are so different that it is tiring. There are many dishes, but the portions are small, so it's not enough, and when I finished eating one slice of bread, they quickly took away the plate without asking for a refill, which surprised me. Before, I could select a variety of breakfast options, but now I have a cup of soy milk, a small bowl of yogurt, a salad with mackerel and couscous, coffee, and that's it... There was no juice or *food for breakfast, and they just kept coming to pour water... I was completely disappointed. I wanted at least *food... No matter how you look at it, the same price setting as before is strange. So I won't be returning. Also, the dining table was U-shaped, but even though I had come to stay and enjoy my meal, I could see the faces of the other guests and hear their conversations. I couldn't eat calmly. If the hotel's concept is an auberge, and not a beef bowl restaurant, I think it would be better to have tables for each group.