Hot spring Hotels in Otsu

My partner and I thorougly enjoyed our stay at Biwako Hotel. All rooms face the beautiful Lake Biwako and the view was perfect. We even caught a snowfall on one of our mornings here. The staff was great and always friendly even when there was a slight language barrier. We tried their breakfast as well which was really good. Highly recommend renting their electric bikes and cycling around the lake during sunset. And also going for the Lake Biwako Cruise! The hotel onsen is wonderful as well, we will definitely be back

Stayed at Youzanso during late March 2023. It was during the cherry blossom season. We (family of four) had the room with the Lake Otsu view and private bath. The room was sufficient for 4 of us but I wouldn't call it spacious. However, the room and bathroom were clean. The room came with dinner and breakfast for 4 of us and costed about AUD800. The dinner and breakfast was quite good and would recommend to anyone considering the half board. It might get old if u were staying for few days but we were only there for one night. We toured Kyoto for the day and stayed here overnight then went back to kyoto for more sightseeing. It wasn't as convenient as if you stayed in Kyoto but the travel wasn't long or difficult. The property is bit dated and looks more like a hotel than a ryokan. The facilities are clean but also look dated as well. However, the public onsen is great, clean and the outdoor bath is a must. Took this photo of the external bath when no one was present and the ambiance was really something...

Came here with family during the Sakura season. It's easy to get to the onset hotel. After arriving at the Ogoto Onsen JR station, towards the south exit you will find a cell phone attached to a board with explanation how to use the phone to call one of the onsen hotels. After the call, their shuttle bus will then come and pick you up between 2pm to 6pm I think. The hotel staff in general are very welcoming. Our family scored a deal with their penthouse suite with private indoor and outdoor onsen. Four of us stayed in the suite and the price is only slightly more than four of us staying in 2 regular rooms. It also came with a beautiful fruit platter for you to enjoy. The suite is very spacious with 2 separate toilets. The bath area has 2 sinks, a shower stall as well as a japanese style bathing area connected to the 2 onsen baths (indoor one is a hinoki wood tub and the outdoor one is a stone one. The outdoor onsen does have a slight privacy issue as there are some residential buildings in a distance. While my mom was a bit too modest to use the outdoor one (which I am not and fully enjoyed it), she did take full advantage of the indoor private onsen. Of course the hotel also has a public onsen for the guests. In fact they have two. One in each towers. I used the one on the top floor in the morning and it was a bless seeing the sunrise while soaking in the hot onsen water. Our package also included both dinner and breakfast that were served at their private dining room. Both meals were done in kaiseki style. We were particularly impressed by their dinner. Not only was it cooked with high quality ingredients and with beautiful presentation, they did not skimp on the quantity as well. Often after eating dinner at other onsen hotel, I would not feel full and actually felt a bit hungry later at night, at Yumotokan the courses kept coming and I was completely stuffed at the end. In fact I did not finish the rice even though it was so yummy (cooked from scratch in front of us with a flamed mini-stove). All in all, a very satisfactory experience. I can recommend anyone who comes to Kyoto/Osaka and wants an excursion and experiences the traditional Japanese onsen.

When visiting Kyoto, we wanted to enjoy some time in an onsen resort so we decided to spend two nights in Ogoto Onsen. After checking the details in their website, we booked a ”Biwa no kaze”room with private onsen and view of Lake Biwako. And we were not disappointed. The room looks newly renovated, and is very spacious with two beds and sitting area plus a tatami room. They offer different dinner packages, and we have chosen crab with steak as the main dishes for the first night, and lobster with shabu-shabu the second night. The foods were of very high quality, tasted and looked very nice. The breakfast buffet was very good with a wide selection of different items. The ryokan is excellent in nearly all aspects. We would stay here again when we next visit Kyoto.

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!

There is a shuttle bus from Otsu to the hotel. You have to make an early phone reservation. The Japanese service has nothing to say. I have been on a business trip to Japan. This family trip, the breakfast and dinner are set. The variety is better. The victory is less. Haha.

Lake Biwa has been here before, so it is not on the lakeside, but I used this inn with a good evaluation of Cospa. There is no elevator in the building and the stairs are a bit steep. Clean Japanese modern room, Wi-Fi can be used in the room. I was happy to have a sofa chair. The bath is only an inner bath, so I also used the bath at the Yugenkan next door (600 yen for use). You will go to Yuyuankan and walk through the corridor on the lobby floor. The bath in Yuyuankan was large and very splendid and there were several types. There is a guide in the building so it is easy to understand. The garden open-air bath is a beautiful and elegant bath with waterfalls and moss. Also, from the open-air bath on the 11th floor, you can see the wonderful view of Lake Biwa overlooking 180 degrees. It was good that there was a washroom and a washroom area with a dryer in the open-air bath. The inner bath and open-air bath on the 8th floor were also large and good. I didn't enter, but there is a bath in one place later. If it is not a rainy day, I recommend using a bath in the sister house even if you pay 600 yen. Very clean bath area is also equipped with amenities, so I am especially happy for women. Well, it was dinner, but every item was delicious. The curry round fried and the scallops were especially delicious. It seemed a little unfortunate that there was no sashimi, but it was too much quantity and quality in any case. However, although it was a reasonable inn, alcohol was high in a luxury inn, and it was a little for us. The bottle of sake and shochu was from 3900 yen. If you offered 300cc of local sake at least 1000 yen, I think I tried various things (after all, I made it a shochu bottle that was not local sake). Breakfast was also a delicious Japanese food, rice, juice, etc. were Viking forms. No coffee (there was a paid coffee machine in the lobby). It is an inn with a reasonable price setting by omitting the service, but especially from the front desk male staff, I felt high hospitality. I was happy to be polite and kind.

Although the name suggests it is a luxury inn, the service is that of an ordinary hotel. When we arrived at the front of the hotel, he came to collect our luggage. When you enter the building, 4 to 5 employees greet you and say, ``Welcome.'' There was also a guide to the room. The room is a corner room with an open-air bath and an indoor bath, and a small Hori Kotatsu room with a TV. Meals are served in a private room and are kaiseki cuisine, but although they say they are explaining the food, there is no explanation of the ingredients, such as aperitifs, accompaniments, tableware, etc., and I was told to look at the menu for the contents. That's all for luxury, and breakfast is a buffet. Just like the guests of Biwako Grand Hotel, there is a large room with tables that can seat 4 to 6 people. Eating as a family is not possible. Desperate to share a seat. The food is also the same. The dishes are arranged in a U-shape. It's also difficult to gather ingredients. The food is also comparable to that of a business hotel. I would like to at least share my time with a group. There was no seeing off after check out. I was able to stay cheaply thanks to the support.

This time, there was a situation ... Indoor bath, pet (dog), room meal, nearby hot spring inn or hotel that can be reached in a short time by car ... ”Kikunoya” was a hit. All the staff (including signboard dog, taro taro) love dogs and pets! I felt the cozy atmosphere, the feeling, and I was very satisfied with the attentive service, delicious food, hot springs and rooms. I stayed in ”Kono” in the room, but it was barrier-free, very clean, large, and the height of the sofa and bed was low and appropriate so that it was safe even if the dog jumped. It was very comfortable. Of course, the facilities for cage and other pets are also complete. I'm really glad I chose ”Kikunoya”. I also want to come to Oja. Thank you.

The Japanese-style room with street view, the hot spring on the first floor, it is very comfortable, the second floor eats, breakfast and dinner are very rich, the level of cuisine matching is no less than the level of high-end Japanese restaurants in Kyoto! At dinner, there will be a waiter to help open the bed. I haven't slept in the same room with my parents for many years. I still slept on one bed when I was young, with three beds side by side, so warm. The hotel owner can speak some English, free pick-up and drop-off to JR Okoto Onsen Station and Hieizan Station, and free pick-up and drop-off to Hieisan Cable Car Station Close to Lake Biwa Harbor, opposite to Lake Biwa Hot Spring Park, you can enjoy the hot spring foot pool for free