Hot Springs Hotels in 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!

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.

I really love the Grand Mercure brand; I try to stay at one whenever I visit Japan. They offer great value for money, with afternoon tea, late-night snacks, and extensive breakfast and dinner buffets. The on-site hot spring (onsen) is also incredibly relaxing. This particular hotel is located right by Lake Biwa. After exiting the JR station, you just walk towards Nagahama Castle, cut through the park, and you're there. It was so pleasant to enjoy afternoon tea, then take a stroll by the lake to watch the sunset.

This is a Japanese onsen hotel. The service and food were great, but the rules are a bit rigid. My husband came to drop us off and was planning to leave the same evening without staying. We just wanted to chat as a family of three in our room for a bit. To our surprise, the staff told us we could only talk in the lobby. They said only the person who made the reservation could enter the room, based on how many people were booked. I offered to pay extra so my husband could rest in the room before leaving, but they still refused. Then, to ensure I didn't take my husband into the room, the staff watched us all the way as we put our luggage in, making sure he didn't enter, and then politely escorted him back to the lobby. Alright, I guess we have to follow the rules of Japanese onsen hotels.

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!

The hotel services and facilities (if you want to use the soup in Yu Yuan Pavilion, you need to add 700 yen) are great; as soon as you park the car, the service staff will come to guide you to check in. After changing your indoor shoes, you will go to the lounge and watch the whole hotel ”Introduction video” is clear at a glance. It is an old but renovated hot spring resort. There is no elevator, but you can go up to the third floor. The CP value is very high! The breakfast is very rich and carefully prepared, and you can enjoy authentic and creative kaiseki cuisine. The only regret is that the meat in the shabu-shabu dinner is not Omi beef! But all the ingredients, colors, flavors and flavors are all present and every dish is worth savoring! *The nearby Lake Biwa is a must-see attraction. Depending on your time, you can search for interesting attractions on your own.

Nice lake view and a decent environment. The service was alright too. However, what I couldn't understand was the overwhelming number of towels and other amenities in the room, contrasting sharply with the completely empty minibar. Overall, it didn't meet the Marriott standards I've experienced domestically, more like a lower-end Four Points by Sheraton. The price was acceptable, I guess. The hotel dinner tasted good but wasn't very good value for money. Staying a few more days would be good, the scenery here is quite nice.

We stayed one night at Biwako Grand Hotel Kyoomi and had a generally relaxing experience. The traditional tatami room was comfortable and suitable for staying with a young child. The hotel has a classic Japanese ryokan atmosphere, and the area near Lake Biwa is very peaceful. Staff were polite and helpful, and the shuttle service was convenient. Breakfast was simple but acceptable. One suggestion is that it would be appreciated if room arrangements could better match the photos shown on the booking page, as this would help set clearer expectations. Overall, a calm stay for travelers seeking a traditional experience.

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.

clean and new hotel with great design & super friendly staff, great food selection. Had a very nice chill vibe during my stay. Thank you staff 田中美’代’ ( I forgot the last word of her name, she served us dinner on 16th Jan 2026), we appreciate her food serving with patience as we ate slowly, and she helped to take a great photo for us. I’d recommend this hotel if you can drive to there. e