Hotels near Ritsuin Temple, Otsu

The first time I lived in the orthodox squatter house, I was pleasantly surprised. The house is very distinctive. The sister of the hotel will not communicate with the translator because of the text but has been communicating with the translator. The breakfast is delicious. Everyone must order breakfast in advance. There is also a vinyl dish machine in the living room. It is very nostalgic and sentimental. Otsu is really a very quiet town, and on the last day of 2024 I spent a very peaceful day here.

I would have said that we had a wonderful stay: loved the peaceful environment, the food, the morning service…. But then they started the morning with a team of workers going through the temple grounds with deafening leaf blowing machines! Why do they disturb the peace like this? The temple claims to be environmentally conscious, but these machines are noisy, irritating, wasteful and bad for the environment. It made me leave the place in a bed mood.

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 bathroom was tiny, only one person could fit in at a time. It's about a 5-6 minute walk from the JR station. The breakfast selection wasn't extensive, but it was enough to fill you up. If you're traveling with children over seven, you'll be required to book an additional room. We had two 10-year-olds in our group of seven, and they insisted we get an extra room. However, the rooms have bunk beds, and the bottom bunk is a double, so a family of three could easily fit. Forcing us to pay for another room was really bad.

Being a Toyoko Inn, there's nothing wrong with the hotel itself. The rooms are clean and the service is also excellent. The only downside is the location. It's a bit far from both JR Otsu Station and Keihan Biwako-Hamaotsu Station, so it might be a bit difficult if you have luggage or during hot or cold seasons. Also, there are no convenience stores nearby, so you might find it inconvenient if you forget to buy something.

It was great that there were two large public baths for men and two for women, and they were open 24 hours. Thanks to this, the baths weren't crowded at all, even for such a large ryokan. Dinner was served in a grand banquet hall at a designated time, and it was so lavish that the dishes barely fit on the table – everything was delicious! The facilities are quite old, so I did notice noises like the motor and the bathroom fan, but all the staff were very kind, and I had a pleasant stay overall.

Very pleasant stay with generous supply of amenities and convenient location for you to explore Shiga. Just 10 minutes train from Kyoto and 40 minutes from Osaka, which also make this accommodation highly recommendable!

Lake Biwa is right outside the hotel, which is very convenient. There are not many restaurants nearby. The beach by the lake is beautiful. The staff are very friendly. The room facilities are a bit old, but they are well maintained.

Booked this stay to explore the areas around Lake Biwa. Reception was warm and friendly with an English-speaking host who provided us with the information for the stay. We booked the western style room as we preferred an attached bathroom, however the room condition was outdated and needs refurbishment, like peeling surfaces. The Japanese style room looked better when we caught a glimpse during check-out time. Nevertheless, location and amenities were great. Location is near major eateries and commercial centres by a short drive.

Ok. First of all leave your expectations at home expecting hotel level service. Once you've done that if you want a cheap but clean place to stay this is it. This is a seinenkan - a facility for youth and youth-related organizations to conduct independent study and recreational activities, many of which have basic accommodation facilities but higher grade facilities than youth hostels. They are located all over Japan. I stayed in a tatami mat room on a floor with shared toilet facilities. The ground floor has a large communal bath - obviously separate for male and females. They have lights out at 11 p.m. and guests must return by the same time. There is a very modern cafe onsite serving cheap breakfasts (see photos) but the cafe closes by 6 p.m. There is a convenience store 10 minutes walk away so I suggest you buy snacks and beverages en route from JR Ishiyama station. For dinner, there is a family restaurant - good value and okay food - about 6 minutes walk away. The seinenkan is located on a small island by a historic bridge. The views of the river inlet flowing into the main Lake Biwa is relaxing, lots of bird wildlife, and lots of rowers (the seinenkan is a water sports facility too). and the sunrise and sunset views are lovely. The staff are very kind. It cost me ¥5,500 for one night and I will stay there again if I have the opportunity.