Top 5-Star 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

**Breathtaking Views** The hotel offers stunning views of Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest freshwater lake. My room featured panoramic vistas of the tranquil waters and surrounding mountains, especially beautiful at sunrise and sunset. **Comfortable Accommodations** The spacious accommodations blended traditional Japanese aesthetics with modern comforts. The cozy futon bedding ensured a restful night’s sleep, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere. **Delicious Dining Options** Dining was a highlight, with a breakfast buffet that included a delightful mix of Japanese and Western dishes, emphasizing local ingredients. Fresh seafood and seasonal fruits made each meal enjoyable. **Excellent Location and Amenities** Located in Otsu, the hotel is perfectly situated for exploring the area. It offers free parking for guests and complimentary bike rentals, making it easy to explore the scenic lakeside paths and nearby attractions. The staff were incredibly helpful, providing recommendations for local sights, such as the historic Enryaku-ji Temple. Lake Biwa Hotel is a fantastic choice for a peaceful getaway. With stunning views, comfortable accommodations, and great amenities, I highly recommend it for a relaxing escape.

Hotel is pleasant but the meals are of average standard for 500 a night catering breakfast and dinner with a private outdoor shower, onsen tub. Service staff are responsive but the surrounding area where hotel is located seems to be housing” girlie bars ” and night girls clubs activities. Shuttle bus to and from station provided by the hotel.

The hotel is well-known in the Xiongqin Hot Spring area. There was only the last one left when booking. It was not disappointing. The environment is typical Japanese style, comfortable and beautiful. The hot springs are very, very comfortable. It is really great for people who walk 20,000 steps a day. ❤️ There is a shuttle bus to the hotel. You can contact it by phone at Xiongqin Hot Spring Station. It only took about 10 minutes to wait. Thank you👍🏻 The dinner for one stay and two meals is super delicious. It is definitely worth recommending👍🏻👍🏻

Staff are very friendly and Services are excellent. The hotel shuttle picked us up from train station after we used the toll free mobile phone at the station. The next day they arranged shuttle to send us to the cable car station. The only draw back is the dinner quality. Only moderate.

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!

It's pretty good. But cigarettes 🚬 It smells a little.

Despite the language barrier, you can still feel the enthusiasm of the service staff. There is no bathroom in the room booked this time, a large bath is enough. The free large bath has an outdoor part but no view.

KKR Hotel Biwako (National Public Officers Mutual Aid Association Federation)

A very cost-effective hot spring hotel. There is a shuttle bus from the JR station. The kaiseki cuisine for dinner is good. You can eat the buttress wall. There is a large hot spring next to it. There are many free items.