We didn't know that this is a love hotel and only realised it the day before checking in, as the check in is only from 6pm. The room is very spacious and we didn't mind the ****, condoms and lots of beauty products it came with. :D However, I didn't know that hotel rooms in Japan can allow smoking, so the strong cigarette smell in the room was very off putting.
We put up a 'do not disturb' sign because we don't need cleaning daily. The second day I noticed some of the **** from the hotel were gone in our room but the room wasn't made (bed wasn't made, trash not emptied). I asked the staff and they said they removed it because they thought it bothered us. This was a bit weird to me, I'm not sure where they got the idea from and I don't know why they entered the room. It's also important to note that the train only runs once per hour most of the day (during some hours twice).
Pros
- Astonishing view
- I had both dinner and breakfast in the hotel and both are delicious
- Staffs are dedicated to serve - so despite the language the overall experience is still very enjoyable
Cons
- It surprised me how little English the staff can speak, especially in the restaurant (I don't normally complain about this in Japan but this is a Marriott...)
- The shuttle bus service is a bit off... Last bus from station to hotel is before 19:00 and the information is so hard to find
I chose this hotel because it is close to lake biwako and my friends area. To my disappointment, my room was at the end of the hallway supposedly facing the lake but upon entering my room, there was no window facing the lake instead my view of the window is the car parking of the hotel. The room is definitely dated, old television, i only had tea bags, on my first day and they never replenish until i checked out., no coffee as well. The carpet is red which looks so old, has some old marks too and the bed is old too, but nevertheless the room is clean.
The staff are very friendly, the breakfast was great. But if i will compare it to a business hotel where i stayed before in the same area, the beds, amenities of the business hotel and the hotel rate is more worth it than this one. I don't think I will stay in this hotel again. My impression is, it is an okay place but not great. I paid almost double the price of the business hotel where i stayed last year, which had modern beds and nice amenities but for the price this hotel is charging i don't think it is worth it. This hotel needs to update a lot of things my room looks so old and feels so old. I thought staying in a hotel like this was going to be a nice treat for myself as it was more expensive than my usual budget but it was a disappointment.
Really sorry if i had to say all of these on my review but the room is really dated.on every single thing.
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
Although we checked in using a machine, staff were there to assist us and umbrellas were provided on rainy days. There is a Lawson inside the hotel, which is very convenient. Free bottled water, tea, latte, and biscuits are provided in the room. The CP value is very high and the location is convenient. It is right next to JP Station. There is also a paid parking lot for self-driving (500 yen per night)
ThIs was a really bad experience staying in this hotel. We check-in around 9pm at night and discovered that the hotel has arranged a damaged room (refer pics) for us at the moment before bed time . One door of the wooden cabinet was lost but leaving the door hinges on the side of the cabinet. We decided not to request to change the room, despite we felt this is not being respected as a hotel guest.
We complained the issues to the front desk and the customer service officer explained that it is not a broken/ damage cabinet door but this was their intention to remove the door.
This seems an excuse since if this was the intention to remove the door why only one door was remove rather than both. The door hinges was still attached which means the door could be reinstalled one day.
It was a container hotel, but it was clean and spacious enough.
It was good to have light meals. It was good that there was Lawson next to it and a convenience store next to it.
However, it was hard to have no taxi and no transportation to restaurants.
High-class service, polite service staff
Free soba noodles in the lobby at 9pm
Lounge has few snack options
Public baths facing the sea, with beautiful scenery
The dinner rehearsal location had poor ventilation and a lot of fumes. When I went there in March, there were a lot of flying insects flying around and landing on the food.
This hotel was recommended by my Japanese friend in Shiga. It has a great location and can be seen from Omihachiman Station. The key is the sunrise in the morning 🌅 It is extremely beautiful! I will choose this hotel next time~
We stayed two nights in the hotel with breakfast and dinner. The web page of Trip.com showed that there was onsen in the hotel but when we check in, we were told that it was a ”mistake”. There is no onsen and the photo is a public onsen half an hours away. It was very disappoining that the Trip.com include photos irrelevant to the hotel. Dinner was also diffferent from the web photo. We have to pay 2500 yen each to upgrade the dinner to shsbu shabu. Breakfast is Japanese style with limited choice. Other than these, we had lake view room and shopping mall is nearby which are the advantages.
Very Good
26 reviews
8.6/10
Price from
€35
per night
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9.4/10
Amazing
AAnonymous UserIt 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!
LLi FangThis is my second time at Biwako Ryokusuitei. My husband and I first stayed there in 2022 and we were so impressed with the service that we brought our family there again in 2024. We really enjoyed the convenience of bathing in the onsen in our room and the dinner and breakfast was as superb as we remembered it.
Special mention goes to the kind driver who sent us to Sakamoto Cable Car when we checked out. He went out of his way to bring us to the train station to check whether there were any empty lockers available for our hand luggages and tried his best to communicate with us in English to recommend places to go and restaurants to try. His kindness and joviality stayed with us until we returned to Singapore and is something that we still talk about today.
Thank you to everyone at the Ryokan for making it a memorable trip for my family and I!
WW ChungThIs was a really bad experience staying in this hotel. We check-in around 9pm at night and discovered that the hotel has arranged a damaged room (refer pics) for us at the moment before bed time . One door of the wooden cabinet was lost but leaving the door hinges on the side of the cabinet. We decided not to request to change the room, despite we felt this is not being respected as a hotel guest.
We complained the issues to the front desk and the customer service officer explained that it is not a broken/ damage cabinet door but this was their intention to remove the door.
This seems an excuse since if this was the intention to remove the door why only one door was remove rather than both. The door hinges was still attached which means the door could be reinstalled one day.
EErlaoguaiThe hotel is in a good location, and it only takes more than ten minutes to walk to the train station. It is close to Hikone Castle and is very convenient for visiting.
The staff are polite, professional, and willing to help guests. Not every employee can communicate in English, but simple communication is no problem.
Although the hotel lobby looks luxurious, the rooms and bedding are really not good. It feels a bit old-fashioned.
I had dinner at the hotel in the evening, and the Japanese dinner experience was good. However, I ate it for three days, and the tone was relatively monotonous.
By the way, the breakfast was still good, and I was very satisfied.
TTimentoDiverI recently stayed at AB Hotel Hikone and had an exceptional experience. The location deserves a solid 5 stars—it's conveniently situated at 5-9 Daitocho, Hikone, Shiga, offering easy access to key attractions. The cleanliness of the hotel is commendable, earning another 5-star rating. The staff was friendly and accommodating, though a slightly higher rating for friendliness would enhance the overall experience. The value for money is excellent, with top-notch facilities that deserve a full 5 stars. The breakfast exceeded expectations, earning a perfect score. Overall, AB Hotel Hikone provides a fantastic stay with its prime location, cleanliness, value for money, and outstanding facilities. I highly recommend it to fellow travelers seeking a delightful and comfortable accommodation experience in Hikone, Japan.
GGuest UserPros
- Astonishing view
- I had both dinner and breakfast in the hotel and both are delicious
- Staffs are dedicated to serve - so despite the language the overall experience is still very enjoyable
Cons
- It surprised me how little English the staff can speak, especially in the restaurant (I don't normally complain about this in Japan but this is a Marriott...)
- The shuttle bus service is a bit off... Last bus from station to hotel is before 19:00 and the information is so hard to find
MMelonimoniWe didn't know that this is a love hotel and only realised it the day before checking in, as the check in is only from 6pm. The room is very spacious and we didn't mind the ****, condoms and lots of beauty products it came with. :D However, I didn't know that hotel rooms in Japan can allow smoking, so the strong cigarette smell in the room was very off putting.
We put up a 'do not disturb' sign because we don't need cleaning daily. The second day I noticed some of the **** from the hotel were gone in our room but the room wasn't made (bed wasn't made, trash not emptied). I asked the staff and they said they removed it because they thought it bothered us. This was a bit weird to me, I'm not sure where they got the idea from and I don't know why they entered the room. It's also important to note that the train only runs once per hour most of the day (during some hours twice).
GGuest UserThe hotel is relatively new, about 100 meters from the station. The breakfast provided is in the bakery on the first floor. The taste is OK, but the fixed amount is two different breads and a glass of orange juice, which is enough. It is not richer than Japanese cuisine.
TTimentoDiverNestled in the heart of Konan, Hotel Sun Crest is a poetic haven. Its location, adorned with 4 stars, unveils a serene canvas in Iwanechuo. Cleanliness, a masterpiece, claims 4.5 stars, each corner brushed with meticulous care. The staff's charm, akin to a subtle melody, earns a modest 4 stars, adding a harmonious note to the sojourn. A symphony of value echoes with 4.5 stars, a fusion of quality and affordability. The facilities, a choreography of comfort, dance gracefully with 4.5 stars, creating an opulent performance.
Amidst this artistic tapestry, the breakfast tableau is a radiant 5-star spectacle, a crescendo of flavors. However, stealing the spotlight is the spacious single occupancy room—a sanctuary of tranquility. Hotel Sun Crest, an aesthetic voyage, invites patrons to savor the blend of practicality and allure in the heart of Konan.
GGuest UserGreat option for visiting the Shirahige Shrine. The host offered a ride in the early morning after knowing we were planning to go, which was extremely kind of him.
Room was very spacious and clean, with a nice view. Very close to the station and easy to find.
The only thing I would note is that there was only one bath. We arrived around 830pm and planned to take the bath shortly, but by the time we settled and got downstairs (around 9pm), someone else was using it so we couldn't get in until after 930. It was a shame that we couldn't enjoy the hot bath as much as we wanted as we tried to hurry out for the next group since they were waiting after us but I'm not sure if they were able to use it as the bath closes at 10pm.
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