Name: Biwako Ryokusuitei
Address: 6-1-6 Ogoto, Otsu-shi, Shiga, Shiga, 5200101, JP

10/10

Exceptional

16 Jun 2026

Ching

A very decent ryokan with beautiful public hot spring and sauna. Good amenities. Very nice private onsen with a view to Lake Biwa. Free pre dinner drinks and snacks.

Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jun 2026

Jake

Great place to stay! Lovely facilities and great staff.

10/10

Exceptional

28 May 2026

Jake

Great service, it’s basically a hotel with ryokans inside

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

20 Apr 2026

Anton

Our whole family loved the stay.
Breakfast and kaiseki dinner were great!

Onsen in our room was just amazing, I enjoyed every moment of it.

Hotel staff was very helpful and rooms were clean and comfortable.

Hotel itself is a bit off the beaten path and after stampede of tourists in Kyoto offers a calm refuge. If you can rent a car or afford taxi, you can visit all kinds of amazing places without any crowds.

Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

11 Apr 2026

Laine

I had a great experience. They made everything worry free. A shuttle from the train station. Being welcomed into the lounge to check-in in comfort. Being given a welcome drink. Then when the check-in is completed, being escorted to my room. Unheard of where I’m from.

The room was exactly what I had hoped and more. The private bath on the patio was such a great treat. I was pretty dead after the last 2 weeks of being on the move and being surrounded by loud tourists. While a quick stay, this was exactly what I needed.

The food. I need to make myself perfectly clear, all tasted great. I loved the experience. I will warn my picky NA eaters or people on the spectrum who struggle with textures. The kaiseki meal will likely be a struggle for you. I was fighting for my life XD. But I knew this going in and wanted to do it anyway. I’m very happy I did. My mantra, “They simply will not feed you something that tastes bad.” And they didn’t. I also asked for a drink recommendation and the plum wine and soda went crazy. So good.

The staff were all awesome! I made train reservations while I was still in Kyoto and already had my tickets and couldn’t reschedule for reasons. But my train was leaving before the first morning shuttle. They had the shuttle make a special trip just for me nearly an hour early, which I was super appreciative of.

All in all a fantastic place. I hope to return on my next trip, and take advantage of the other amenities. The spa looked really nice.

Self

10/10

Exceptional

09 Apr 2026

Saleem

Amazing location, lovely staff, lovely rooms. The traditional spa is a great experience and the breakfast is to die for (especially the Japanese options)

Truly 10/10.

Also, Not sure why the hotel is shown as rated at 3.5 stars as it feels like a 4 to 5 star hotel with all the amenities and quality.

Friends_and_family Family

6/10

Pleasant

09 Apr 2026

Danah

We had the room with the open air bath which was great. The temperature could have been higher but it was plenty warm. The staff were helpful but ultimately gave us the wrong information for the restaurants on 2 of the 3 days. The shuttle service does not run from Ostu station and despite me telling them that’s where we will be, we ultimately found out that it’s the wrong station and ended up taking a taxi. The location is also not that great. If you were expecting something like Hakone, it’s a bit less secluded and very urban. The breakfast was good but lacked variety. Dinners were great and very filling.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Apr 2026

Hannah

Loved staying here - came back a 2nd time!

Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Apr 2026

Keith

Great breakfast buffet and seasonal kaiseki dinner. They have complementary shuttles you can call using a cellphone available for guest from the Ogoto Onsen Station, and also scheduled rides back to the station. We had such a great time. Would definitely come back again to experience other seasonal courses.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Apr 2026

Emily

Beautiful property, the private onsen in the room was amazing and so relaxing. The dinner was delicious. Staff was helpful and friendly. Very peaceful experience.

10/10

Exceptional

13 Mar 2026

Crystal

This was me and my friend’s first time at a ryokan and this one was amazing!
It surpassed our expectations from the onsen, breakfast, amenities in the room, even the massage we booked last minute was great.

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

24 Jan 2026

Agnes

Warm welcome, excellent service and fabulous onset. Highly recommend the resort for a truly traditional Japanese experience.

10/10

Exceptional

08 Jan 2026

Collin KY

the staffs were nice n friendly, given us a little tour for the hotel. the meals were delicious, with omi beef shabu shabu at dinner.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

27 Dec 2025

on yee

Perfect

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

13 Dec 2025

Mollie

The staff was wonderful and very helpful. We appreciated the shuttle back and forth from Ogotoonsen Station. We had the most relaxing room with a beautiful view of Lake Biwa. We very much enjoyed the breakfast and happy hour.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Dec 2025

Sherlock

Nice size and clean room. Balcony have a view of the lake, we had the onsen on the balcony which was a plus. There is a small weather proof tv if you are soaking. The staff are excellent.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Dec 2025

Keone

Awesome

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

30 Nov 2025

Alan

Wuiet

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

30 Nov 2025

Eric

A very well onsen resort. The food were good, nicely presented. Highly recommended.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

20 Nov 2025

Hector Alejandro Mandujano

They were very attentive and kind, the shuttle was very convenient to go from and to the the train station, the food was amazing and the views and facilities were gorgeous, will definitely come again

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

19 Nov 2025

monica

Easy to get to once you arrive at ogoto station. Once you arrive there’s a poster sign with a cellphone so you can call the onsen to schedule a shuttle van. Very convenient for foreigners who don’t have an overseas phone number. It was a quick ride and I enjoyed the little information that they broadcasted during the ride. (Ie. what to expect when we arrive at the resort, happy hour, etc). We were warmly welcomed by the staff and the one helping us spoke English so the process went smoothly. The resort is pretty big since the amenities are spaced out.

Happy hour, public foot baths, ice pops & beverages offered in the library, walk around the terrace, enjoy the onsen. The public onsen was very clean, beautiful and relaxing. There was even a sauna barrel. Instead of water, they provided tea to pour over the coals which steamed and smelled like tea. It was a nice touch.

The private onsen rooms were spectacular. Clean and spacious. Great view of biwako lake. The futons that they set up during dinner were nice and toasty when we went back to the rooms.

We had a large group so they surprised us with a private room which was appreciated. Dinner was spectacular with an amazing spread.

Breakfast buffet was good but wish they had offered sashimi/sushi/chirashi bowls. They did offer seafood to be cooked at your table which was a nice experience. I really liked that they even had tray trolleys to hold your tray while you choose your food.

I highly recommend this onsen

Leisure Family_with_children

8/10

Excellent

14 Nov 2025

Andrew

It should be explained that there is a hard check in at 3:00. This hotel is designed for guests to be welcomed at 3:00. We arrived early to think we could enjoy the facilities and this was not the case. The surrounding area is very depressed and not a thing to walk to. Ryokan is a nice change from cities.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Nov 2025

Ulises

The staff was extremely friendly and helpful with any of my inquiries. The overall ambiance of this hotel was extremely calming. I would highly recommend anyone to book this place if you need to destress. Breakfast was also very delicious!

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

07 Nov 2025

ralph

Everything was amazing! From the free shuttle that picks you up at the train station, to the amazing food and customer service from all staff, I would definitely try to make it back here.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Nov 2025

Lusi

Lovely room, great hospitality, very recomended.

10/10

Exceptional

02 Nov 2025

Eric

A very excellent experience overall. Staff was spectacular! Our private onsen was fantastic and the room was fine, it actually has softer beds which is a huge difference from other hotels in Japan from my experience.

Kaiseki dinner was great, getting greeted with a cup of Yuzu Tea while we wait for check in was also great.

I only have one request if you are reading this: be exceptionally nice to the staff. We watched the ladies checking people in get mocked for how they walked in their traditional dress, even though they were going above and beyond to make sure the people staying there were receiving great service. I genuinely felt terrible for them.

We will be back one day! We loved our experience

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Nov 2025

On Lam

Friendly and outstanding customer services. The wellness area was soothing and relaxing. The room was clean.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Nov 2025

Susan

Amenities and staff were wonderful

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

30 Oct 2025

Luc

Biwako Ryokusuitei was absolutely stunning in every way. The scenery was beautiful, the room in which I stayed was spacious, comfortable, and beautiful with a splendid view. And the staff was was incredibly kind and went out of their way to ensure our stay was as relaxing and enjoyable as possible. I cannot recommend this hotel enough. It was a perfect stay.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

30 Oct 2025

LORETTA

Enjoyed our stay. Very relaxing and dinner on both nights left us very full Nice walk outside tho small town Our main goal was to relax and have good food with family

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

27 Oct 2025

YueMin

Service is super good. Food is amazing.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

24 Oct 2025

Ellen

Stayed for 1 night with the family. 2 adults and 2 kids. The rooms were spacious and we stayed in the western room with private hot spring. Super clean and everything was available in the rooms, tea, kitchenette and basic toiletries. Also enjoyed the public bath with barrel sauna and cold plunge tub. We had the shabu shabu dinner which was very good with seasonal menu. Very authentic Japanese. All in all a great stay. Definitely check out their instagram to get directions to contact the shuttle if coming from the train station.

10/10

Exceptional

07 Oct 2025

Ryan

Top notch staff and a very peaceful environment. The shabu shabu dinner was special and delicious.

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

19 Aug 2025

Vadim

Private onsen on the balcony with the lake view has been a wonderful experience

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

03 Aug 2025

Cathy

Wanted to try an onsen with the family. Stayed one night and had the Kaiseki dinner add on. It was a nice experience and they even provided tattoo stickers if needed. The dinner was average for price point, the room was clean and well equipped, staff were friendly enough, shuttle from station was great, nice free drinks and icecream for guests throughout.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Jul 2025

Steven

Incredible experience. A level of hospitality I’ve never encountered. Wish we booked additional nights.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

25 Jun 2025

Antung

This was our first time staying in an onsen hotel. The property is loaded with amenities: an on-site hot and cold water onsen, a lounge with 24 hours of free drinks, a happy hour with wine included.

Our room was gorgeous, with tatami mat floors and comfortable beds they set up. We had a glass wall shower and views of Lake Biwaka.

My only criticism is that some of the furnishings seem a bit dated. But everything else was spectacular.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jun 2025

STELLA

such an amazing experience at this resort from check in to everything in between. my family enjoyed the public bath & we also had a private bath in room overlooking biwa lake. nice relaxing experience in the middle of our trip to unwind. would definitely come here again.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jun 2025

Sean

Exceptional experience. Best hospitality we have ever received. Staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. Many great perks including a yukata to wear around, happy hour free drinks and a wonderful garden out back with an amazing view of the water. Kaiseki dinner was fantastic (lots of seafood) and a wonderful breakfast buffet. Room was amazing and the private onsen was very relaxing. Included complimentary shuttle service to the train station after check out in the morning. Would highly recommend staying here. 10/10.

Leisure Partner

6/10

Pleasant

29 May 2025

Quinn

The walls and ceiling are so thin that you ca hear all the banging from top and room next door until very late at night.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

29 May 2025

Brenda

Love this place! Excellent customer service!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 May 2025

Ute

our first room was a box and the bathroom was so tiny but we complained and were upgraded to a really nice room with a wonderful bath outside, shower outside too!
our room looked out onto lake biwa

you really need to be into authentic Japanese food for the dinners.

the staff treats you like royalty

they have a shuttle to the train station which is awesome

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

10 May 2025

Sara

This hotel so far has the best staff I’ve ever seen. Everyone so friendly. They had the shuttle ready for us when we needed to go to the train station. Overall it was an experience.

10/10

Exceptional

06 May 2025

Lina

Amazing stay at our first ryokan! The staff is INCREDIBLE. So kind and helpful even though we are only English speakers and their English was limited. They made us feel so welcomed and special. We stayed 2 nights and it was perfect. Dinner the second night made up for dinner the first night :) and the breakfast had many options. We loved our private onsen and traditional Japanese beds. The view of the lake was stunning and the property so peaceful.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

05 May 2025

Jik

Overall a pretty good stay, the tatami has dated smells. The kaiseki dinner has good preparation but the taste is average.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

05 May 2025

Pauline Grace

Amazing! The property offered a shuttle ride from the station. We were greeted with a cup of tea. We were also taken to our room and with assistance and given a thorough tour of the space and the services that the hotel provided. The property has a beautiful view of the lake. The room was spacious for our group. Highly recommend the meals offered for dinner and breakfast. The onsen was also clean and spacious.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

24 Apr 2025

Jordan

Osen and breakfast were great.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

21 Apr 2025

Alice

Resort itself is clean and comfortable, the in room onsen is excellent and can change temperature to your liking. There are free drinks and alcohol included. The dinner is excellent and service is great.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 Apr 2025

Amy

I love that that I had my own private onsen bathtub in my room. I was able to see the sunrise from this bathtub, which was such a cool experience. The kaiseki dinner and breakfast buffet was so good here! The seafood is really fresh, and the Omi beef shabu shabu was the best part. The public baths on the property are nice too, and I really like the library area where you can get free drinks and popsicles. (There’s a gorgeous view of cherry blossoms on the veranda in the library, so be sure to check that out in both daytime and nighttime.) There’s a happy hour where there is a yummy peach juice. I also got a ¥500 coupon to spend at the store, which was a nice surprise. All in all, this was a really great stay, and I highly recommend it, especially if you’re looking for an onsen resort that isn’t too far away from Kyoto that’s accessible by train. (They offer a free shuttle to the nearby train station when you check out. )

Leisure Self

10/10

Exceptional

14 Apr 2025

Dane

Great hot springs and beautiful hotel. Limited local amenities but far made up for by the hotel itself and the all inclusive nature

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

13 Apr 2025

Charan

My wife and I had an incredible experience and the staff were superb. They had supported us upgrading our room and even provided an adorable little gift for our honeymoon.

The suite along with the amenities were incredibly clean, serene and provided the level of tranquility we were hoping to find.

The price matched what we were looking for and, having a private bath for ourselves was ideal. While the facility was busy, I found that we had ample space of our own.

The only issue we ran into was with Dinner. Due to traveling conditions, we did not book our dinner 3-days in advance. This meant that for our weekend we could not partake their restaurant and had to go down the street for food. It was not great timing for me as it started raining pretty hard and there wasn’t much in walking distance I was willing to get to on foot.

With that said, there is a Lawsons if you are in a crunch or other fine dining places in the area so if you really miss the dinner, you have alternatives if needed.

Would recommend this place to anyone and having a shuttle to get us from the train station to our stay was a great touch to get us back on our way for the remainder of our stay in Japan.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 Apr 2025

Daniel

We were treated wonderfully by all the staff and the suite was amazing. It was one of the best experiences we ever had. Dinners were exceptional and the overall atmosphere was so relaxing. We would love to visit again

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Apr 2025

karen

There are many reviews saying how wonderful this hotel is - the public onsen (I have tattoos so couldn’t use it), the creative dinners of traditional Japanese cuisine, and the peaceful relaxation. For me, the best parts were the lovely people working there, and the hot tub on the balcony of our room.
I have to admit it didn’t feel as private as I’d expected, but there are bamboo privacy blinds which can be pulled down. I also wish I’d asked for extra cushions under my futon mattress. I’m unaccustomed to sleeping on the floor and found it rather hard.
The hotel has a view of the lake, but the entrance faces a busy road in a built up area.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Apr 2025

yuliya

Having a private onsen in the room is a blessing! Great dinner and fabulous breakfast.
Note no tattoos allowed in the public onsen .

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Apr 2025

Vance

Excellent room and wonderful onsen. Incredible Japanese dinner and service.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

01 Apr 2025

Verified traveler

the staff were so professional and friendly to our group (from another country). Very easy to approach staff though we were not Japanese speaking. The ryokan itself was very clean. Great views. Lots of amenities for self care.

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

29 Mar 2025

Lloyd

Very friendly and helpful staff.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

12 Mar 2025

Terra

Hospitality was 10/10, the rooms were lovely and the private onset was everything I hoped for. The public baths offered a hot/cold tub and sauna in addition to the onsets themselves.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

07 Mar 2025

Aric

Incredibly relaxing stay with friendly and helpful staff. Would definitely come back to this hotel

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Mar 2025

Wendy

The food was fantastic and we enjoyed the onsen experience.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

26 Feb 2025

Jeason

Great onsen, great service and dinning option

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

24 Feb 2025

Verified traveler

Enjoyable stay in ryokan!

Room was large and clean. Service was excellent although facilities were a bit dated. Food was good and we especially enjoyed the buffet breakfast. Checkout at 10am was a bit early compared to other hotels. There is not much to see within walking distance of the onsen.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Feb 2025

Angela

Luxury

This was one of my favorite experiences while in Japan. Worth every penny. Our room ws lovely, the food was amazing, the service was top notch.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

25 Jan 2025

Weining

Very enjoyable and relaxing 3 days at Ryokusuiten. The staff there are the best. Enjoyed in-room hotspring and nightly Kaiseiki. We pre-ordered different dinner for each night with very reasonable added price. Would love to go back again.

Leisure Family

8/10

Excellent

21 Jan 2025

lawrence

Nice meals (dinner and breakfast), clean room. friendly staff. All you can drink happy hour. Snacks and drinks have good variety already. Frequent shuttle bus to train station, not much wait time. Efficient check in and check out.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Jan 2025

Vianna

Beautiful hotel, clean room and comfortable. Staffs are friendly and helpful. Breakfast is very good, even has grill seafood by your own on the dining table. Free shuttle bus to hotel from train station and only a few minutes journey. Will come back again and try the in room onset next time.

Leisure Family_with_children

10/10

Exceptional

12 Jan 2025

Codey

Beautiful hotel. Staff was awesome. Highly recommend.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Jan 2025

Sally

The food was excellent. The shuttle was at the jR station waiting for the guests when we arrived. We loved our stay.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jan 2025

Cindy

My room was cool!

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

06 Dec 2024

Rosario A A

Hot aircon

The food was mediocre and the aircon in the room was soo hot. They offered an electric fan but it still was not enough. Aside from that everything was good.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

05 Dec 2024

Tze Hiang

Great Onsen in the room with a fantastic lake view. Hotel offers seafood barbecue buffet for Breakfast. Best breakfast ever.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

30 Nov 2024

Albert

Convenient as they have shuttle bus pick up from station. Dinner under my expectation.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

22 Nov 2024

Wai Sun

overall the hotal is clean and we have a nice sleep at night

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

17 Nov 2024

Long

I love everything about the property :)

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

13 Nov 2024

Jenny

My family of 6 stayed at Biwako Ryokusuitei for one night. We all had a very pleasant time enjoying the onsen, the amazing dinner/breakfast food, and the excellent services by the staff.

10/10

Exceptional

07 Nov 2024

Chi Leung

Very nice Suite

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Nov 2024

Brandon

Very nice room with beautiful look over the lake

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

01 Nov 2024

Steven

Honeymoon delight

We stayed two nights as part of our honeymoon trip to Japan.
Loved everything about this place. From the Private Onsen in our room to the delightful restaurant service.
We enjoyed wearing our Yukata around the building and taking in the beautiful views and enjoying the traditional breakfast.
Would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for relaxing couple of days.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Oct 2024

Lemual

Nice and relaxing

10/10

Exceptional

20 Oct 2024

Yu

The Biwako Ryokusuite was a great experience. Has beautiful public onsen and amazing food. The private bath faces the east with a great sunrise experience. Getting there is easy from Kyoto station, I transferred to a local train from the Shinkansen. The resort has a shuttle that will pick up your luggage if you are early or pick you up if you are on time for checkin. If you are early, I recommend walking from the station to the resort, beautiful temple on the way. Staff were extremely friendly, and most drinks and snacks are all inclusive. Highly recommend to get the Kaiseki dinner while you are there.

Leisure Partner

4/10

Poor

29 Sep 2024

Callum

We stayed at Biwako Ryokusuitei for two nights, and it was one of the most disappointing onsen hotel experiences we've had in Japan. Having visited over a dozen times, we had high expectations, especially for the kaiseki dinner. Unfortunately, the food and service were big letdowns.

The omi beef, which was heavily advertised, was a huge disappointment. The shabu shabu was overly fatty and oily, and the steak was a poor cut. Many dishes seemed pre-prepared due to the hotel’s size—sashimi was served frozen, hot dishes arrived cold, and the tempura was soggy.

Breakfast was also subpar. The \"grill your own fish/seafood\" experience sounded fun, but the seafood didn’t taste fresh. We suspected that leftovers from breakfast were reused in the kaiseki dinner, leading to repetitive meals, which was very disappointing.

Service, particularly during the first night’s dinner, was also problematic. Our server was clearly sick, coughing behind his mask throughout the meal, which made us uncomfortable. The meal felt rushed, and he even served rice with his thumb in the bowl, which was off-putting and unhygienic.

Additionally, roadworks in front of the hotel created a noisy and dusty environment, making it hard to relax.

While the views of Lake Biwa were beautiful, the food, rushed service, and disturbance from the roadworks ruined the experience. We would not recommend this place to anyone.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

15 Jun 2024

Jenny

Lovely view from our room. We thoroughly enjoyed the outdoor bath. Buffet breakfast was amazing with a large variety of options. We stayed there for 2 nights and had two different kaiseki meals. We also loved how easy it was to get here from Kyoto station.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jun 2024

Derek

We didn't want to leave. Stayed for two nights and wished we had booked for longer. Amazing hospitality and amenities, we had a room with a private bath on the balcony. Kaiseki dinners were fabulous albeit slightly confusing with our minimal Japanese language skills, but the staff went out of their way to explain and help us have a great meal. Breakfasts were also good, and the shuttle bus to and from the train station was much appreciated.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 May 2024

Imogen

Amazing facilities and the staff cannot do enough for you, plus the breakfast buffet is delicious.

Leisure

10/10

Exceptional

23 May 2024

Jim

Awesome location, the dinner kaiseki set was delicious but a little bit expensive.

It seems like a lot of locals were fishing at the lake right behind the hotel, so if you fish I'd recommend that you try

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 May 2024

Krista

Unique Class and Charm

Total luxury and unique experience. The rooms were comfy, the private tub on our deck was awesome. The dinner and breakfast were so unique. All on a beautiful lake outside all the hustle of busy Japan. Definitely worth the visit.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

22 Dec 2023

Verified traveler

Japanese hospitality at its best

From the moment of pickup at the Ogoto Onsen station and dropoff, the service was flawless! Check-in is completed while seated in the lobby (rather than standing in queue) and many of the staff speak multiple languages. While the venue is slightly older, it is beautifully maintained and spotless.
The 24 component kaiseki dinner is delicious and cheap considering the variety, gorgeous presentation and flavors. N.B. The kaiseki menu is only available in Japanese and even though I'm bilingual, I had a hard time explaining it for my fellow travellers. Google translator was also perplexed... If you have food restrictions or allergies, kaiseki is NOT for you! The breakfast buffet has lots of variety but some may find the smell of fish quite strong since it's grilled at the table.
The onsen was recently renovated and now has new dry barrel sauna with great views. Benefit: it's open 24 hours so I was able to enjoy a private experience multiple times throughout the stay (N.B. the barrel sauna closes at midnight).
The staff go out of their way to ensure everyone's comfort even when dealing with cultural differences, language barriers, multiple (sometimes unreasonable) and demands from international (and local) guests. #impressed
While there are pricier and more traditional ryokans in Japan, we had a fabulously relaxing time at the Biwako Ryokusuitei and wish we could of stayed longer!

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

06 Nov 2023

Mansel

Very relaxing stay - a wonderful experience.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 Oct 2023

Cindy

They provide shuttle bus at the train station. Look for a telephone station near the station exit of the train station. The hotel is very clean and stuff are friendly, and some of them speak English pretty well. Place is relaxing with many facilities, and food is very good. Highly recommended.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Oct 2023

Wong

Great service and onsen

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

11 Sep 2023

Mirjam

Our stay at this Hotel was good. Here is for a more romantic getaway or relaxation. Activities around the area are a bit too far from this Hotel and transportation is limited if you don't know the area well.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

02 Jun 2023

brendan

This was our first ryokan experience and we had an amazing time. The staff, rooms, amenities, and onsen were incredible. Would recommend!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 May 2023

Elizaveta

A great place to stay if you want to experience staying in a Japanese ryokan with private onsen and kaiseki dinner.
Only a short train journey from Kyoto.
Customer service was absolutely amazing.

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

25 Apr 2023

Gina

The property itself is nice and well maintained. Looks a bit dated inside but it is situated in a small town that doesn’t have dining options and the onsen serves dinner and breakfast but no quick dining option for those that don’t want to eat at a formally decided time.

So be prepared and bring snacks or eat before your 3pm check in. The happy hour provides 1 wine and non alcoholic beverages and limited snacks. If you want beer you have to pay for it.

We had an issue with the vending machine but the staff doesn’t speak English so Google translate was key during that issue. On that note, be sure you bring water because your only option is to buy some from the vending machine.

We were able to book massages when we arrived and they were magical. Highly recommend taking part in that service. Massage only offered in the evening so plan accordingly. We wanted to get a foot massage the morning we were leaving but since they don’t offer massage services in the morning we weren’t able to.

Definitely with the experience but 1 night was enough for us especially because the food is traditional Japanese meals and we don’t eat all of those items.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

06 Apr 2023

Alan

Biwako is definitely a destination if you want to relax and get away from busy city life. Great views, clean hotel, and staff was friendly, courteous, and super helpful. I unfortunately wasn't able to use the onsen as I have a tattoo that could not be covered up, but I booked it knowing that. If it's small enough to cover, you might be able to use it. Otherwise look into booking a room with the private onsen option. There is a shuttle that will take you to the train station in the morning or you will have to make a bit of a walk there. Overall great stay.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

14 Mar 2023

Seema

We had such a great time the baths were so relaxing and the staff was very friendly and helpful! Would definitely go back.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

08 Mar 2023

Shalene

The service rendered by this place is AMAZING. The onsen is lovely and plenty of towels are available so you don't have to bring the ones from your room. There is also a rest area with cold drinks and popsicles you can enjoy after your bath. We took the half board plan and both dinner and breakfast were plentiful and delicious. We were served Omi beef shabu shabu at dinner. If you're coming to Ogoto onsen, I highly recommend staying at Biwako Ryokusuitei!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

31 Dec 2019

Verified traveler

Other than the toilet design being a bit dated, everything else was great. Kudos to staff's attention to details even though most of them were not conversant in English.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

01 Dec 2019

Pansak

Nice atmosphere
Food quality is excellent and plentiful
Onsen bath is clean and nice
Staff is friendly and helpful

Partner

8/10

Excellent

05 Oct 2019

Verified traveler

Free shuttle between JR station (Ogotoonsen) and hotel. Good view of the lake from the hotel room. Excellent private onsen (hot spring; wooden outdoor bath tub).

Leisure Family