Good

Good

Very traditional Japanese ryokan. Vast majority of guests are Japanese and so is authentic but also a bit weird… that’s to say, it doesn’t cater to foreigners. Can’t decide if the decor is stuck in the 1980s or if this is just Japanese taste. We had one of the fancy rooms with a private lounge and a private bath tub (could fit 2 small people) overlooking the mountain and lake. This was lovely. Public baths were on 3rd floor, but we didn’t use those. Stayed for 2 days, so ate 2 elaborate dinners and breakfast. All multi course and to Japanese traditional meal etiquette. I’ve never seen so many little dishes. Don’t quite understand the balance of tastes. Loved the wagyu beef and the soup broth with fish. So many elements. This is definitely a place for authenticity. Can’t say I enjoyed everything I ate, but I appreciated it. Oh and we slept on the floor.. on traditional bedding. I don’t feel the need to do that again. Altogether a good experience.

Very traditional Japanese ryokan. Vast majority of guests are Japanese and so is authentic but also a bit weird… that’s to say, it doesn’t cater to foreigners. Can’t decide if the decor is stuck in the 1980s or if this is just Japanese taste. We had one of the fancy rooms with a private lounge and a private bath tub (could fit 2 small people) overlooking the mountain and lake. This was lovely. Public baths were on 3rd floor, but we didn’t use those. Stayed for 2 days, so ate 2 elaborate dinners and breakfast. All multi course and to Japanese traditional meal etiquette. I’ve never seen so many little dishes. Don’t quite understand the balance of tastes. Loved the wagyu beef and the soup broth with fish. So many elements. This is definitely a place for authenticity. Can’t say I enjoyed everything I ate, but I appreciated it. Oh and we slept on the floor.. on traditional bedding. I don’t feel the need to do that again. Altogether a good experience.

The rooms were spacious and wonderful, and the staff were all very nice

The rooms were spacious and wonderful, and the staff were all very nice

We stayed here for one night… just as something different, as we both have never stayed in a Ryokan before. The Satoyama suite was one of the nicest rooms we’ve ever stayed in. You could tell that it was recently renovated/brand new. It also offered a perfect view of Lake Biwa and the surrounding Otsu area. The open air bath and shower was also a nice touch. We took the train from Kyoto to Ogoto Onsen Station. Once you get to Ogoto Onsen Station there is an area where you can call the hotel and a shuttle is sent to pick you up from the station. It was very nice, especially after lugging our bags around stations all day long. Check-in was super easy; the first question they asked us is if we spoke Japanese. We did not. The person who helped us spoke really good English. Everyone who helped us out was super friendly and accommodating. Since we were also considered VIP because we were staying in the suites we got unlimited free snacks and drinks if we showed our room key downstairs. The only gripe I had was the fact that we didn’t realize that we only paid for breakfast the next morning and not dinner the night we stayed. The only way you can get in for dinner is with a timed ticket which they only gave us for breakfast. They stop serving dinner around 8pm and only begin with room service after dinner is done being served. Since it was a long walk into town from where the hotel was located we had to wait until 8pm for room service. Other than that, the hotel was lovely.

We stayed here for one night… just as something different, as we both have never stayed in a Ryokan before. The Satoyama suite was one of the nicest rooms we’ve ever stayed in. You could tell that it was recently renovated/brand new. It also offered a perfect view of Lake Biwa and the surrounding Otsu area. The open air bath and shower was also a nice touch. We took the train from Kyoto to Ogoto Onsen Station. Once you get to Ogoto Onsen Station there is an area where you can call the hotel and a shuttle is sent to pick you up from the station. It was very nice, especially after lugging our bags around stations all day long. Check-in was super easy; the first question they asked us is if we spoke Japanese. We did not. The person who helped us spoke really good English. Everyone who helped us out was super friendly and accommodating. Since we were also considered VIP because we were staying in the suites we got unlimited free snacks and drinks if we showed our room key downstairs. The only gripe I had was the fact that we didn’t realize that we only paid for breakfast the next morning and not dinner the night we stayed. The only way you can get in for dinner is with a timed ticket which they only gave us for breakfast. They stop serving dinner around 8pm and only begin with room service after dinner is done being served. Since it was a long walk into town from where the hotel was located we had to wait until 8pm for room service. Other than that, the hotel was lovely.