3-Star Hotels in Shiga Prefecture, Japan

Thank you very much to Ctrip customer service Saga. I contacted him after I got on the train from Kyoto to Hikone and asked the hotel to pick me up. He solved the problem as fast as lightning, accurately, efficiently and with high quality! The public transportation from Kyoto to Hikone takes about an hour. When I arrived, I found the hotel's transportation bus accurately and clearly according to the notification. I was picked up by myself. The journey took five minutes. It was in the direction of Hikone Castle. It was not recommended to walk with luggage. It would be more tiring. If you take a taxi, it would cost about 700 yen. Half of the hotel room faces the castle and the other half has no view. The scenery facing the castle is very beautiful. I checked in on April 2, 2025. The cherry blossoms will be in full bloom after April 10. My room on the top floor of the 5th floor faces the castle tower, and the scenery is first-class. The room is not big. The other bed is attached to the wall and it is inconvenient to go up and down. It is just right for one person to live. The bathroom has been renovated. The room style is more old-fashioned, not old. The room without a view on the other side is smaller, and the check-in experience is poor. I booked a one-night stay and two meals, and Japanese cuisine for dinner. I think the quality is very good, but the duck hot pot tastes average, and the overall sincerity is full. The breakfast is simpler, there is no hot spring egg, but there are all kinds of freshly fried vegetable tempura. The breakfast is worse than that of Ogoto Ryokusuitei, and the dinner is about the same level. They are all hotels that cook very carefully, so you can rest assured to choose the meal package. The lounge has beer and juice, but no snacks. The male and female hot spring baths are not changed. The female baths are 38.5 degrees and 42.5 degrees, so one is too cold and the other is too hot. 41 degrees is better. The reason for giving one star for hygiene is: I found a green Japanese-style outer coat with oil spots and changed it to a purple flower one. This is the decision I regret the most, which means that it should not be worn without washing. After taking a hot spring bath in the afternoon, I put it on and drank tea in the room. I felt that it smelled bad. I picked up the outer coat and smelled it. I almost didn't send it away. The stench made me rush to the bathroom to vomit. It was the stench of people with severe bad breath sneezing several times at the clothes. This kind of clothes is not like a yukata. It is not changed for each guest. It is very unhygienic. The slipper cabinet is also smelly, and the slippers are a little sticky on the floor. I went to the hot spring again to wash it again and change into my own clothes, but the feeling of nausea was difficult to eliminate. The hotel will pick you up at the station at 9, 10, or 11 in the morning, and the staff are courteous and considerate.

The hotel staff was very helpful and cooperative with me to work past our language barrier. They made check in very smooth and the service at the hotel was great.

On short notice, I was looking for various accommodations, including business hotels. I chose this one as I only needed a room for the night. The price was very reasonable, and it was excellent.

This isn’t our first stay at a Vessel Inn, and it likely won’t be the last. They’ve become a safe, reliable choice for us whenever we travel around Japan. The room at Vessel Inn Shiga Moriyama was exactly what we expected—clean, well-maintained, and equipped with the standard amenities and toiletries we’ve come to appreciate. We didn’t get a chance to use the hotel facilities this time, so can’t comment on those. Our main concern is always the cleanliness of the bed and overall comfort, and we’re glad to say it passed with flying colors. No funky surprises, just a peaceful night’s rest. One thing that stood out: the room size felt more spacious than what we’re used to in places like Osaka. Definitely a plus when you’ve got luggage or just want to breathe a little easier. All in all, a solid stay that gave us what we needed—nothing fancy, but exactly right.

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.

Being right next to the train station and a supermarket (and 100 yen shop!), this hotel is very convenient! It was great to find a washing machine and dryer within the men's public bath area--this allowed me to start washing some laundry, relax in the bath and then free massage chair, and then take my clean clothes back to my room. Breakfast offered a lot of variety--it was wonderful! A bonus was that the hotel had three bicycles available for free rental (during the time I stayed there--this is perhaps a seasonal amenity). This allowed me to ride to the ferry to Okishima one morning (note: it takes one hour to reach the ferry and then one to get back to the hotel, so plan accordingly).

The hotel is a 15-minute walk from the nearest JR station. Google Maps indicates there's a bus stop nearby, but that seems to be incorrect, as the bus goes in the opposite direction. The hotel breakfast is delicious, with all-you-can-eat dishes and drinks. The hotel is very large with a beautiful lake view. I would definitely stay here again.

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.

The hotel is not too close to the station, it takes about 20 minutes to walk, but there is a Shuttle bus to pick up and drop off, the staff is very kind, will stay again next time!

What surprised us most about this hotel was the amazing breakfast! There was so much variety! It's very close to Hikone station. It seems that it even offers bicycles for (free) use. We thought of going for a short bike ride in the morning but didn't have enough time--needed to get to Kyoto (only an hour away) quickly. This hotel makes an overnight trip to see beautiful Hikone castle very feasible.