Biwako Hotel

A lakeside resort hotel with a lake view from every room

Biwako Hotel stands at the southern end of Lake Biwa, on the lakeshore in Otsu, with a lake view from every room. It is about 5 minutes on foot from Keihan Biwako Hamaotsu Station, and about 15 minutes on foot from JR Otsu Station. Since it takes about 10 minutes by JR from Kyoto Station to Otsu Station, the location also works well as a base for family trips that combine sightseeing in Kyoto. There is free parking for 155 vehicles.

The summer garden pool allows swim diapers

From July 1 through September 30 (for the 2026 season, excluding August 6), the hotel opens an outdoor garden pool that looks out over Lake Biwa. The pool is shaped after the outline of Lake Biwa, up to 26 m long and 20 m wide, and is divided into a shallow section (0.6 m) and a deep section (1.2 m), making it easy to let children play.

One of this hotel's strong points is that its guidance for children who are not yet toilet-trained is clear: swimming in a regular diaper is not allowed, but the pool can be used if the child wears a swim diaper under swimwear. It is free for hotel guests (a co-sleeping child is charged - JPY 1,500 for ages 5 through elementary school, free for ages 4 and under; add JPY 500 on weekends, holidays, and in mid-August). A pump for inflating floats is provided, and one bath towel per person is free. Children of elementary-school age and under must be accompanied by a guardian, and pool-only use is not available.

Ruri Onsen "Ruri no Yu" - a simple onsen, with a baby bed in the changing room

The 4th-floor Ruri Onsen "Ruri no Yu" has an open-air bath overlooking Lake Biwa and an indoor bath. The water is a simple onsen (hypotonic, weakly alkaline, low-temperature spring), gentle on the skin, circulated and filtered, and kept at 40-43°C. It is free for hotel guests and open from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. to midnight.

A baby bed is installed in the changing room on both the men's and women's sides, so you won't be at a loss for somewhere to change a baby. Note that whether a child who is not yet toilet-trained can enter the bathtub itself is not stated in the hotel's information, so if you are planning this, we recommend confirming with the hotel in advance. The men's bath has a dry sauna and the women's bath has a mist sauna.

Baby equipment rental and the 3rd-floor nursing room

Cribs and bed guards are available to borrow, and since the number is limited, advance reservation is required. Children's amenities such as toothbrushes, slippers, and pajamas are provided, helping you pack lighter. A nursing room is fully equipped on the 3rd floor, so families with babies can relax calmly inside the hotel.

Among the room types, the "Lumina" - a Hollywood twin with the beds pushed together - suits families co-sleeping with a child. The "Natura" sleeps up to 4 people and is family-oriented. A co-sleeping child is charged a fee.

Meals: breakfast buffet and each restaurant's kids' menus

Breakfast is a Japanese-and-Western buffet at "The Garden" on the 2nd floor. It features kid-popular items such as a bread corner, desserts, and fruit, and kids' chairs are provided (JPY 3,500 for adults, JPY 1,750 for ages 5 through elementary school, free for ages 4 and under).

For dinner, each restaurant has its own kids' menu: the "Okosama Gozen" children's set meal (from JPY 3,000) at Japanese restaurant Omi, a kids' course at teppanyaki Omi, and a buffet with a kids' plate at Italian dining Bel Lago, among others. Japanese restaurant Omi has private dining rooms where you can eat without worrying about those around you. An "Okuizome" first-food-ceremony plan for babies around 100 days old (with a guaranteed private room) is also available.

Food allergies are handled by notifying the hotel at the time of booking, and the hotel has a stated policy for this: since all dishes are prepared in the same kitchen, there is a possibility of allergen cross-contamination, and the hotel may not be able to accommodate severe allergies.

Surroundings: a base for exploring Otsu

The large sightseeing boat "Michigan" departs from and returns to Lake Biwa right in front of the hotel, and plans that combine a hotel lunch with a cruise are also available. From swimming in Lake Biwa to a Michigan cruise to sightseeing in Kyoto, the location gives families a wide range of destination options.