Grand Mercure Lake Biwa Resort & Spa

A Lakeside All-Inclusive Resort Where You Don't Need to Worry About Extra Charges

Grand Mercure Lake Biwa Resort & Spa is a resort hotel on the eastern shore of Lake Biwa, in lakeside Nagahama. Choose the all-inclusive plan and the dinner and breakfast buffets, lounge drinks (including beer), the onsen, and activities are all included in the room rate, so you rarely need to reach for your wallet after check-in (some activities are paid extra, and lunch is not served). Room-only and breakfast-only plans are also available separately. Not having to pay each time your child wants another drink or another turn is genuinely convenient on a family trip.

The pricing structure is also clear: children aged 0-2 who co-sleep stay and eat free of charge. Children under school age aged 3-6 are categorized by whether they need meals or bedding, and elementary-school-age children pay the same rate as adults.

Nagahama Taiko Onsen — A Chair and Baby Soap in the Bath, a Crib in the Changing Area

The onsen on the 1st floor is Nagahama Taiko Onsen, associated with Toyotomi Hideyoshi and also known as the hot spring of fertility. The water contains high levels of total iron ions and turns a rust color on contact with air; it is said to keep you warm longer after bathing. Facilities include an open-air rock bath, a communal bath, a sauna, and an onsen lounge for resting after bathing (3 p.m. to 11 p.m.).

The provisions for families are concrete: the indoor bath is equipped with baby soap and a chair for young children, and there is a crib in the changing area. The whole routine of washing and dressing a baby can be handled within the communal bath area. Hours are 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Note that whether children not yet toilet-trained may enter the bathtub is not explicitly stated, so we recommend checking with the hotel in advance. Guests with tattoos may bathe only if they can be fully covered with cover seals (8 cm x 10 cm, up to two).

The Buffet and Baby Food

Meals are served at the 2nd-floor restaurant as a buffet of local dishes made with Lake Biwa and Shiga ingredients (breakfast 7 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., dinner 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.). Because it's a buffet, you can pick out small portions of whatever your child can eat. Baby food is prepared if you ask a staff member.

Please confirm whether food allergies can be accommodated at the time of booking.

Baby Gear: What's Included and What Isn't

A bed guard is available to borrow (limited quantity). Cribs are not provided in guest rooms - they are set up at the dining venue. There is no baby bath. Children's yukata are not placed in the room but are collected from the 1st-floor lobby, and the only in-room amenity is a toothbrush. A water server is installed on each guest-room floor (whether hot water is available should be confirmed). To help you decide what to bring, such as bathing items in place of a baby bath, this page also notes what is not provided.

Rooms Range from Japanese-Western Suites to 16 sq m Standard Rooms

Rooms range widely, from lake-view suites to mountain-view standard rooms. The Japanese-Western junior suite (72 sq m, capacity of 7 including 2 co-sleeping children) has futon bedding, which suits families with a baby you're worried about rolling off a bed. There is also a Japanese-style room category with 4 futon sets. Check-in is 3 p.m., checkout is 11 a.m.

Summer: The Garden Pool

In summer (per the hotel's information, July 19 to September 27, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.; please confirm the latest dates), an outdoor garden pool with views of Lake Biwa is open and can be used as part of the all-inclusive plan. Young children must wear swimwear in the pool (the resort's guidance notes swim diapers may be worn with it). The pool may be closed or its hours changed depending on the weather.

Access

It's about a 10-minute walk from JR Nagahama Station, and a free shuttle bus is also available. From Osaka it's a single conventional-line train; from Kyoto or Nagoya it's about 60 minutes via Shinkansen. The hotel is a 5-minute walk from Nagahama Castle and close to the Kurokabe Square shopping streets. Parking has 150 spaces (JPY 500 per night, free re-entry).