Hikone Castle Resort & Spa

The keep of the National Treasure Hikone Castle is visible from the tubs in the communal bath

Hikone Castle Resort & Spa stands facing the keep of Hikone Castle, a National Treasure, and the Sawaguchi Tamon Yagura turret. From the second-floor communal bath, too, you can take in the whole of Hikone Castle, and the view is highly regarded at night when the castle is lit up and during cherry blossom season. There is one communal bath each for men and women, and there are two tubs. A ganbanyoku (heated-stone sauna) bench with a view of the Hikone Castle keep is also installed.

Hours are 2 p.m. to midnight and 6 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., and the baths are for staying guests only. Day-use bathing, and use before check-in or after checkout, are not available.

Children who are not yet out of diapers cannot use the communal bath

There is one thing to know in advance if you are considering a stay with children. For the communal bath, the hotel advises that no particular age limit is set, but that children wearing diapers should refrain from using it. In other words, babies and toddlers who are not yet out of diapers cannot get into the tubs in the communal bath.

The water in this communal bath is not onsen water but heated water on a recirculating system, so it does not flow directly from a source. There is no private-hire bath either. There are 3 Superior Twin rooms with a semi-open-air bath (and room 507, which has a view bath), so if you are traveling with a baby and want to soak in a tub, choosing one of these room types is the way to do it.

The baby items you can borrow, and the ones that are not available

A diaper bin, a toilet-training seat and children's yukata are available to borrow free of charge, and a crib is available for a fee. The hotel lists a crib, a children's futon quilt (or a light blanket) and a diaper bin as its baby items. Numbers are limited for all of them, so ask at the front desk when you book.

On the other hand, there is no baby bath, no stroller, no sale of diapers and no children's toys. Strollers may be used inside the hotel. Every room is equipped with an air purifier with a humidifying function.

There is no play area inside the hotel

There is no pool, no game corner and no facility where children can play. As for children's sightseeing spots nearby, the hotel states that there are none in the surrounding area. It is not a good fit for families who want to set aside time for their children to play inside the hotel.

What it has instead is Hikone Castle and its castle town, both right nearby. For time spent with children old enough to enjoy walking around the castle and the town, the location comes into its own.

Dining is Omi beef, with children's menus

The restaurants serve kaiseki courses and teppanyaki made with Omi beef. For children, Omi Dining Kissho offers the Minori course for elementary school children at 2,500 yen and the Warabe course for children under school age at 1,500 yen, while the Omi beef teppanyaki restaurant Ho-o offers a loco moco-style kids' plate at 2,500 yen. Baby food is not served.

Breakfast is a Japanese-Western buffet at Omi Dining Kissho on the first floor, with dishes made from Shiga ingredients, including tempura in the morning.

For food allergies, contact the hotel when booking or by 3 days before your stay. The hotel decides how the menu is changed, and only dinner can be accommodated, not breakfast.

Rooms, rates and the ages that can stay

Guest rooms are Western-style with beds only: there is no Japanese-style tatami room, and no rooms set aside just for children. One extra bed can be added, and only when booking a Superior Twin, Castle View Twin or Standard Twin.

Junior high school students and older, and elementary school children, all pay the same rate as adults, and children under school age stay free. Check-in is at 3 p.m. and checkout at 11 a.m. Children up to elementary school age are provided with a children's yukata and geta sandals.

Access and parking

About an 8-minute walk from the West Exit of JR Hikone Station. The free shuttle from Hikone Station runs from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.: call the hotel once you reach the station and a pickup arrives in about 5 to 10 minutes. Parking is at the Times parking lots on the south and east sides of the hotel, charged by time; these became paid from June 1, 2026.