HOTEL R9 The Yard Higashiomi

Can't recommend it because of the road noise and parking. Trucks rumble along right beside the room and make the whole structure shake. The ad suggested parking right outside the room, but that only applies to selected rooms, which wasn't mentioned, so I had to haul all my luggage around. It's cheap, but not cheap enough for these hassles. The first staff member I spoke to didn't make much effort to help, and the check-in staff were just so-so. The room itself is clean, small business-hotel style, with working air conditioning, a large enough bed, and only one pillow. Breakfast was a joke, they told us to pick a frozen meal from the freezer. Curry for breakfast? There's laundry, but nowhere to get change for the machines.

The laundry setup was great: plenty of washer-dryer machines, each locks with a code, and the instructions are easy to follow. Washing and drying cost a reasonable amount. The small room service was reliable, too. A car is really useful around here. Public transport can work, but expect 10-20 minutes of walking depending on your destination. The Omi line is closer, for example for Hikone, while getting to the JR line to Kyoto via Notagawa takes more walking. A taxi is an option if it's raining, as it was when I arrived. The room was very clean, had everything needed, and the appliances all worked as expected. The window only opens a few centimetres. The freezer came in handy for the light meals, which are frozen. There's also free coffee and tea at the reception house, though check the opening hours. If it's closed or the drinks don't suit you, there's a convenience store across the street.

Cheap and decent, so give it a try if you're trying not to spend much. It's a container, so best for one or two people per room, but it's got the basics.

There are lots of places nearby, including a Lawson across the road and chain spots like Komeda Coffee, CoCo Ichibanya, Marugame Seimen, and Mirai-tei. Joshin nearby is apparently an electronics store. Streams and fields all around make for a nice morning walk. My room was clean as usual and the price was reasonable. The complimentary drinks were good, served from a rich dripper in individual portions, probably Nestle, with Earl Grey tea included. This place uses card keys rather than the number locks many other hotels have. One nice feature of R9 is that you can go straight between the door and parking area, but rooms 1-10 are the exception. For the other rooms you have to take a detour, which makes carrying luggage a bit of a pain.