Biwako no Senmatsu

A Japanese-style ryokan, with a large supermarket conveniently close by.

The room was clean, and Aeon Mall is only a two-minute drive away.

There isn't a private onsen.

The room and toilet had been renovated, and there was an air purifier and air conditioner, but the tatami, walls, and table felt very old and shabby. I booked a room with an open-air bath because there were no rooms left around New Year's. It was snowing, so nobody used that bath. It also faced the road by Aeon mall, which made the view awful. The sliding door back into the room had no outside grip and briefly left us panicking until someone opened it from inside. It's hard to picture unless you've seen it. The meals were in a dining room where you had to leave your slippers outside. By the time we came out, we couldn't find them. The Omi beef tasted good, but some pieces were so fatty they were hard to eat. Service was inconsistent. My oolong tea order never arrived. I told the foreign staff member who brought something over, but they said the order was ready. The waiter had mistakenly given oolong tea to someone who hadn't ordered it, and nobody apologized. Later, a man serving hot tea seemed to skip me, perhaps because I'd already been served tea earlier in the meal. That tea had gone cold, and I was disappointed to miss the hot one. Even if it's a bother, I think they should check whether someone wants it before deciding. There's no shop on site, only vending machines with cold drinks. There was no shuttle during the New Year holidays either. The guide suggests taking a bus to Aeon Mall, but buses run only three times an hour and cost money. Walking to the inn from Aeon Mall involves crossing the parking lot in places people wouldn't normally walk, which felt dangerous.