Lake Biwa Marriott Hotel

The public bath has two hot pools, one cold pool, and a sauna, and there is free parking if you drive. We chose a Japanese-style room for a change, though it may take your back a little time to adjust to the thinner Futon mattress compared with a bed. The view made for a great stay, and we'd come back on a future trip. For a global hotel chain, it would have helped if more staff spoke English, but Google Translate worked well enough to get our needs across.

This was my second stay here. The views are superb, the rooms very clean, and the staff provide excellent service. Breakfast had lots of choices and tasted great. The hotel offers self-parking and a shuttle bus, and shopping malls are a 10-15 minute drive away.

We loved our stay and would gladly come back. The view and physical location were wonderful, and our lakeview room was lovely. You could tell the hotel had been carefully refurbished and renovated. The lounge food was impressive, and so was the drink selection. We enjoyed the high tea, a set dinner course at the restaurant, and the breakfasts included with our stay. All the food was wonderful. I can't remember the Thai waitress's name, but she had a bob-cut and was kind, friendly, and personable. The other staff were wonderful too. There isn't really any food nearby the hotel. The onsen was dated, but had what we needed: two hot pools, a cold plunge, and a sauna. My biggest complaint was the screaming kids splashing and playing each time I went, which took away from the peace and relaxation. The swimming pool was standard but well maintained. We didn't have time to try the other activities, including the gymnasium, fitness room, planetarium, golf, or tennis. There are a couple of things visitors should know, though they didn't ruin our stay. Without a car, getting around on the hotel side of Biwako is inconvenient and expensive. The hotel shuttle goes to Katata station, which is on the other side. Also, because it was Fall, they had switched off the air conditioning and only had heating, so the room got very hot during the day when the sun came through the windows. Great hotel in a beautiful location. We'd definitely revisit.

I left early despite having asked for a late check-out, after a series of problems made the stay fall short of what I expect from a Marriott hotel in Japan. I did appreciate the room upgrade and welcome drink at check-in. I brought two concerns to the front desk when I arrived. The parking area was poorly organized, with several cars taking up two spaces and causing congestion. I also pushed a luggage cart myself while staff watched, and no one offered help until I had already handled my bags. Nothing improved after I raised those points. Breakfast meant a long wait even though there were visibly empty tables inside. Communication was difficult too, since several staff members couldn't speak English and I had to use a translation app for basic requests. The onsen was disappointing. The website gave me the impression of a scenic hot spring, but it was entirely indoors with no windows, and I had hygiene concerns. At check-out, luggage assistance was again poorly coordinated, so I ended up loading my suitcase into the vehicle myself.