Calendar Hotel

Agoda said this booking had free cancellation, but when I needed to cancel, the hotel ignored both my emails and Agoda's. I wrote in Japanese, so a language barrier can't explain it. I plan to visit Shiga again and had thought about booking here another time, but I won't now.

It's a kind of cute capsule hotel, right at Otsu train station, and I was comfortable there for a short stay. A large supermarket with lots of tasty food at reasonable prices is just a few doors away. You have to carry your bags up the steps and check in after 4 pm. They provide towels, pajamas, a toothbrush, brush, slippers, and other small things, but tea and coffee have to be bought at the cafe or made yourself. The facilities were fine with me, and the temperature felt just right on June 1st. Other guests were quiet. The trains and sounds from the technology didn't bother me, they had a sort of rhythm, though this isn't a natural setting. It feels cave-like. It's a capsule hotel rather than a regular one, so you get what you pay for. A good deal when passing through for one or two nights.

I booked this because it was the cheapest decent-looking hostel I found near Kyoto. The capsules look new, and the place is quite clean. It's outside Kyoto, but close by train, with the hotel right above the station. There's a 7/11 and Starbucks in the same building, which is handy. If you're travelling solo and want a social hostel, this isn't a good fit. Everyone else was Japanese and very antisocial. The receptionist didn't speak any English, so be ready to use Google Translate. I gave four stars because the wifi worked in the common area but not in my capsule, and the capsule stayed hot even with the fan button on, which didn't seem to do anything.

The best part for exploring Ōtsu and Biwa Lake was how much was close by: the Tourist Info is just a door away, where I rented a bike for a day, and an excellent grocery store is a minute's walk. I stopped in three times over two days for its hot food, baked goods, and fresh items. Local restaurants and cafes are walkable too, and the JR station is right there. I recommend Calendar Hotel if you want to be outside busy Kyoto City or Osaka. I stayed two nights and was pleasantly surprised. Coming by train, check which Ōtsu station you're heading to, there are two main subway stations, and from Osaka or Kyoto city you want the second stop unless you fancy a walk. Calendar Hotel is just outside the right station. Check-in happens in the trendy restaurant, which can get busy; walk toward the back. Staff greeted me warmly. There's a luggage area with a small chain lock and a tiny locker. The capsules are average, with a TV, warm blankets, and a useless pillow. The bed squeaks, so forget being discreet. The showers are clean and the shared area spacious, with lots of art on display. There's a smoking room, although the capsules are meant to be non-smoking. I noticed a faint smell of smoke in them, probably carried on people's clothes from that room, but it didn't really bother me since it was only the scent, not actual smoke.