Guest House HANA – Hostel

I ended up booking somewhere else in town for a much better stay at a similar price. This place is far from Kyoto and also a long way from Otsu Station. There was no reception, and I was made to feel like a fool because the app I used doesn't support messages. I was apparently given a door code, but still had to wait an hour for the owner. Because of a misunderstanding, I had booked one night instead of the two I thought I had. When the owner woke me to say the place was full that evening and I hadn't booked the date I expected, I started packing and looking for another place. She got very aggressive and said I couldn't even stand on the road outside to book a hotel, because she owned the area outside the guesthouse. She didn't know I understood Japanese, and started berating me to a Japanese customer while I was booking. There were no towels, and the poor amenities were broken. I can only guess the good rating comes from the very low price.

There was no Wi-Fi, and the bathroom was dirty. The fridge couldn't be used, and we found a half-drunk carton of milk inside it. No towels either, which I've never come across at a guest house before. It felt like the owner hadn't even bothered to clean before letting new guests in. The service was awful. How did this get four stars?

The location was a real plus, with a nice market street nearby and Lake Biwa close enough to catch the sunrise or sunset. It's a small, simple hostel, and the woman who runs it was very sweet. Since I'm traveling by bicycle, she helped me with a few unusual requests.

I stayed here on April 27, 2024. The location was really nice, and staff contacted me through the app even though there wasn't a receptionist on site. I just wish it had been clearer which rooms were assigned to each guest. Still, I had a nice visit.