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Cheaper
Average
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About
4.0
#1 of 10 onsen ryokans in Otsu
Location
3.7
Cleanliness
4.3
Service
4.3
Value
3.7
After touring 4 tasteful hot springs such as the open-air bath "Gesshin-no-Yu" on the top floor with great view of Lake Biwa, and another open-air bath "Togen-Shoyo" presenting natural beauty, you will enjoy the relish of Ohmi Beef, one of three Japanese beef brands, or Kaseki in Kyoto style. "Hanare Karoi" where every room has an open-air bath.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Luxury
Classic
Languages Spoken
English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean
Location
2-30-7 Noka, Otsu 520-0102 Shiga Prefecture
Name/address in local language
Yumotokan
295 reviews
Getting there
Somewhat walkable
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Extremely high service level, even by Japanese standards. You're whisked away into a relaxing mindset right from the start from the ogoto onsen train station. Attention to detail, diligence and high quality service from every staff member. Our karoi room with open air onsen was gorgeous and exuded simple elegance. Too many small details to list that add to the experience. The food was consistent with perhaps a 2 Michelin star restaurant, really phenomenal high level experience. Most of all, we were guided through each meal by Hidenori Imanishi San, who was a true example of class and service. Delightful conversations with helpful tips and suggestions which truly added to our 5 star experience hear. I would love to return
Thank you Yomotokan staff and Imanishi San!
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Date of stay: May 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from 湯元舘 予約係, 営業 at Yumotokan
Responded May 26, 2024
Z Q様 Thank you very much for stay with us. I would also like to thank you again for your review. I'm honored to receive such compliments.I was the one who talked a lot and had a great time. I look forward to seeing you again I'll be waiting you. Thank you so much. YUMOTOKAN Hidenori Imanishi
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Phenomenal experience!! My family visited for R&R and had an absolutely fantastic experience. Stayed in Japanese-style suite. Kaiseki dinner and Japenese breakfast were outstanding. Service was very attentive, helpful and efficient. Both open air room and private session thermal baths were awesome. Fantastic value for price. Would stay again.
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Date of stay: May 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from 湯元舘 予約係, 営業 at Yumotokan
Responded May 26, 2024
BuzzBeagle2017様 Thank you so much for stayed our Ryokan and reviewing us. The Management and Staff would like to thank you for the wonderful comments. Moreover we appreciate your recommendation of our place to welcoming others. We are looking forward to see you again. Thank you.
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All the guests rooms have their own private bath, also in the Gesshintei all the guests rooms have their own private indoor Hot Spring bath. There are two family bathes that can be reserved for private use, please let us know if you would like to use it has a reservation might be needed. Clean and funny. Price is reasonable for a "Ryokan" hotel.
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Date of stay: February 2015
Value
Cleanliness
Service
Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from 温泉日和, 予約係 則武 at Yumotokan
Responded Apr 20, 2015
Thank you for your comment. We are so glad to know you enjoyed it！
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Just a half hour ride from Kyoto Station, this was our very first ryokan stay and, we must mentioned, it was an exhilarating experience, both positive and negative.
Just 5 minutes from the Ogoto Onsen Station by taxi and cost us 880 YEN. It looks like a normal standard hotel building structure from the outside (we initially did not expect it to be) but once inside, the transformation begins. It's a fusion between Western and Japanese. We would love it to be more Japanese though.
Friendly reception and some of the staff spoke English and indeed, this was a plus for us. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get the typical Japanese room but a more fusion mix i.e. modern bed and a Japanese dining area. If you staying there, request for the all Japanese room. Room was large and comfortable. Bathroom though was small.
Only problem we had for the room was the aircon/heater was not working throughout and it took the 2nd day for them to know it could not be rectified. We were freezing our butts off and did not have a comfortable night rest. The alternative, they provided a really small portable heater that did not heat up the room at all. In the end, we suffered 3 nights of unbearable coldness.
The food served was extremely wonderfully and we just love it. Though a wee bit on the expensive side. Pre-order is advised. Not much eateries are available in town as the place is quite dead after 5pm. We love the nibbles provided during each day of turn-down services which includes Japanese tea.
There is a shuttle to the train station on a fixed schedule. On the return, you just need to call and they will come and pick you up. All you need is 10 YEN to make the phone call. The phone booth is situated just outside the train station. The pick up from the train station ends at 10.00pm. Thereafter, you need to hail a taxi. If there is no taxi, call the hotel and they will arrange a taxi to pick you up.
As this is a ryokan hotel, we were so eager to used the different onsen (hot bath pool) provided at different levels of the building. This is inclusive with your room accommodation price except you have to pay a small levy/tax per usage. No unisex onsen but separated (male and female) and changes each day for maximum usage of the onsens with different scenery. Information is made available but it was in Japanese. So check with the reception.
Free WIFI only available in the lobby and not in your own rooms.
And now the BIGGEST setback for us! No one told us (maybe written in Japanese somewhere) that guests with tattoos are NOT ALLOWED in the onsens. Both of us had matching tattoos - a piglet (the size of an elevator floor button) and were told to leave the onsen because of our tattoos. This is totally ridiculous. We know it is taboo because of the Japanese mafia or yakuzas but discretion here needs to be taken. Is ours a tattoo of a secret society or mafia? This is a modern world we lived in these days and the management of the Yumotokans need to wake up and lived a real life!!!
With the price we paid for the rooms for 3 nights, this is outrageous!! Yumotokan should have informed us via their website or during our reservations that ALL tattoos (tiny little ones included) are not welcome. Guests goes to ryokan to experienced two things - the onsens and food.
My wife, on the third day, against the management orders, managed to soak herself for a mere 10 minutes before being chased off. Honestly, this is an insult. Never mind, she had to pay the onsen levy at the end of our stay. Nope, they did not waived it at all!!!
Yumotokans have a nice concept, great food, good rooms BUT the worst mind-set for a hospitality company. So, here we are, writing to all guests with tattoos, DO NOT STAY at any of the Yumotokans. You will be welcome at the doors but rejected from using the onsens.
Never again with a Yumotokan hotels.
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Date of stay: April 2015
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
WORST service ever. I even give myself 2 months to be rational to write this comment. The waitresses who lead us to our room walks extremely fast that we could not follow her and lost her at the corner when i saw she hit my carry-on on the wall. The waitresses are SILENT when they serve us the welcome dessert leaving a questionnaire on the table and disappear saying NOTHING. BUT, during dinner, the waitresses LAUGHING and CHATTING so LOUD that we have to shout to have their attention. This is not about Japanese service or not. This is just about RESPECT.
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Date of stay: January 2017Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from 温泉日和, お客様担当マネージャー at Yumotokan
Responded Mar 28, 2017
Dear Chao L Thank you so much for your precious comments. Please accept our apology for what has happened by some staffs. I read your comments and feel regrettable. I push forward an investigation about your comment and take education of the staff for never happened like this. We are terribly sorry for not being able to live up to your expectations.
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Perfect experience. Highly recommended to try while in Japan. Excellent service with unforgettable private dining. We had the "Akane-no-Ma" suite with its own open-air hot spring bath. Amazing! The communal spring baths were also excellent. Must try.
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Date of stay: April 2019
Value
Location
Service
Room Tip:If you can get a room with a private bath for added luxury!
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from OnAir803385, お客様担当マネージャー at Yumotokan
Responded Nov 5, 2019
Thank you so much for stayed our Ryokan and reviewing us. The Management and Staff would like to thank you for the wonderful comments. Moreover we appreciate your recommendation of our place to welcoming others. We are looking forward to see you again. Thank you.
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Very good ryokan easily accessible from Kyoto via a short train ride. Easy pickup via shuttle bus from the station, and excellent service throughout. Tried all four of their baths and they are very good, and surprisingly not very busy? Our package also allows a private booking which is nice for couples. The rooftop bath is nice but the best has got to be the outdoor rock garden, simply magical at night with the mist and lighting! We booked directly through their website as they were running a promotion (free snow crab with dinner) - meals were uniformly excellent. The only downside which prevents a full score was that our japanese style room was a bit small and dark (low ceiling). Luck of the draw, as our travel companions got a much better room at the same rate. Also, there's not much to see around the area, so be prepared to spend most or all of your time at the inn.
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Date of stay: January 2018Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from 温泉日和, お客様担当マネージャー at Yumotokan
Responded Mar 20, 2018
Dear Hayashi88 Thank you so much for stayed our Ryokan and reviewing us. The Management and Staff would like to thank you for the wonderful comments. Moreover we appreciate your recommendation of our place to welcoming others. We are looking forward to see you again. Thank you.
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Yumotokan has to be the best onsen ryokan I've ever been to. First, location, only a half an hour from kyoto. Second, the onsen is VERY nice, you can watch sunrise from the rooftop onsen (depending on gender and dates rotation) and enjoy serenity in the dream like onsen on the fifth floor. Experience beyond imagination. Tatami rooms are nice and clean but with not much of a view but still some nice trees and serene environment in general. Kaiseiki dinner and breakfast is included in the price and is by far the best out of all the onsens i've been to. I always thought the onsen kaiseiki looked nice and tasted not so good (i've been to at least 10 of them) This one actually tasted really good. Price was a real bargain too.
I thought about not writing a review on this onsen as i wouldn't want it to get too crowded and more expensive. But as I have been getting a lot of info from tripadvisor and feel obligated to share this info with the fellow TA members of this great find.
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Date of stay: January 2008
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Check in / front desk
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Came here with family during the Sakura season. It's easy to get to the onset hotel. After arriving at the Ogoto Onsen JR station, towards the south exit you will find a cell phone attached to a board with explanation how to use the phone to call one of the onsen hotels. After the call, their shuttle bus will then come and pick you up between 2pm to 6pm I think. The hotel staff in general are very welcoming. Our family scored a deal with their penthouse suite with private indoor and outdoor onsen. Four of us stayed in the suite and the price is only slightly more than four of us staying in 2 regular rooms. It also came with a beautiful fruit platter for you to enjoy.
The suite is very spacious with 2 separate toilets. The bath area has 2 sinks, a shower stall as well as a japanese style bathing area connected to the 2 onsen baths (indoor one is a hinoki wood tub and the outdoor one is a stone one. The outdoor onsen does have a slight privacy issue as there are some residential buildings in a distance. While my mom was a bit too modest to use the outdoor one (which I am not and fully enjoyed it), she did take full advantage of the indoor private onsen.
Of course the hotel also has a public onsen for the guests. In fact they have two. One in each towers. I used the one on the top floor in the morning and it was a bless seeing the sunrise while soaking in the hot onsen water.
Our package also included both dinner and breakfast that were served at their private dining room. Both meals were done in kaiseki style. We were particularly impressed by their dinner. Not only was it cooked with high quality ingredients and with beautiful presentation, they did not skimp on the quantity as well. Often after eating dinner at other onsen hotel, I would not feel full and actually felt a bit hungry later at night, at Yumotokan the courses kept coming and I was completely stuffed at the end. In fact I did not finish the rice even though it was so yummy (cooked from scratch in front of us with a flamed mini-stove).
All in all, a very satisfactory experience. I can recommend anyone who comes to Kyoto/Osaka and wants an excursion and experiences the traditional Japanese onsen.
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Date of stay: March 2023
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from 湯元舘 予約係, 営業 at Yumotokan
Responded Apr 27, 2023
Dear Macy M Thank you so much for stayed our Ryokan and reviewing us. The Management and Staff would like to thank you for the wonderful comments. Moreover we appreciate your recommendation of our place to welcoming others. We are looking forward to see you again. Thank you.
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We stayed in the Japanese styled room with outdoor private onsen tub. A bit cold to have a shower out there but once you soak in the tub, it’s very relaxing! We enjoyed tea and snacks offered in the room. Coffee drinkers may not be happy as there is only enough for two cups. Love the Outdoor Onsen on the roof top at night and the 5th floor at day time - very clean and well equipped with all nice toiletries. Dinner and breakfast, delicious and abundant, were served in the private room. Staff are friendly and helpful, and able to speak English well! The hotel is near the lake where we went for a walk to enjoy the fall foliage. But other than that, there’s nothing much to see around there.
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Date of stay: December 2019Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from OnAir803385, お客様担当マネージャー at Yumotokan
Responded Dec 16, 2019
Dear Tapanee C Thank you so much for stayed our Ryokan and reviewing us. The Management and Staff would like to thank you for the wonderful comments. Moreover we appreciate your recommendation of our place to welcoming others. We are looking forward to see you again. Thank you.
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Hello guset.
You don't have to tell us in advance about meals.
Please decide dinner time and breakfast time at check-in.
The check-in time is at 14:00. However, you can check in before if your room is ready.
Thank you.
Reservation is not required for use bath only.
However, it is recommended that you reserve an open-air bath in advance.
(Even if there is no reservation, it can be used if it is available, but it cannot be used if it is not available)
First, 2000 yen per person. Three types of public baths are available here.
A private open-air bath will cost an additional 5,500 yen for 50 minutes.
Please select the start time,13:00or14:00or15:00.
This is the same fee no matter how many people you put in up to 4 people.
They do have two private baths that you can reserve for a fee. One is outdoor and one is hinoki. They do, however, have rooms with private baths attached and you can choose to have indoor or an outdoor bath.
As stated, there are baths that switch days for men and women. I believe there is one floor where they are consistent assignments regardless of the day but there are no co-ed baths.
Thank you for your questions. Regarding distance from Myoko Nozawa and Hakuba to our inn, It’s takes about 5hours by car. If you would like to visit place for skiing, we recommend Biwako-Valley. This ski ground located in Shiga-prefecture and takes about 1 hour by car.
About whether, nowadays 4 to 8 temperature and snow does not fall so much. Thank you.
There are more places to choose from in the Otsu area.
PRICE RANGE
$236 - $367 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
JapanKinkiShiga PrefectureOtsuOgoto Onsen
NUMBER OF ROOMS
69
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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