This is a hotel review for Marriott Lake Biwa. It is also Happy High Life’s first Japan Hotel post!
Marriott Lake Biwa
The husband and I took a trip to Japan, Osaka. And we made a little side-trip to this lovely place: Lake Biwa.
Lake Biwa, with crystal clear waters gently swishing over brown sand, is beautiful.
Less than an hour’s train ride from Osaka, about 10 mins by train from Kyoto, it is a place that some locals come to get away from the hustle, bustle, and hordes of tourists in Osaka city.
For more information on Lake Biwa and directions on how to get there, read here.
Right opposite lake Biwa is Marriott hotel. It’s almost strange that a luxury hotel sits right in the middle of nowhere.
On the side – a useful bag I took for this trip was the Mulberry Lily. Check out my bag reviews here and more travel experiences with the Mulberry Lily here:
Hotel Lobby and Check-In
The lobby at Marriott Lake Biwa – spacious with high celings – gave off the illusion that the space is bigger than it actually is.
Nearby, was an elegant bar (with expensive snacks and drinks).
The lobby area had a space for people to use laptops; either their own or the hotel’s.
At the check-in desk, a friendly receptionist greeted us and served us green tea.
So, I had I booked the Premium room with Hot Spring, and it was after 3pm, their check-in time. However my room was not ‘ready’.
A note for English-speaking users: When you book at this hotel through the Marriott Bonvoy app, there is no option to choose whether you want Twin Beds or a King Bed. After booking, you have to contact the hotel to let them know which room you prefer. In my case, I simply and wrongfully assumed they would give a King Room (given that I specified the other guest as my husband…). However, at check-in, the hotel had assigned us the Twin room instead. The receptionist was apologetic and polite, but because we wanted the King, we had to wait about 30 minutes before our room would be ready.
So walk around the hallways, we did.
Room
It was good to finally open the doors to this place:
By Japanese standards, the room was spacious. Dim lighting, with a view of lake Biwa, it’s the kind of place for couples on a quiet, romantic getaway.
Throw open the curtains, and behold the slightly foggy view of Lake Biwa.
Facing the other side of the room – was a flat-screen television, and a glass layer over the bathtub, that could be opened from the other side.
Tea, coffee, and a kettle. We were a little surprised that there was no nepresso machine. As someone who’s stayed at other high-end hotels, including at Hilton chains and Swissotel, we started to expect the nepresso as an almost-necessity for hotels of this calibre. But we weren’t disappointed – the Japanese tea and coffee provided was a pleasant alternative from the usual English-style ones we have seen in Singapore.
An additional item commonly found in Japan’s hotels – the Yukata (bathrobe).
The Yukata is different from the traditional white fluffly bathroom (the hotel has that too, by the way). It is for the purpose of wearing to the Public Bath facilities within the hotel.
Bathroom… and a Private Hot Spring!
First impression: a slightly crammed sink area, with bath amenities and towels under the sink.
Surprise! The pull-out makes it easy to access extra amenities. A lovely space-saver, too.
The highlight of our stay was the room’s built-in private onsen (hot spring).
(Yes, it is a man-made bath, but the water, according to the staff, is drawn from natural hot spring water, and heated, before it makes its way into our room)
A glass door separates the onsen from the toilet and sink area, thus preventing steam from forming everywhere else in the bathroom.
And oh man – I have never taken so many baths within a 24-hour period. We soaked and soaked… and when the bath got too hot we’d shower under cool water a bit, and then soak some more. Despite having walked around Lake Biwa for some hours and travelling a bit – instead of feeling tired, the water just rejuvenates and refreshes you in a way that only an onsen can do so.
So what’s the deal with bathing in Japan?
Usually, hotels in Japan have some kind of public bath – it’s exactly what it means, you take baths in large tanks / pools of water, naked, with strangers (same gender). High-end hotels or Ryokans (traditional Japanese-style lodging) may have baths with special properties – either in terms of design, location (hot spring outdoors in winter, in mountaneous areas with gorgeous views etc), or water properties.
Hot spring waters have high mineral contents, and the Japanese swear by its health benefits. Bathing is a national hobby in this country. Some locals are hot spring fanatics; these people will specially make trips to remote areas to find exotic hot springs.
So the fact that we have a private onsen right here, in our hotel room, is a real luxury by Japanese standards.
View of private onsen from the outside, and bamboo curtains drawn up from the inside.
Almost like icing on the cake – Lake Biwa Marriott hotel provides Thann bath products! It’s one of my favourite product lines for bathroom amenities (the other being Aesop); i was nearly squealing in joy when I saw the Aromatic wood series.
Note: although these are in large pump bottles, if you want some to take home – you can request for the mini versions through the Marriott Bonvoy app.
Public Bath and Swimming Pool
Not all rooms have the private baths, so patrons wishing for a soak in Hot Spring water have to make their way down to the Public Bath facilities.
Leave shoes outside in those small lockers. Go downstairs to Hot Spring bath.
The changing area has lots of lockers. Pick one, and dump your stuff in there.
There is also a space for grooming – at least in the ladies’ changing room. This is one thing i find unique about bathrooms in Japan (and not just in hot spring areas) – there tends to be a designated area with mirrors (yes, in many public bathrooms!) for ladies to do their hair and make-up.
You can’t help but admire the thoughtfulness of the Japanese. Every grooming station / mirror has lotions, hairdryers, and cotton buds.
Behold, the public hot spring bath area (ladies’ section).
Note: By right, cameras/phones are not allowed inside the bathing areas – I simply stood at the door’s entrace for this shot. And I only did it because there was NO ONE ELSE in there at that time.
For clueless foreigners, here’s some instructions on How To Take A Bath. 🙂 🙂 🙂
For those who prefer plain old regular swimming, a heated pool is available too, but ask any local and they would reply, why would you want to swim when there’s a hot spring? Lol.
Unique Facilities: Sports Hall, Laundrette, Planetarium…
Lake Biwa Marriott hotel is truly special. Apart from conventional Hotel facilities such as a gymnasium…
If working out alone with equiptment isn’t enough, how about getting a group of friends and playing basketball or ping pong with them?
And one (or many) can borrow appropriate footwear for the games.
It is the first time I have seen a full-fledged indoor sports-hall within a hotel complex.
Bonus: the sports hall is right next to the Hot Spring bath, so heading for a soak after is fairly easy.
Additionally, should you feel the urge to wash your clothes yourself, head over to the Coin-Laundry facilities.
Parents with small children can make use of this little play area:
So the husband and I were exploring the hotel, amused and wondering what other tricks this place would have. Just when you think that nothing can surprise you anymore, you run into the entrance of their on-site Planetarium.
We didn’t visit the inside. The Planetarium is open to the public, but hotel guests can visit at a slight discount.
Adults: 950 yen (850 yen for hotel guests)
Child: 650 yen (550 yen for hotel guests)
There is even this package Afternoon Tea + Planetarium tickets set going for 2300 yen.
Should anyone get lost in this place, the staff will very kindly provide you with a bilingual map to help navigate around.
Final words and Marriott Bonvoy points
Overall, it was a restful stay – we couldn’t get enough of our private onsen in the room. Everything else pales in comparison. The hotel was full of surprises (in a pleasant way), and the staff generally were helpful. I could easily find an English-speaking staff so non-Japanese speakers would be just fine.
While the food at the hotel was pricey, by taking a 15-20 minute walk, there is a nearby mall with a large food court. There, food prices were significantly cheaper compared to Marriott.
The only downside would be that the hotel was strict with the check-in and check-out time (11am – not 12pm unlike most other hotels i have been to). When I politely tried to ask for a slightly later check out, the staff (non Japanese, English speaking, European-looking fella) very obviously tried to conceal his annoyance. He then told me, that complimentary late check-outs were only for Marriott Bonvoy elite members – Gold members at 2pm, and Platinum members and higher-tier at 4pm.
As the most basic Member level of the Marriott Bonvoy programme, if had wanted to stay until 2pm there would be a 30% charge, and stay till 6pm would incur a 50% charge.
It was alright and he explained it well – but the tone was haughty and proud, as if talking down to me for being just a ‘basic’ member. But whether this was due to an attitude problem or language barrier is hard to see.
For more information on the Marriott Bonvoy rewards program, read here.
As a Marriott Bonvoy basic Member, I also earned the following points from this stay:
– Total points: 1817
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