Lake Biwa Marriott Hotel, Shiga, Japan [Master Thread]
 

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...arriott-hotel/

"Located in Moriyama and about 30 minutes from Moriyama Station, near Lake Biwa. A free shuttle is available from JR Katata Train Station, which is a 10-minute drive away, 40-minute drive from Enryaku-ji Temple and a 1-hour train ride from Kyoto Station."

Cat 7.

"Located right beside Lake Biwa, Lake Biwa Marriott Hotel features a complimentary use of an indoor swimming pool, a large gymnasium and tennis courts. Guests can unwind at the large public baths and saunas after spending the day exercising.

A free shuttle is available from JR Katata Train Station, which is a 10-minute drive away.

Air-conditioned rooms feature a flat-screen TV, a fridge and an electric kettle with green tea bags. Japanese Yukata robes and toothbrush sets are provided for all guests, and the en suite bathroom comes with a hairdryer. All rooms feature garden or lake views.

Fishing equipment and bicycle rentals are available for an extra cost, or you can enjoy the on-site planetarium. Table tennis and billiard can be enjoyed, while you can shop for gifts at the souvenir shop. Dry cleaning and currency exchange services are provided at the 24-hour front desk.Guests can enjoy traditional multi-course meals at Hatsuakane restaurant and Western dishes at Subaru."

Property now open.

Has a members only rate that includes breakfast for 2 daily & 3000 points per stay.

Hotel website:

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/trave...arriott-hotel/

Currently has 24-hour cancel rather than 2-3 day.

Cheers.

Received an email from a FT friend staying at the property:

"So even though this new prop is a resort they have a lounge and provide G/P with std benees "

Marriott Rewards Gold / Platinum Elite Member Benefits
Welcome to Lake Biwa Marriott Hotel !!
As an Elite Member of Marriott Rewards program, we are delighted to spell out some of the exclusive benefits you'll enjoy during your stay besides the access to Executive Lounge located on the 1st floor.

◆ Restaurant & Lounge Access - Member + 1 Guest
Snack -cookie/candy & fruits & soft drinks… Please choose from the menu 11:00-22:00 @ 1F
-Grab & Go available
Breakfast -Full Buffet style Breakfast 7:30-10:00(weekdays) @12F
7:00-10:00(sat,sun & holidays) @12F
Afternoon Tea - Scone & Sandwich etc … Please choose from the menu 14:30 - 17:00 ＠1F
Evening Snack -hors d'oeuvre, hot meal & sweets…Please from the menu 17:30 - 19:30 ＠1F
Evening Bar - Alcoholic beverages…Please from the menu 17:30 - 21:30 ＠1F
◆ Late Check-out - 16:00 Late Check out is guaranteed without any charge. If you request it, please let us know.
◆ Drink Voucher - Complimentary One Drink during your stay (up to 2 person) @12F or 1F
◆ Restaurant Discount Lunch 11:30 - 14:30 ＠12F 「Grill & Dining G」
Dinner 17:30 - 21:00 ＠12F 「Grill & Dining G」
- A la carte menu( food and beverage) 20% discount (up to 4 person)
※ Not applicable for breakfast, in-room dining, mini-bar charge, and banquets
※ Discount must be requested in the restaurant at the time of settling the bill
◆ Laundry - 2 piece complimentary Pressing service per stay
- Wash, Dry-Cleaning, Pressing 20 % discount
◆ Printing - 10 pieces Complimentary color or B&W printing per stay
◆ Photo Copy - 10 pieces Complimentary color or B&W photo copy per stay
◆ Wi-Fi - Complimentary Wi-Fi access in the hotel
◆ Fitness - Free usage of Gym @ Hotel main building 1F
Open 24 hours
　※Free usage of Swimming pool @ Annex sports area 8:00-21:00 (To the end of August)

We'll do our utmost best to ensure the overall experience is both enjoyable and relaxing ! Thank you for your loyalty to Marriott Brand.

Warmest Regards

Thanks for sharing this information. Can i have the email address for this Marriott Hotel, i tried to look for their email address on Marriott.com but couldn't find it? We will be staying in this hotel next month and I just wanted to double confirm few things with them.

Does anyone have any info on the shuttle? For example, does it run on a set schedule, or do we have to somehow get in touch with the resort to request it to come pick us up? And where does the shuttle pick up from? Thanks!

Just finished a short stay here. Very pleasantly surprised.

We came from Osaka; took the train to Katata station, then shuttle bus to the hotel. Most hours of the day, there is one train that goes through to Katata in about 45 minutes, plus several more options that require a switch in Kyoto and take a bit over an hour. The through train aligns poorly with the shuttle bus (which departs the station at :40), so we took a connecting option. The shuttle bus ride to the hotel takes about 10 minutes. I couldn’t find information on taxi pricing, but taxis were readily available at Katata station, and due to the short distance I can’t imagine it’s very costly.

The hotel is a reflag and pretty thorough remodel – a fair bit of money must have gone into remodeling the lobby and rooms. The location is quite nice, with a great view of Lake Biwa. Cross the street and you’re on a pedestrian/bike path along the lake. A mall with plenty of dining and shopping options is a 10 minute walk away. There’s really no need for a car. The hotel contains an onsen and sports facilities – these haven’t been remodeled, but are ok.

We were upgraded to a lake view room on a high floor. It’s large and very modern. There appear to be onsen rooms and suites, but of course unlikely to be given as upgrades on a Saturday – I was pleasantly surprised that we got what we did. Golds/Plats receive access to a lounge area in the lobby with snack items during the day, and free flowing drinks plus a small buffet, along with some hot items (brought to the table) in the evening. Pretty decent quality, and a pleasant experience. Breakfast is also included, served in the 12th floor restaurant – it’s a great space with a fantastic view of Lake Biwa, and the spread is excellent (salads/fruits/pastries/cold Japanese and Western items/hot buffet/ramen station/eggs, waffles, pancakes made on demand and delivered to the table). It was busy and we had to wait half an hour, but were offered the option of receiving a call when the table is ready.

Overall, it was a great stay, and excellent value on a rate of less than $100. This was the reason we came here in the first place – Saturday nights in Japan can be 2-3x as pricy as weeknights, and staying in Osaka would have been much more expensive than this little detour. We’ll be back!

Received email from friend who is currently staying at the property.

Lounge is open daily for Gold/Plats:
Breakfast buffet 7am-10am 12F (guessing that means floor)
Day long snack (cookies/candies/fruit snacks/soft drinks) 11am-10pm 1F
Evening snack (hors d'ouerves/hot meal/sweets) 5:30pm-8pm 1F
Evening bar (alcoholic beverages) 5:30pm-10pm 1F

* Please show this pass to staff at time of breakfast/lounge use
* This is available for one person per ticket
* Access to lounge is available during your stay

And according to my friend who's Plat: "And they have private G/P lounge but if not G/P no other hotel bar so if you want late night drink you'll have to go elsewhere"

Cheers.

It looks like the train fare is around USD11 each way - is that right? Sounds like it might be a nice place to explore.

I would imagine that the price of the train will vary based on where you are coming from! ;) I'm assuming you are talking about coming from the KIX airport, though...is that right? I recently traveled via train from KIX to Kyoto (which is about 2/3 of the way to the Katata station..the closest train station to Lake Biwa) , and the price was about 42USD for a round trip ticket. Looking at this link on Google Maps, it estimates the one way price to be 3980JPY, which is ~$37. I don't know how much you can actually trust that $37 price, but 11USD still seems too cheap to me. Maybe I didn't get a good deal, though! haha

P.S. Could you edit your initial post and put in the missing "[" before the "QUOTE" just to make it easier to read? :)

Sorry about messing up the quote - I think I fixed it.
I looked at the fare from Osaka (since I'll be staying there for a few days) so it sounds like it's the right ballpark. Your post has made me think seriously about spending a few days here rather than staying longer in Osaka - did you find any special places to eat?

Yep, the quote is fixed now. ^

I didn't make it to Lake Biwa because I only had an 18 hour layover at KIX, so Kyoto was as far as I really wanted to venture with the limited time. So, I definitely can't help with places to eat near Lake Biwa, sorry!

I would think twice about that... unless you have a car. I stayed in early March and took the shuttle, but was up and out the next morning. I would not want to spend multiple days here without a car. The only reason to stay at this hotel (without car) is if you get a massively cheap rate or just like collecting new Marriott hotels. The lounge is OK, but in all seriousness I'd be happier with food quality spending 500 yen at a 7-11/Family Mart, etc. The hotel has been renovated and is not bad, but it is not especially convenient for much of anything.

Depending on where in Osaka you come from (subway/JR/bus/taxi), it's around $15 to Katata station. Check Hyperdia.com for schedules and fare details. There are various regional rail passes that may make sense if you travel some distances.

We stayed here on a beautiful spring day, and the walk along Lake Biwa was great. There isn't much to do nearby, but the mall that's a 10-15 minute walk away has some amenities, and if you rent a bike or spend time at the spa/onsen, you can easily spend a few days here without getting bored. We found the lounge rather pleasant -and the breakfast on the top floor excellent- so obviously I must not be very good at maximizing my 500yen purchases at 7-11/Family Mart/etc.