Toyoko Inn @ Kyoto Biwako Otsu

[katoftw]

Many a lonely man "loves" the hotels around there.

[JR 500系]

I just *love* the hotels around there.

 

The hotels there are simply 'lovely' ~  :P

 

 

Many a lonely man "loves" the hotels around there.

 

They wouldn't be so 'lonely' staying there ~~  :P

[westfalen]

And Hakata Ekimae 1 or 2 - But these seems very popular and are book out, even onto the member only months..

I stayed at one of these in 2011, I can't remember which one but I went to the wrong one first.

[Das Steinkopf]

I was looking at the Biwako-Otsu hotel for a two night stay in the area in September but am now leaning towards Maibara https://www.toyoko-inn.com/e_hotel/00250/index.html The Shinkansen and Tokkaido Main Line right next to the hotel, what more could you want?

I'm looking at going back next year for a few weeks in April and we will probably stay in Maibara for close to a week, we will be using it as a staging base for day trips as well as going to Kyoto given the Shinkansen service to Kyoto is just as quick as catching the local service from Otsu. We will go back to Otsu for part of a day so I can finally get to ride on the Ishiyama-Sakamoto line, we are looking at catching the train on the Hokuriku Main Line to Omi-Shiotsu and then on the Kosei Line down to Hieizan Sakamoto so we can skirt along the shores of Lake Biwa. From there we will walk to Keihan Sakamoto Eki and catch the train to Ishiyamadera, after that we will catch the train back to Hamaotsu where I get to enjoy another trip along the Keihan Keishin, we will then cap the day off by going for dinner in Gion as that was one of the other places we missed when we were there.

Edited February 10, 2016 by Das Steinkopf

[katoftw]

Say wha?  You were 450m from Hamaostu and you never rode the Ishiyama-Sakamoto Line?  That's crazy talk. haha

 

I'm planning on 1.5 days in Otsu of 4 days in Kansai, hence the stay close.  Otherwise I would have just got somewhere close to Shin-Osaka Station.

Edited February 11, 2016 by katoftw

[Das Steinkopf]

Say wha? You were 450m from Hamaostu and you never rode the Ishiyama-Sakamoto Line? That's crazy talk. haha

 

I'm planning on 1.5 days in Otsu of 4 days in Kansai, hence the stay close. Otherwise I would have just got somewhere close to Shin-Osaka Station.

No, I stood on the platform at Hamaotsu and took multiple photos of the station as well of 600 Series and 700 Series whilst waiting for an 800 Series to Yamashina, not only that I had gone down to Hamaotsu station a couple of nights before and took multiple photos of the trains as they arriving and departing, now that is crazy talk

Edited February 11, 2016 by Das Steinkopf

[Das Steinkopf]

Oh look what I found when scratching through my night shots of Hamaotsu, mind you I wish I had caught a shot of it in the daylight.

[katoftw]

Nice!

 

So yesterday while the wife is at the dentist.  I notice Jetstar are doing Coolangatta to Narita for $199 + add-ons.  I'm thinking, yay a September trip to Japan.  Wife returns from dentist with big to-do list that will cost $2500. Bummer!  Bye bye Japan.

 

On a more Biwako Otsu Tokyo Inn related note.  I noticed that they don't charge extra for Fridays and Saturdays like most other hotels.  So by swapping the Fukuoka hotel days (Thu-Sun) with the Otsu hotel days (Mon-Thu) in my itinerary meant a $160 savings.

 

It is the only hotel I have noted do this in Japan.  Some charge extra for Thursday, some don't.  But Fridays and Saturdays always seem to come with a 1000 yen increase normally.

Edited February 11, 2016 by katoftw