Hotel Koo – Otsu Hyakucho Ohmiya Room Reception

9 minutes by train from Kyoto Station. As you walk through the quaint streets of Tokaido, you will see Omiya, the reception area. I received a cold baby bancha as a welcome drink, which made me feel relieved. I stayed in a rented maruya. Located in a corner of a nostalgic shopping street, the stylish exterior alone will get you excited. It's interesting that while retaining the atmosphere of a townhouse, it has been renovated to make your stay more comfortable and is equipped with the latest security equipment and home appliances.Best of all, the Scandinavian furniture was placed everywhere to blend in, making me want to sit on every chair.No matter where you cut it out, it turned into a beautiful picture.The orange tiles in the cypress bath were also very cute! As for the amenities, I was happy that osaji skin care was included in the original pouch with the HOTEL Ko logo.There are many attractive shops in the surrounding area within a few minutes' walk, and we were able to choose one based on the handmade map we received from the hotel.For breakfast, I had eel chazuke at Omiya. The rice was shiny, chewy and delicious!It's close to both Keihan and JR stations, so I rented a car and went to La Collina Omihachiman and Kurokabe Square. We enjoyed the magnificent scenery of Lake Biwa on the Michigan cruise.I felt the attention to detail and good taste, and it was a comfortable stay. I haven't been able to visit all the attractive places in Shiga yet, so I would definitely like to go again.

Stayed in a maruya buildingThe receptionist was very kind, the inside was clean, the facilities were perfect, and it was very comfortable, making it a place you'd want to stay for many nights. The stairs felt a little steep, and since I was staying with a friend, I thought it would have been better to have separate bedrooms on the 2nd and 1st floors, considering how to go to the bathroom and privacy, so that's the only thing that gave me 4 stars. I did it.The location is right in the middle of a shopping district, and some people may be concerned about the background music of the shopping district being played during the day, but we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.I would definitely like to use it again when I come again.

May Day in 2023 will be the first time to return to Japan after the epidemic. It was also the first time I traveled abroad with my wife after getting married. Because the only two options for resuming flights first are Tokyo Narita or Osaka Kansai, where to land and where to go after landing have become the primary issues. On the one hand, I really want to see places that I was familiar with and liked before, and revisit old places. However, I found that many stores I was familiar with in the past have closed down one after another. Even if I return to my old place, I may only see things that have changed and people have changed. So we started planning a new itinerary.By chance, I saw an introduction to Lake Biwa in a magazine, and this place one step away from Kyoto began to come into my sight. So there was a May Day trip to Lake Biwa.The first stop for visiting Shiga Prefecture and Lake Biwa was naturally in Otsu. In fact, there are not many hotel choices in Otsu, because the trip for the next few days will basically go around the lake, so I did not choose the Biwako Hotel by the lake, but considered Take a step back and take in the city's streets. After the reservation was successful, I started to read about Otsu, including this hotel, with great interest. Only then did I realize that the reason for my choice coincided with the design concept of this hotel.The concept of using hotels as a medium to bring tourists into the city life and thus support local businesses is very close to my heart. Otsu has gone from being the largest inn on the Tokaido in the old Edo period to a gradually forgotten city today. It is not only a microcosm of many cities in Japan, but also a microcosm of many Chinese cities in the future. For Chinese tourists, Otsu may always be just an unfamiliar place name flashing across the tram screen. For many of these places, only by experiencing the local history, stories and culture in person can you have a more intuitive experience.During this year’s Dragon Boat Festival, my wife and I visited Japan for the second time because we still had unfinished business. We saw a copy of Utagawa Hiroshige’s “The Fifty-Three Tokaido Roads” in a print shop in Ueno, Tokyo, and asked if there was a copy of Otsu’s. However, the clerk didn’t know about Otsu (laughing), which shows that the design concept of Hotel Koo has practical significance.The most special thing about Hotel Koo, and the embodiment of its design concept, is that it is not a whole building, but independent machiya scattered throughout the shopping street. Reservations are also specific to the room number, so you can choose according to your preferences. If you have been here more than once, you can even choose based on the specific location of the shopping street where your favorite room is located.The design of Hotel Koo retains the original style of the old machiya and adds contemporary design elements, such as Nordic-style furniture. The bed was the biggest I slept on during the entire trip. On the first floor of the teahouse used as the hotel lobby, Japanese sake and snacks are provided for free tasting in the afternoon. The selections are all products sold in nearby shopping streets, and introduction information is provided, which is great. From beginning to end, except for sleeping, Hotel Koo has faithfully implemented its design concept, which is to encourage residents to get out of their rooms and enter the shopping street, entrusting the tourists' eating, drinking and shopping experience to the shopping street. I am very glad that I chose Otsu and Hotel Koo, which gave me an ordinary and unusual experience.Need to be reminded that the windows in the room are made of Japanese washi paper and there are no curtains. Although Japanese paper has a certain light-blocking effect, it still means that natural light will shine in during the early morning hours as the sun rises. Guests who are extremely sensitive to light need to take this into consideration.Second, if you are carrying a large trolley suitcase or overweight luggage, you should also choose a room on the second floor carefully. Although on the day of check-in, there will be staff to help put the luggage into the room. But on the day I leave, I have to rely on myself. The rooms on the second floor are more suitable for backpackers with light luggage. After all, the old machiya does not have an elevator.But these are hardly shortcomings.Hotel Koo is great.

The staff was very kind to us. The room clean and creates a welcome atmosphere. I would love to come back next time I travel.

This is an accommodation facility that has been renovated from an old townhouse, and has been updated with various improvements. Although there are some drawbacks, such as the low ceilings and the somewhat steep stairs, the building, interior, and fixtures are quaint and relaxing. At the nearby rest room (?), you can enjoy a variety of drinks for free.

I saw it on Instagram a while ago and finally came here! First of all, the coffee is delicious. They seem to be particular about the coffee in the lounge and rooms, so it's a must-see for coffee lovers.Also, the quality of the service. A man named Tamai-san was in charge of check-in, and he was very friendly and approachable, and everything was polite and made our stay even better! He seems to have lived overseas as well (*^^*) He came to clean the house for several consecutive nights, and he also did an incredible amount of work, including breakfast and check-in, so I guess he's probably the manager. Anyway, it seemed difficult to be alone (>_<)It was fun to talk about various things! I will definitely come again! !I think it would have been better if there was a different menu for breakfast if you were staying for consecutive nights!

I stayed here during sakura season in 2023 and right off the bat, Otsu was a much needed respite from the crowds of Tokyo. This little hotel works hard to let guests have an authentic experience with locally sourced, and produced food and drink.Hotel breakfast was really fantastic (highly recommend the top up), and "aperitif hour(s)" were my favourite. Regional sake and wine were made available to guests. I enjoyed it so much I went to the bottle shop to acquire more of said sake before leaving Otsu. The staff recommended we dine at Kasen and we were mind blown. The hotel strives to bring awareness to the community offerings, and they absolutely succeeded. I highly encourage you to join the complimentary walking tour of the hotel which was conducted in English (spoiler alert, the hotel retains the original building structure with an ancient well and chimney still intact) and the surrounding vicinity.We left Otsu utterly charmed by the hospitality of Hotel Koo and the community members we crossed paths with. The warmth of the staff, cleanliness, decor and overall room spaciousness of the hotel made it an unforgettable experience and I am definitely returning for a longer visit.

We stayed in a rented house called Suzuya. I had a relaxing moment drinking coffee ☕ that I had brewed myself while looking at the camellias (?) in the small garden. The breakfast was delicious, with eel chazuke, 8 kinds of obanzai, and chawanmushi. It was also interesting to be able to stay in a mysterious space inside a shopping street.

The best machiya in town. It's just 2 stations away from Kyoto! I personally prefer staying here and then making day trips to Kyoto instead of spending the nights in the busy and overcrowded Kyoto/Osaka.So amazed with the design and the quality of almost everything in this place. Wood textures, smells, small details left behind in old pillars... You can certainly feel the difference with other cheap machiyas. Aside from the exceptional design of their rooms and machiya houses, I was also happy with their free tours! I got to discover the history of the place, got to see some real machiyas all over town, got to explore the local shopping district, and so many more!The unagi chazuke breakfast is also a must-try!! Definitely a place I'm gonna keep coming back to!

Wonderful interior from renovated wooden traditional house in Otsu. Good aesthetic of the furniture, lantern, lighting fixture, and good quality of building materials. The welcome snack is a special sweets from Otsu, and breakfast is a special gourmet from Shiga prefecture.The hotel lobby is separated to the hotel I stayed. The lobby/reception is also a traditional house which is registered as national cultural property. They renovated it carefully and with good aesthetic. I found there is quote about ma/間 by Laozi , my fave ancient philosopher.