I absolutely loved my stay at Hikone and Kiyotaki ryokan. The room I stayed in was spacious and smelled of tatami, the bath was newly and renovated and comfortable, there was a small table in room along with a kettle and a teapot set perfect for a cup of tea in the morning. This was both one of my favorite stays in Japan so far as well as one of the cheaper ones. The owner of this ryokan is super friendly well. He gave me tips on what to see as well as a map of local cafes and restaurants and other tourist attractions which he himself helped make. Overall the stay was super friendly and I hope to come back in the future and even book the dinner this time.

Our stay was a great experience, the owners are very kind and friendly people who took good care of us and helped us with all our requests (for example finding a place to dry our wet clothes). The whole accommodation is clean and quiet. We also ate dinner and breakfast here and couldn’t recommend it enough, it was absolutely delicious with many variable dishes. There is mentioned on the ryokan’s booking profile that the owner doesn’t speak English, but his English is actually very good compared to other Japanese I spoke to in Japan and communication was not a problem.

The pillows were made of small balls and were a bit uncomfortable.

The relaxed atmosphere is so very nice. A true ryokan experience. Although I am a bit too rickety for constantly sitting on the beautiful tatami floor, I enjoyed my time thoroughly. The owner is fun, his wife is adorable and everything is so very clean... impressive! It's a good 15 minute walk from the trainstation, but once you've figured out how to get there it's not a problem. Hikone is great, calm, beautiful. The food is very Japanese and delicious. Sawayama ruins and Hikone castle are stunning to see. The harbour is tiny, but you can take sightseeing cruises there onto lake Biwa.

At check in I had to wait for quite a while because there is no front desk. There was no one to be found.

the kaiseki breakfast was absolutely incredible. our room (river view) was stunning and the amenities were great, the staff was absolutely lovely (especially when helping with the yakutas) and the location was absolutely superb - right in the centre of Kinosaki. THE best night's sleep I've had in years (well over a decade), we roasted ourselves in the amazing hot springs until the very last opening minutes (11pm) and couldn't wait to do it again first thing in the morning.

I understand the building is old and traditional, so not expecting modern-day insulation. However, hearing the next-door neighbours talking & drinking until past 1am (and hearing them tinkle every time they went to the bathroom) was a huge minus for me. Otherwise Kiyotaki Ryokan is amazing

The Ryokan is located pretty close to everything, Hikone Castle and Hikone station can be reached by foot in about 10-20 minutes, restaurant, convenience stores, etc. are also pretty close. The family running the Ryokan was very very friendly and accommodating to me. Everything has been explained to me, but I also speak Japanese so mileage may vary. The bath was very nice and Japanese style. Everything I needed like Toothbrushes, shampoo was available. I liked the room, it was a Japanese style tatami room with a comfortable Futon bed.

There are some bars located close by and they might sing loudly in the evening. I just closed my window and wasn’t bothered much by it though. It’s probably best to join them if you aren’t tired like I was.

This was probably the best accommodation I had so far. It is true when they say - the further you go from the big cities, the more sympathetic and kind people you meet. I was very skeptical about my stay in the ryokan, as the pictures were not that promising and the price was quite low. As well as the city of Hikone is not that big (probably it is a small town area). But when I came in the evening after a full-day trip, I saw a very well made accommodation, exceptionally clean and a host, who met me with a very warm greeting! He showed me all of the facilities and we had a nice chat. I should admit - it is very important when you are coming late and plus to that you are alone. Later he offered me a dinner and I was more then amazed by how tasty and big it was for that price! I had 5 or more dishes (do not remember exactly as there were a lot), prepared on a beautiful tableware. I really felt like I was home. The lobby area was probably repaired - as it has nothing similar with the photos from the booking.com. Now it has a very clean and light colored design. It was visible from the first sight, that the host treats the hotel as if it was his own house, greeting everyone with open arms and heart. I would dream to meet such hosts in Kyoto, Osaka and other big cities. But so far, I met the best host in Hikone town. Unfortunately, I don't remember the name of the host-just found his name now. Hiroshi san, 温かい歓迎をありがとうございました。

This was the best location imaginable. We loved exploring Zenkoji Temple and surrounds early in the morning and in the evening. The many food and shopping opportunities along Nakamise-dori are literally at the doorstep. Our favourite was the apple and custard pie from Benibeni.

The traditional mattresses were particularly thin but I'd still stay again!

Best stay we could have. Such a friendly owner, also very kids-friendly. The bath is completely new. Everything was extremely clean. In the end he brought us to the station by car, although it was a busy day for him.

Maybe it would be great to have some other breakfast options. But just for recommend. There are other cafes to choose from if you want.

This was an amazing stay! The staff was super friendly and we managed to communicate in English (with a little help from google) Breakfast and dinner were very good and not too expensive (1100¥ breakfast, 2200¥ dinner) The bathroom is shared with a sento feel to it which makes it great. Bedding is very comfortable and the kimono they offer look dope! Would 100% come back

Great cozy futons, beautiful location, owner speaks quite some English.

Facilities are partially a bit outdated. Vegetarian meals were offered but prepared without love, very simple dishes or dishes containing fish/meat were simply skipped in the vegetarian meal option (eg no miso soup) - but price is the same ;)