Scenic Hotels in Gero

"Magnificent stay at a natural onsen village. The most brilliant Ryokan you can imagine. Built at the beginning of the 20th century and renovated, all locations inside are beautiful and Instagrammable. Spent an anniversary here with my wife and had the best impressions of the whole trip. The Kaiseki dinner was above our expectations. The waitress explained everything, and we got a true cultural experience."

"Lovely onsen ryokan. Staff don’t really speak English so there’s a bit of trying to figure things out for yourself.  Nevertheless, service was friendly and helpful as best they could.  The outdoor onsen is really relaxing and because it’s not a crowded hotel, both times I went I had it to myself as did my wife and kids in the ladies area.  We picked the room with its own outdoor onsen tub which is a great option if you don’t want to use the non-private ones.  You can apparently book private onsens but they did not have any available for us (possibly because we arrived slightly late in the day).  Food was excellent for both dinner and breakfast.  Kids couldn’t;’quite enjoy the onsens cause they found the water too hot so you may want to make sure your kids can before you decided to splurge.  One final point, the ryokan is located down a tiny road on the right just before Google Maps tells you that you have reached."

"The hot spring baths here are excellent, particularly the furo. It wasn't crowded, and it's conveniently located. My only reservation is that the food wasn't as varied or plentiful as it has been on prior visits. Overall, it's still a very good choice."

"Environment and Service: The hotel is quite large and relatively new, with a big courtyard perfect for a stroll. There's also a shuttle service to and from the station. The only minor drawback is that rooms on one side face the train tracks, which can be a bit noisy, and the soundproofing isn't great."

"The hotel service was incredibly satisfying. From check-in, we had a dedicated butler who patiently explained all the hotel facilities and took care of our dinner and breakfast arrangements. However, there's no indoor bathroom in the room, so showering outdoors in colder weather would be quite challenging. On another note, it's worth mentioning that the hotel includes taxi service; you can just hop into any taxi at the station and go straight to the hotel, and they'll cover the cost."

"**Cons:** - I had a disappointing experience with one of the drivers. He was very rude and had a bad attitude, especially when we couldn't understand his Japanese. Even though we didn't understand everything he said, his demeanor made us feel uncomfortable and negatively impacted our stay. **Pros:** - The hotel's location is very convenient, with shuttle service available. - The views from the hotel are beautiful. - The facilities are well-equipped and very clean. Overall, while the hotel has many positive aspects, the encounter with the driver left a sour note on our experience. I hope management can address this issue to ensure future guests have a more pleasant experience."

"Impression: Ogawaya was one of the three day-trip options I considered for my Gero trip last summer, and it left a great impression then. So, when planning this winter trip, I really wanted to stay here for a night. Since I booked late, I was lucky to even snag a room. Service: The front desk had a Chinese-speaking staff member who was, hands down, the loveliest Chinese-speaking person I encountered on any of my trips. Unlike some uncomfortable experiences I had at Dormy Inn Kumamoto and with the Nohi bus today, this young lady was genuinely warm and friendly. Facilities: During my day trip last summer, I only got to use the women's bath that was open in the afternoon. It was very clean and had a silk bath. This time, I tried the other bath in the morning, but I still feel that Sagi-no-yu has a more unique charm. Also, on the first floor of the scenic view building where I stayed, there's a 'Can Onsen' (sparkling onsen) which is open to women from afternoon to evening. It features a highly concentrated carbonated hot spring. Although it's artificial, it's definitely worth trying. The lobby has a self-service drink bar, and after a hot spring bath, enjoying a cold orange juice while watching the river flow by outside the window is incredibly relaxing. Drawbacks: The only downside was the noise from my next-door neighbors. I don't know who they were, but this is the only Japanese hotel I've stayed in where I've experienced such loud noise. Despite having two layers of doors, I was disturbed both in the evening and in the morning. Highlights: A great bonus is that the hotel's refrigerator has a freezer compartment – a freezer compartment! Perfect for storing ice cream!"

"This is the best onsen hotel we’ve stayed in, among those we’ve stayed in for the past 12 years! We stayed here for 2 nights. We’ve extremely grateful to the hosts for their outstanding service and hospitality from the heart. Loved the thoughtfully varied menu for each meal. The establishment is spotlessly clean and excellently maintained. Each morning, our towels and yukata (hotel gowns) were replaced. So were the amenities ( fragrant green tea packs, snacks). The housekeeping staff even offered to mop our rooms after only one night’s stay. The wifi was also fast and sustained well in the guest room and public lounge areas. There are facilities to cater to a wide range of age groups from seniors like us and children too. There were ample resting chairs in the lounge and on the way to the historian’s well as guest rooms. The best facility was the hot springs! They are exactly as depicted in the hotel website. Numerous indoor pools of various temperature all have the renowned ‘beautifying’ odorless alkaline water. My skin felt so smooth and moisturized after only one soak. What’s more the hot springs stay open for in-house guests from 10.30 am to 11 pm and day-trip visitors from 10.30 am to 8 pm. In-house guests can also use the hotsprings early from 6 to 9 am. There is a European dry sauna as well as wet steam rooms in both make and female hotspring areas. We would love to stay here again!"