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."

"This quiet town is mostly populated by locals who come to enjoy the hot springs. There are two hot springs, one open-air and one indoor. Mukan is in a great location, a five-minute walk from the JR station and a ten-minute walk from the hot spring town. Both breakfast and dinner are delicious, featuring local produce. The table was already set when we arrived, and the service was excellent."

"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."

"The hotel is located on a mountain with a great environment. The hot springs are particularly amazing, with several outdoor and indoor pools. The room was also nice, a Japanese-style room that was very clean and spacious. The only regret is that we stayed two nights at this hot spring hotel with breakfast and dinner included, and both meals were very poor. I can only say that we were filled with plain white rice and miso soup. Oh, and the hotel offers free shuttle service. You need to contact the hotel in advance. They will pick you up at the JR station with a sign. Overall, the value for money is just average."

"The room was spacious, and there was a balcony where I could enjoy taking photos of the night view and starry sky. Drinks like beer were also free, so it was great value for money."

"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!"