Hot Springs Hotels in Gifu Prefecture, Japan

I have no complaints at all to this Onsen Ryokan. It is definitely an old building, but the upkeep was done well. We were slightly late to check in (need to check in by 6pm so that the kaiseki dinner could be served), emailed them on their way and they replied pretty fast. We were greeted by the receptionist that is able to speak fluent English, she showed us around and sharing the facilities available. One small disappointment is although we mentioned we would like to have dinner together with 2 other rooms (our parents and siblings) when they asked us via email before the trip, they didn't manage to arrange it (and we arrived too late to make necessary arrangements). Nonetheless, the breakfast at the hall 2nd day they did arrange a big table for 9 of us including a kid and an infant. The onsens are superb, it is clean and has clear instructions what to do. When I visited, the ryokan is quite quiet, I enjoyed the serenity a lot!

📍 **Convenient Location** 🚶♀️ **Walking Distance:** Just a 5-minute walk from JR Takayama Station and Nohi Bus Center. 🚌 **Excellent Hub:** Super convenient for catching buses to Shirakawa-go and Shinhotaka. No need to rush in the morning. 🛍️ **Nearby Amenities:** Miyagawa Morning Market, Ajikura, and Akimaru are about a 10-minute walk away. There's also a large supermarket and a drugstore nearby. 🏨 **Rooms** 🛌 **Twin Beds Can Be Combined:** The two twin beds in the room can be put together to create a super large bed (over 2.4 meters), perfect for families with kids – no crowding. 📦 **Spacious:** At 22 square meters, the room is significantly larger than hotels in major Japanese cities, so you can open your luggage without any hassle. 🚿 There's a bathtub in the room for a soak. However, for just showering, the public bath is highly recommended as it's more spacious, especially when showering with children. ♨️ **Public Bath:** Separate for men and women, with one pool. You can check the crowding status on the TV in your room. 🎨 **Stylish Design:** Opened in 2021, the hotel features modern and tasteful decor, with an art-filled lobby. **Other Facilities** 👕 **Laundry & Dryer:** Coin-operated washing machines and dryers are available on the first floor. 🆓 **Free Luggage Storage:** Luggage can be stored for free before check-in and after check-out.

The hotel is new and very clean, and the staff are super friendly. It's about a five-minute walk from the JR station or bus stop. Getting to Takayama Old Town or the morning market isn't far on foot either. Plus, the public bath on the ninth floor was incredibly relaxing!

Very nice hotel in town with onsen. Breakfast was good with selection of both Japanese and Western options. They also offer free supper and ice sticks. There are limited parking bays in front of hotel but once you secured it, it's yours for the entire stay. There's a separate parking lot a minute walk away. Parking is at a reasonable rate of 1100 per day.

To be honest considering this has a 4 star rating I'm a bit disappointed. Generally speaking it is a nice place but there are small things that are lacking compared to other similar Onsen Hotels at the same price. For example they don't provide a basket to go to the onsen but only a cheap plastic bag. The Hotel itself is very old but well maintained and at least the general spaces use nice materials and decoration. Once you reach the room it becomes worse. The materials used in the room are very cheap (Vinyl Floor, Cheap Wallpaper that was put on very poorly). Some aspects of the room have been refurnished, like the sink but most of it seems to be original from the 60s-80s. The bathtub and Toilet are retro models. The Onsen baths are a mixed bag - the one on the third floor with Wood ceiling seems to be the newest and is the best of the three. The other two (panorama and first floor) are in dire need of refurbishing. They seem in very bad condition and extremly old. The worst part (for me) was the Breakfast. 90% of the selection was japanese Style (and even that seemed poor). Western Options were only Pancakes, French Toast (which was good at least) and a few sad pieces of low quality bread with condiments. They didn't even have a coffee machine!!! Only pre-brewed coffee that tasted like water.

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!

We made a last-minute dinner reservation, but they handled it courteously. I was also pleased that they quickly addressed the mistake I made when I made my reservation. From the hotel's bath floor, I could see the Nagara River right in front of me, and I was amazed by the beautiful view. The bathroom in our room was also lovely. Dinner was good, but breakfast was also excellent, and it got me excited from the morning. Thank you for a fun time.

The hotel is about 500 meters from Takayama Jr Station and 800 meters from Chaoshi Old Street. It has a superior location and convenient transportation. The hotel staff is warm and thoughtful, the breakfast is rich and delicious, and you can soak in hot springs. It is my first time staying in a Japanese hotel. I feel novel and the experience is very good. I will choose to stay here again when I come to Takayama

Visited one of Japan's top three hot spring towns and booked a traditional Japanese-style room at a century-old hotel, which included two meals. The hotel offers a shuttle service from the train station, which was incredibly convenient. Check-in was a breeze thanks to the friendly staff at the front desk who spoke Chinese. The room was exceptionally spacious with stunning views from the window – perfect for two people. The hot springs themselves, both indoor and outdoor, were wonderful. Gero Onsen truly lived up to its reputation; my skin felt incredibly smooth after a soak. Free cold drinks were available post-soak, and the milk from the vending machine was particularly delicious! The meals provided by the hotel were also plentiful and tasty. The entire hotel had a very authentic Japanese ambiance. Although we only stayed for one night, we're already looking forward to a longer visit in the future! Highly recommended to everyone.