Onsen Business Hotel Fukiya

The building is quite old, though my room was clean. The food was delicious, and I liked that natural hot spring water came straight from the faucet while I was bathing in the tub. It's a hot spring business hotel.

Being near the station was handy, but I was frustrated by the room. The TV wouldn't work, and the English-labeled remote came with no instructions. There wasn't even a clock. The shower room fan started clicking after a while, then did it again a few minutes later. It was loud enough that I switched it off before bed, which stopped the noise. For a room with no meals, 12,000 yen is far too much.

The river view is lovely, and the station is close by with lots of restaurants nearby. Still, the quality doesn't feel worth the price, though Gero is expensive in general, so maybe that's just how it is. The private bath uses hot spring water and is shared by six rooms on a first-come, first-served basis, but its stainless steel-like tub feels like an ordinary bath at home. Soaking in spring water there doesn't really feel like being at an onsen.

The hotel is a 5-6 minute walk from the center of the hot spring town, though it's close to the station and there's a convenience store nearby that stays open until midnight. The building is a little old, but my room was clean and comfortable. There was no bath in the room, just a shower booth. On the same floor, though, there's a private bath for one person with hot spring water, open 24 hours. Anyone can use it when it's free.