Gero Onsen Fugaku

The meals were a real highlight. Our booking included dinner and breakfast, both made with local seasonal ingredients. Our server took time to explain each dish in English, and both meals were served in our room. We booked a night while passing through Gero Onsen on a road trip around Gifu prefecture, and ended up loving the stay. It’s a smaller ryokan than some nearby, with a lot of history but good upkeep. It overlooks the river and is within walking distance of local attractions and shops, with a convenience store nearby too. We drove and parked in a lot behind the ryokan. Let the staff know ahead of time and they’ll send the GPS coordinates. There’s also shuttle pickup and drop-off to JR stations. For bathing, you can reserve either of the two private baths. Public baths are on the lower and upper floors, plus there’s an open-air bath. The men’s and women’s schedules rotate. Staff were friendly and helpful, and provide yukatas, umbrellas, and other items. They put a lot of effort into service.

The river-facing rooms are spacious and stocked with lots of amenities, and I really enjoyed the outdoor onsen. The facilities were great and the value for money was good. Service stood out too. Staff were friendly and helpful, tidied the room and rearranged our things after every meal, and I even got to practice Japanese with one of them. I’d recommend it.

We arrived after dark and were told dinner was no longer available, but the staff suggested a nearby place to eat. Breakfast came with the stay and was a delicious, generous Japanese set. We ate our fill. It’s a comfortable, family-run Ryokan-style inn with free parking for drivers and walking distance from the train station. The onsen is on the basement and 4th floors. I especially liked the rooftop bath, which men and women can use at different times as the schedule switches. The inn is also near the town centre, so it’s easy to walk around.

The website looks outdated, and I’d have liked more power sockets in the room. Still, the place was comfortable and the experience was great for a reasonable price. Having the full dinner served in the room made it well worth it, and I liked the open-air part of the onsen. Their helpful service started right after I booked. They emailed me directions for getting there, first in Japanese and then in English.