KKR Gero Shirasagi

The staff were friendly and the service felt warm. I highly recommend the hot spring here. You may notice a difference in your skin the next day.

I chose the Hida beef tasting dinner, and the Saturday rate was 22,000 yen per person. For the price, it's an inn I'd like to come back to. Dinner was in a shared room, where the staff were friendly and quick to help. Breakfast was a Japanese-focused buffet, so the hotel doesn't seem especially geared toward overseas guests. The large bath is indoors on the fifth floor. The men's washing area has six seats, and the main bath fits around ten people. There's no outdoor bath or other bathing area, which is a difference from newer hot spring hotels. The hotel itself is older but has been thoroughly renovated; the carpets and walls were clean in the halls and on the stairs. I stayed in a Japanese-style room with its own bathroom and toilet. The washbasin and entrance lights came on automatically with motion sensors. There's complimentary drinks beside the lobby all day and night, and electric kettles in the rooms, thoughtful touches that don't need much staff time. The station is uphill about a ten-minute walk, so with poor weather I'd ask for the shuttle or come by car.

Dinner's Hida beef was delicious, and the portions felt just right. Breakfast was a buffet with tasty dishes, including ramen, which was a fun surprise. After the bath, I tried the massage chair and it loosened my muscles so well. The bath was spacious, with soft, lukewarm water that made it easy to stay in for a while as I looked out toward the mountains. I finally got to visit KKR Gero Shirasagi, which I'd really wanted to see on my trip to Gifu. Wandering the nearby hot spring town, sampling local food, soaking my feet, then returning for another hot spring bath made for a deeply relaxing stay. My mind and body felt completely healed. Thank you very much.

We had plenty of room, so it worked well for our family. The garden has koi, and it must look especially elegant when it snows. It's halfway up a hill, about a 7-8 minute walk from the station. At breakfast, the buffet includes Hida koshihikari rice, which has gotten quite expensive lately, and Hida beef curry. For dinner there's grilled Hida beef with hoba miso. They also have a broad range of local sake to enjoy.