Ooedo Onsen Monogatari Gero Bekkan

The front desk and restaurant staff gave good service, and the location is convenient enough for shops and other nearby places. But the building itself is in appalling condition. I know a lot of buildings in Gero are old, but at this price I'd expect the balcony ceiling not to be completely rotted and the foundation and door to the outdoor onsen not to be cracking apart. There are moldy patches across the walls and carpets throughout the building. The photos give a wildly misleading impression of the property and its shared spaces.

Adachi, who works at the Gero location, made my stay at Oedo Onsen Gero Annex memorable. I was in the countryside and couldn't find something as basic as a laptop power adapter. She even offered to go home and lend me her own. That was incredibly thoughtful and generous, and I'm truly grateful to her and the hotel for having someone so caring and helpful on staff.

The food was great at both dinner and breakfast, and many of the rooms have been renovated. It's a large onsen resort with lots of activities. Getting to my room meant going up and down many stairs and using elevators that connect the different buildings. With big luggage, that was really inconvenient. The open-air bath on the 5th-floor rooftop was tiny and a long walk away.

The onsen water was lovely, with no smell or color, and left my skin feeling smooth and moisturized. From our room we had a good mountain view, though it was small and retro. Getting there took two different lifts, which was a bit complicated, and the place isn't wheelchair friendly. After checkout, you can still use the lockers for free if you're heading out. Gero station is about a 15-minute walk away, and they also offer free pickup and drop-off. It's close to the main street. I liked being able to choose a Yukata at reception and use self checkout. Dinner and breakfast are buffet style, with lots of local dishes alongside multicultural food. The unlimited alcohol drinks bar for 1900 yen is a good deal. We left the dining room absolutely full.