Hot Springs Hotels in Gifu Prefecture, Japan

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.

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!

This was my second stay, and the experience was just as great. The room was clean and comfortable. They have staff who speak Chinese, and they were very attentive, recommending nearby hot springs and restaurants. The owner also speaks a little Chinese. The simple breakfast was fantastic, and the hot soup was delicious! You can leave your luggage at the 1F lobby during check-in or check-out, and they can also arrange a taxi for you. Highly recommended!

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.

One of the most unforgettable stays we’ve ever had. From the moment my family stepped through the door, we were wrapped in a warm, cosy ambience that instantly made us feel at ease. The room was impeccably clean and wonderfully comfortable, offering the perfect space to relax and unwind. Both dinner and breakfast were nothing short of exceptional—each meal thoughtfully prepared and absolutely delightful. The onsen, overlooking a serene river view, was the true highlight, creating a tranquil and almost dreamlike experience. Every moment spent there felt precious and completely worthwhile.

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.

Very lovely and warm homestay. Will give a 5 star if the stairs can be substituted with lift. Am very thankful to the host helping to carry my large luggage up 3 flights of stairs. Room is super cosy and bed is comfy.

This was the first hotel we stayed at in Takayama. The room was quite spacious, and the public hot spring facilities were a nice bonus. In the evenings, they offered tangyuan (sweet glutinous rice balls) and ochazuke (rice with tea) as a late-night snack. The breakfast had a good variety of options, and it seemed like most of the guests were foreigners. The location was excellent, very close to the station and all the main attractions, so no complaints there. The only downside was that the prices jumped significantly for the next day due to the Takayama Festival, so we ended up switching to a different hotel.

Japanese-style Ryokan. As indicated by hotel, no private bathroom or sink is provided and has ”curfew” at 11pm. Public bath is quite small (3pax for male, 2pax for female) but very large for pax count with an indoor and outdoor bath area. Area is not near public transport but is on the same side and near Miyagawa Morning Market and Sake Breweries (~10min).