Suimeikan

Gero is a very tranquil town, and the main reason we chose Suimeikan out of all the onsen hotels was its location. It's incredibly convenient for travelers like us who are dragging luggage and relying on public transport. The room was spacious, and the breakfast was excellent. My skin felt so smooth after soaking in the hot spring!

Before my trip, I booked a quadruple room at the Suimeikan hotel in Gero, Japan, through Trip.com. The booking confirmation stated '2 floor mattresses,' but the pictures showed two beds. I assumed the room configuration would be two beds and two floor mattresses. However, the front desk assigned me a room with four floor mattresses. I felt this wasn't what I had booked, and after almost an hour of fruitless discussion with the front desk, they insisted this was the room type I reserved. They said if I wanted a room with two beds, it would be considered an upgrade and require an additional payment of 17,600 JPY for two nights, which I obviously couldn't accept. Ultimately, I had to call Trip.com to complain. Trip.com's communication with the hotel also led nowhere, and in the end, Trip.com covered the cost. I really have to praise Trip.com's service here; their response to my complaint was very quick, and their solution after failing to negotiate with the hotel was decisive. I'm very satisfied with that, which is why I typically book all my travel through Trip.com. While their prices might sometimes be slightly higher than other platforms, their after-sales service is absolutely reliable. When issues arise, you realize that this slight premium is definitely worth it.

The hot spring was lovely and very relaxing, but the food was really mediocre. We had the 'one night, two meals' package, and while dinner had many courses, similar to a Kaiseki meal, the taste was just plain average. The combinations were strange. I'd recommend staying here, but definitely eat elsewhere. As for the claw machines inside, it's impossible to win a doll.

We specifically chose Suimeikaku for our Gero Onsen trip, and it truly lives up to its reputation as one of the best onsen hotels. The grounds are expansive, featuring three distinct hot spring baths, each with its unique charm – and we tried them all! Our room was spacious and boasted a scenic balcony. The in-room bathroom also had a large bathtub. We enjoyed our kaiseki dinner in the privacy of our own room, and the service from the staff was incredibly attentive. My only slight critique would be that the cuisine was a bit ordinary. A nice touch is that the hotel offers a shuttle service to the station, which, even though we didn't use it, is definitely a plus.

On the first night of the fireworks festival, the fireworks were directly in front of my window, which was beautiful. However, the floor I was assigned was a bit low. As for the buffet, it was just okay. It's very close to the onsen street. It would have been perfect if it were around 2000 [currency unit], haha.