Gero Shitajima Onsen Hotels

"I chose this hotel so I could do laundry in the middle of a 2 week trip. It took eight hours for drying and clothes still were soaking wet and I had to improvise by air drying on the balcony. No one could help at the front desk, and the translators app and English instructions provided by the hotel said I chose the right settings. Very frustrating. It would have been five stars except for this issue. "

"We had a fantastic stay at Wat Hotel & Spa Hida Takayama and would absolutely recommend it to anyone visiting Takayama. The location is super convenient—just a short walk from the station and within easy reach of the old town, which made exploring really easy. The rooms were surprisingly spacious (especially compared to typical Japanese hotels), very clean, and incredibly comfortable. One of the highlights was definitely the onsen and spa facilities. They were beautifully maintained, relaxing, and such a nice way to unwind after a day of sightseeing. I also loved the option of private baths—it made the experience feel even more special. A really standout moment for us was arriving to find a thoughtful honeymoon setup in our room, including a handwritten-style card, flowers, and balloons. It was such a lovely surprise and made us feel genuinely welcomed and celebrated—such a special touch that we didn’t expect. The staff were friendly, welcoming, and helpful throughout our stay, and everything felt very well organised. The breakfast had a good mix of Japanese and Western options and was a great way to start the day. Overall, this hotel offers amazing value for money with great facilities, comfort, and location. We’d absolutely stay here again!"

"Very commercial onsen hotel with lots of staff onsite when checking in to a point it actually feels quite overwhelming. A nice touch when arriving where they allow you to drop off the luggage and drive into the parking lot where a mini shuttle is there to drive you back to the hotel but the negative is the next morning when you’re leaving you’re left dragging your luggage down a slight slope where it makes you feel like valued guest when you arrive but when you’re leaving they don’t really care especially when me and my partner went for a dip in the morning then proceeded to breakfast and thought we might have a Power Nap till 10:30 before hitting the road but to our surprise by the time we finished breakfast and got back to the room the mattress and the bedding was all cleaned up and it felt like they literally wanted you out which was kinda disappointing to say the least and it really didn’t make you feel like you’re on holidays. The sites had quite a few onsen options but the town shuts quite early so remember to get yourself sorted early or you may be stuck either paying resort priced restaurants or stuck eating convenient store food because there is not much open late in the evening so plan before you go for a dip. Additionally the rooms and in generally the hotel looks abit tired also. Overall not a great experience especially this was our first port of call since arriving in Nagoya. Not a great way to start the trip. "

"Great bed, pillows, great roomy room and lovely staff."

"Dinner and breakfast options are 6,7pm we requested 7pm just walk up around 6 to look around and realized everything was preset so my food was sitting there an hour before I eat kinda sucks "

"Absolutely exceptional service and magical location."

"Friendly staff and nice atmosphere. Good onsen and comfortable bed. "

"Staff are very nice, good service "

"Open air onsen was my favorite in this hotel. I went there early in the morning, it was rustic environment which I wanted. "