The gender separated baths were nice and hot, and fairly spacious. If you are travelling with children, there is also a kiddie hot spring bath with rubber duckings to keep them busy. The view from the room we got looked out over the Hida River and was excellent. Given that Bosenkan was positioned next to the train tracks, this might be both a good and bad thing - good if you like trains, bad if you are a light sleeper (see the negatives section). The meals were delicious. They have employed a decent amount of foreign staff who can speak English, so if you have language concerns, you will probably be ok.

We noticed a lot of insects in and around the property, including signs to shut the blinds and don't open the windows at night, lest you bring the bugs in. Being next to the train tracks, it is likely that you will hear the trains as a wake up call. Currently, earliest train crossing the bridge is around 6:30am and the last train would be around 11pm. The private baths do require an extra cost. The three private baths were side by side and there no sound proofing that you can hear those in the neighbouring baths. Bathroom has a bit of a smell to it, but it seems to be a common thing in the ryokan in the area (we stayed at another place and it also had a smelly in-room bathroom)

I had the pleasure of chatting with a couple of wonderful staff members from Nepal; they are truly great guys. The service at dinner and breakfast was with a fantastic lady who made each meal special. Everyone I interacted with provided exceptional service, making the experience truly lovely.

The onsen facility is clearly cared for, though it’s starting to show its age with some peeling wallpaper and ceiling areas. While the baths were pleasant, I found the water temperature a bit cooler than I prefer and wished at least one bath had been hotter.

Definitely try the Hida beef dinner! The private onsen was wonderful with a nice view of the mountains. The public onsen downstairs was also very nice (note: only the mens is outdoors, the womens is indoors only, both are open 24/7). Free shuttle bus from the train station was very helpful (you will see them at the station entrance holding signs with the hotel names in English). The "standard room with open air bath" refers to the "Hanare Sansuite" rooms in a little townhouse separate from the large hotel building. It feels very exclusive as there are only 3 of these rooms and it has direct access to their lovely garden. Didn't realize breakfast was also included so that was a nice bonus! Warning: natto and umeboshi are acquired tastes, you may want to look it up before trying it!

The train is very loud when it crosses the bridge (last train 10:50PM, first train 5:30AM). The public hallway connecting to the dining area requires cosmetic repairs (but our room was clean and in good condition). We also had an incident where the cleaning staff entered our room when we were still inside - this should never ever happen in a hotel. This potentially could have been a very embarrassing situation if someone was just getting out of the shower/onsen. There was no chain/clasp type inside-lock on the door which is normally expected. I will need to start travelling with a rubber doorstop to jam the door closed from inside!

Room with stunning view facing the river. Big room, big outdoor Onsen.

Food: Hida beef dinner is far from expectation. Low quality of Sashimi(frozen salmon) and other dishes are not good taste e.g. sweet chicken, lots of blanned balls. Hida beef cannot call it Main dish. Dinner place is not ryokan atmostphere. Salmon in breakfast have lots of bone in. If I be there again, will not add any dinner.I saw many nice restaurant around. A bit smokey smell in the room but it is ok as they tell us in advance.

Staying here is meant for my whole family to experience a full Japanese culture. We had their dinner and breakfast, which is the Japanese set - kaiseki. Wow... Totally worth it! We thought that our 7pm dinner won't be filling but it sure lasted till we slept at 11pm+ There are free shuttle bus services at Gero station from 3pm to 430pm(please check the website) and in the morning shuttle bus to Gero station is 9am, 935am and 10am. We took the 935am, reached the station at 940am and waited for our 1026am Hida train to Nagoya. The View!

Some negatives: 1. The strong smell of Tatami (straw). But the nose got used to it rather quickly 2. The noise for passing the train (even with a closed window). Last train was 11pm+, the first train was around 530am(I think) 3. Location. Long walk to any food, shops and attractions. 4. The hot water from the showers/tap need about 1-2mins to warm up. Overall, the experience outweighs these short comings

The room was beautiful and large and the private onsen bath outside on the private balcony was much needed after the first half of our trip through Japan. It helped to have a relaxing day and the dinner and breakfast that was served was amazingly extravagant and so much food I almost couldn't finish it all. The property is a little dated but the rooms are still comfortable and clean. We did not use the public bath as we had a private bath in our room so I cannot comment on how the public baths are! I will say the AC unit/Heater unit in our room ended up not working and it was a pretty cold night with high winds. The staff were very apologetic though and did give us two floor heaters that heated up the room wonderfully well as they had no extra rooms with a private onsen bath available for the night. While unfortunate it was a unique experience! So my friend and I still enjoyed it. If I ever got the chance to come again to Gero I would stay again :)

Amazing kaiseki meals with 10+ dishes for breakfast and dinner. Very fancy. They serve sake or umeshu with your dinner as well. Rooms are huge and have balcony as well. The hotel onsen is very large and has a lounge area. Lots of locals stay here. I was the only foreigner. Staff were so considerate. Coin laundry just across the street. Beautiful views of the river and mountains. Just 5-10 minute walk from the shopping area.

Everything was good.

The room is nice and spacious, the garden looks gorgeous, the dinner is superb, breakfast is good too. The private onsen is nice to enjoy~

(1) Location is a bit far from the station, the website said there will be hotel staff waiting outside the gate of train station to guide you to the free taxi if you arrive outside of the shuttle bus time slots, but I didn't find anyone... Luckily there's a taxi outside the station and I still take it for free~ (maybe it's already a common deal for the taxi drivers?) Just wish the instruction could be a bit clearer. (2) No hair dryer for the private onsen, apparently it's onsen only, not as well facilitated as the public one... (2) "Bed" is a bit hard, but this might be just personal preference.

Quick look: The room was really nice and big, the food was great, and the staff was so nice. The outdoor hot spring was my favorite. It was like a slice of nature to enjoy while you soaked. I found the best hours to go were just before 4pm and in the morning after breakfast. There weren't a lot of people then. My room had a great view of the river and when I went to eat, the Kansui restaurant had a fantastic view of the outside garden (which you can also walk around in). I really liked that I could hear the river from my room. I stayed for two nights. The food was different both evenings and both mornings but all delicious. The staff that served it took care of everything like turning on the burners and serving you rice and tea. It really allowed you to focus on eating and enjoying the scenery. It's a lot of food, but all healthy and worth trying, especially if you're new to Japan. I think the staff spoke English too, if you need the English support. All around, it was a really great place. Amazing value and just so peaceful.

If I had to be picky I'd say the wifi was a bit weak in the sleeping area (it was fine in the sitting room). I was on 6F.

It was a nice and spacious compound, with a nice garden overseeing the river and even a foot bath outside for you to enjoy the cool air and soak your feet. The room was big we also had the room overlooking the town of Gero. Very pretty scenery! There was also a large parking available. We had dinner and breakfast and were impressed by both meals too.

The bathroom in the room was small and had an old smell, though it was understandable at hotel guests should bathe in the common bath / hot spring before returning to the room.