Suimeikan in Gero: The Ultimate Hot Spring Gift Set

2015-05-09 · Updated: 2026-08-11 · Original (Korean)

This article was translated from the original Korean post with AI assistance. Read the original Korean post →

After taking a walk around town, it was time to check in. The check-in experience at Yunoshimakan earlier was so impressive that I walked in excited to see how they would introduce the room here.

Staff members wearing kimonos standing behind the hotel lobby information desk.

Walking through the grand main entrance with "Suimeikan" written on it, you are greeted by staff beautifully dressed in kimonos waiting for guests. Most of them were older women, and I couldn't tell if it was because the guests skewed older or if there just weren't many young people in the village. Still, compared to most hotels I've visited—even the motel I stayed at when I was doing hard labor for three months, where the owner was in his 40s—it had a very unique atmosphere.

Just like at Yunoshimakan, they explain the locations and hours of the ryokan's baths and other details, so you have to choose between an English-speaking or Japanese-speaking staff member. When I was booking, I thought I saw on other blogs or websites that there was a Korean speaker, but that wasn't an option.

The room I chose this time was a tatami room (Sansuikaku) for 20,520 JPY. We decided to eat dinner out, so this price only includes breakfast. Even with breakfast included, it's quite expensive for the off-season.

Hotel lobby information desk with staff members wearing kimonos standing by. — This is the person who showed us all the ins and outs of Suimeikan. She was very beautiful and spoke incredibly good English.

Tatami room with a television and a low table set with refreshments.

Small safe and a basket containing yukatas and towels placed under the guest room cabinet.

Several neatly folded yukatas, sashes, and towels inside a basket. — Yukata are provided in the room.

View of a river, mountains, and a village looking down from the guest room balcony.

Riverside village and distant snow-capped mountain peaks seen through the window. — This window faced the village, but unfortunately, the view wasn't great due to construction on the open-air bath.

Japanese-style garden featuring a pond, a stone bridge, and pine trees. — It was nice being able to look down at the garden we had seen earlier from the coffee shop.

After being introduced to all the baths in the building by the beautiful staff member in her dazzling English, we just sprawled out. We agreed not to bother each other and just go soak in the baths for as long as we wanted, but first, we had some welcome tea and snacks. It feels like our travel rhythm is really syncing up now.

Lidded teacup with blue patterns placed on a red table.

White teapot with blue striped patterns placed on a rattan coaster on a red table.

Green tea in a teacup and two types of individually wrapped refreshments.

Round monaka (wafer sweet) with a bite taken out, resting on its open wrapper. — Welcome tea and snacks. The green tea was good, but the snack was too sweet.

Yellow snack box illustrated with traditional houses and a red Sarubobo character.

Oval-shaped cookies baked with stamped patterns of Sarubobo and traditional houses. — A snack we bought at Yunoshimakan. It has a specific name, but I forgot it. It's a great size for peeling and eating one by one while watching TV, and it tastes good too. Most Japanese snacks with red bean paste are extremely sweet, so you definitely need coffee or green tea on the side.

After eating the snacks and resting a bit, I took my camera and headed to the baths, but unfortunately, photography was prohibited. I grumbled to myself, wondering what was so special about a bathhouse that they wouldn't even let you take pictures, and went back to drop off my camera. But once I went inside, I understood why it was banned. The scale was something you'd only expect at a super luxury hotel, and each bath had a theme, blending beautifully with nature or offering great views. Once you go in, it makes you want to try absolutely every single bath. Even if you skip other places, if you go in the winter, you absolutely must visit the open-air bath inside Suimeikan. It's the perfect way to catch a cold, but the hot spring I had always dreamed of was right here.

If Yunoshimakan satisfies guests by using its vintage charm as a weapon, Suimeikan is a comprehensive gift set. It lacks absolutely nothing when it comes to hot springs. (Maybe the amenities are slightly dated? But even that is top-tier for Gero.) Did I mention earlier that the room was expensive for the off-season? For a place like this, that price is totally justified.

#EnteringANewRoomAlwaysFeelsGood #MaybeBecauseItsExpensiveThereAreNoRealDownsides