One of the things that I always look forward to the most while travelling, is the lodging. Staying in a good lodging is so important to me, I mean after a tiring day travelling, you would want to be greeted with a clean, comfortable and welcoming place to rest for the many nights throughout your trip.
During my 1-week Taiwan trip back in May this year, I checked-in to a total of 4 hotels at 4 different locations which I think is pretty insane. But, I wouldn't know when I might have another chance to come back to Taiwan again so I might as well try to explore as many parts of it as I can.
1.
Energy Home Vacation Village
No. 9-1-1, Rongguang Lane, 546 Renai, Taiwan
The first place we checked in was Energy Home Vacation Village which is located at Cingjing. Our stay there was filled with relentless rains which was such a pity, as we were missing out on the luscious green scenery that Cingjing is known for having. Lucky we were only there for 1 night, otherwise I wouldn't know how to cope with the depressing rain. It cost us about S$180 for a family room including breakfast which isn't that bad as their rooms were huge with two-storeys which felt more like a home rather than a hotel room.
Location wise, its pretty accessible to nearby convenience stores and eateries which is about 5 minutes walk away. But with the rain, it felt like 10 minutes as there is no shelters whatsoever. Even walking to our rooms from the reception area was quite a drag. Lets just say it isn't a shelter-friendly place.
The pathway from the main road to our lodging
An outside look
The view (which was absolutely nothing but haze)
Upstairs balcony (never got the chance to chill outside due to the rain)
2.
Harbor Resort Hotel
No. 11, Mingsheng Street, 555 Yuchi, Taiwan
Next, we headed to Sun Moon Lake. Unfortunately, we brought the rain with us but it wasn't as bad as Cingjing as there were at least some moments where the rain had stopped. It was a huge change compared to our previous lodging as we now had to sleep in a more smaller space. It is also much cheaper and cost about S$140 including breakfast per night. What I like about this place is that the ferry is just located directly outside of our hotel which was really convenient. One of the main reasons we wanted to book this hotel was to catch a glimpse of the sunrise from our hotel rooms, but apparently due to the rain, it was just to cloudy.
If I had to criticise something, it would have to be the toilet. Well, its not that there is a problem inside the toilet but more about the outside. Although the toilet door and window is made with fogged glass, it still does not provide enough privacy. If you happen to be totally naked in the toilet, people can actually see your naked silhouette from outside the toilet. The only way is to avoid it is to stand as far away from the toilet door and window as possible but its so difficult especially if you want to use the sink cus its just beside the window. To end off, if you are finding a place to share a hotel room with some friends of the opposite gender, then this place may not be for you guys.
3.
53 Hotel
No.27, Zhongshan Rd, Central District, Taichung, Taiwan
Next, we went to Taichung which is like our stopover place for a night before we head to Taiwan and checked in at 53 Hotel. Out of all the hotels, this has got to be the best one yet and what's even better is that it is the cheapest! It's about S$110 per night however, it does not include breakfast. But fret not, there is loads of convenience stores and bakeries nearby to fill your tummy.
Another great thing about this place is that it provides free washer and dryer service. As it was raining like crazy the past few days, we never actually got the chance to dry out our clothes properly. It does not occur to me that I will be using the hotel facilities during my stay cus usually I don't think it is important. But, it has become something that was extremely helpful and made our stay there really comfortable.
The room was spacious and clean. Service was great and the staff there were all smiles. The hotel felt like a smaller version of a 4-star modern hotel. I have absolutely no complains with my stay there and would totally recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a place to stay at Taichung. If I could, I wish I had stayed there much longer.
Oh and did I mention, you can also use their gym for free too!
4.
Ulysses Hotel
No.28, Huayin St., Taipei Main Station, Taipei, Taiwan 104
Finally, our last destination, Taipei! We stayed at Ulysses Hotel for the remaining 4 days of our trip and damn, its hard re-adjusting after our awesome stay at 53 Hotel. Our first impression of this hotel is that it is ridiculously pinkish red, and just from the colour you may have an idea of what kind of hotel it is.
(There is even condoms provided in our hotel room....Ehem.. love hotel?)
Apart from that, the hotel rooms weren't that bad and meets most of our needs and expectations. It was quite cramped for 4 people but their toilet is really spacious which is probably a little unnecessary. It is also slightly expensive as compared to 53 Hotel, which cost us about S$140 per night. However, being located just beside Taipei Main Bus Station and major shopping malls like Qsquare, it has made our stay there really convenient and not boring. If you want to take the subway, it is only about a 10 minutes walk away from Taipei Main Station via their underground mall that has tons of shops to mingle and check out.
