Alishan Hotel

This is the only star-rated hotel I’ve stayed in that is tucked so deep in the remote mountains, yet still maintains such a high standard of service and facilities. The lobby staff were fluent in English and proactively guided me through the various activities and hiking trails within the Alishan Forest Park; their warmth and enthusiasm truly left an impression on me. Additionally, the variety at breakfast and dinner was the best I’ve experienced at any hotel in such a remote location. While the building’s exterior shows its age, the room itself was so warm and cozy that it was actually the biggest challenge to leaving the comfort of indoors to face the freezing winter air. The most difficult part of the journey was the long bus ride. Even with the stunning mountain views, some of my family members suffered from motion sickness, which slowed us down on our first afternoon. It was also a bit of a shame that the hotel couldn’t accommodate an early check-in at 1:00 PM. However, any discomfort vanished the moment we watched the sunset from the rooftop. That view alone made the entire trip feel worth it. We had originally planned to see the famous sunrise, but the freezing temperatures made it hard to get out of bed so early. Instead, we caught up on our sleep and went for a hike after breakfast. The staff once again helped us plan a safe route and schedule for our trek to the summit of Mount Tashan. Reaching the top and seeing the endless sea of clouds, with the mountain peaks looking like small islands in the distance, was an experience I will never forget.

I’m so glad I splurged and booked this hotel for 2 nights for my visit to Alishan. I loved my stay here. Room was nice and clean. Hotel was much closer to the trails than the ones by the bus and train stations. The free shuttle gives rides between the hotel and the visitors center, train, and bus stations throughout the day. The room was nice and clean. An observation deck on the 7th floor was perfect for watching the sunset and even okay for the sunrise if you’re not into getting up early for the train ride to the sunrise platform. The staff was very helpful with info such as trails and bus/train schedules. Breakfast and dinner were included and both were huge buffets with a great variety of delicious food to accommodate most eating preferences and special diets. Staying here helped make my visit to Alishan even more special.

The location of the hotel is excellent. There is a shuttle bus from the visitor center, and it’s also very close to the Trees area, making it easy to explore on foot. Both dinner and breakfast were plentiful and delicious. I recommend arriving before 3 p.m. if possible leave your luggage at the hotel, take some time to walk around nearby, then come back for dinner.We only stayed for one night and arrived late in the mountains around 8 p.m., almost missing dinner. The hotel staff were incredibly thoughtful and kind, and they helped us so we were still able to enjoy our meal. The food was great, and all the staff were very friendly. Highly recommended!

Alishan House is a hotel that has lots of pros and cons. |Pros: |Location and shuttle! It's one of the few hotels inside the park, so trails are just a few steps out of the hotel lobby. There is also a shuttle service that runs frequently enough to get you to the transit center as well as the visitor center: your hubs for most things.||The hotel buffet being included in the price is also great. There are some hits and misses for what the buffet offers, but that's typical of any buffet and we enjoyed the food overall. The dining area is also spacious and beautiful.||Speaking of beauty, Alishan Hotel has a nice rooftop deck for viewing the sunset. It was a pretty no-frills deck, but it served its purpose in providing some amazing panoramic views at the end of the day. ||Lastly, the hotel staff were all extremely friendly and courteous.||Cons: |While we didn't experience any of the construction/renovation, it's definitely an older hotel, largely outside and in. The hallways need a bit of love and it slightly tips over to the undesirable side of old hotel vs. charm of an old hotel. We chose the Japanese themed room which was small/cozy and also a bit dated. The cleanliness was ok but the windows behind the sliding screens didn't fully close. ||It was also relatively pricey at ~$450 for 1 night. With the buffets and amenities included, it balances out a bit, but I was hoping for a bit better quality in terms of the hotel and room condition.

Technically the location is great, but for the extreme expense of the hotel (almost $800 SGD a night for one of their less expensive rooms with only a shower) it’s shockingly poor service and quality. To list a few of the drawbacks: firstly they couldn’t find my reservation because they decided to change the entire booking to my husbands name (despite the fact he never booked, paid for or communicated with them). The reception’s English is very poor so we were kept hanging until we sussed this out. The check in was then incredibly late, 4pm… which is quite exhausting when you have travelled up to the mountains and been hiking around. And to sit in the reception cafe you need to have an order of 250 TWD even if you’re staying there! Once in the room (in the older Japanese building), the key for the electricity was wobbly so whilst my husband was in the shower all the lights went off and turned the water directly to cold (we had to wedge it in with the key card after). Also following this incident the water started running dirty (see video). They offered to change our room but seems like way too much of a faff at that point. The dinner was just an incredibly average buffet. I was obviously getting my hopes up that the hotel would be more ryokan like. So please manage your expectations and assume you are paying for the location vs the service or experience.

Great location - right inside the Alishan national park and just a short walk to the giant trees. The hotel staff are nice and helpful. Buffet dinner and breakfast are both good. The 50s Coffee shop, seems only accessible by hotel guests, is a good place for taking nostalgic pictures. Rooms in historical building are a little bit small and basic. Convenient shuttle to Alishan train station (for the Sunrise Train)

Great 1 day stay at Alishan Hotel, with dinner and breakfast covered. The dinner spread was fabulous. The shuttle service to visitor centre was very frequent and Hotel staff were very helpful and obliging. It's a good location and starting point fior the forest trail walk. Starbucks as lobby lounge was a bonus.

This is a great hotel, BUT - if you are looking for a suite-type option….DO YOUR HOMEWORK!||We were traveling with a friend so we thought we would save some money by booking a suite and staying together. I will say ALL the rooms were pricey but what you pay for the room, the amenities such as train tickets to the sunrise viewing and free breakfast and dinner are nice.||After reviewing the rooms on-line, we THOUGHT we would have a private bedroom with a pull out couch, along with a bathroom.||What the room was - in American terms was a DOUBLE QUEEN. AND, the bathroom DID NOT have a door. The shower room (tub and shower in one room together) had a door and the water closet had a door, but the sink area - where you get ready in the morning and in the evening - was open to the room! It would have been so much more convenient if the entire bathroom was enclosed.||Also, I felt as if the room was overstuffed with furniture - making the room feel even smaller.||The big kicker were the beds…..it felt as if we were sleeping on boards and nothing else. When our friend woke, I was surprised something that hard could be described as he put it - a taco bed - complete with two depressions in the mattress that did not lend to a restful night.||Would I stay here again? Yes, I would. It definitely was clean. The staff - especially the bellmen and the shuttle drivers were so friendly and helpful. ||The location is ideal. You are inside of Alishan National Park - close to everything and with shuttle service - even more convenient. The sixth floor bar and coffee area - great after dinner. The buffet dinner did not have beer, wine or alcohol. Oh, and when does Starbucks in a hotel open at 10 am?

We got the old wing with a room on the 7th floor (top floor) facing west. The furniture and the decors were very dated and the carpet was worn out. The bed was firm but comfortable. Nevertheless, the room was a welcome sight after waited 6 hours spending around the park - as we were exhausted. We paid $400 a night on a Wednesday through hotels.com but the checkin sheet showed Expedia as the agent. No question that it was expensive but you have to consider the included amenities such as the free shuttle bus, buffet breakfast and dinner - and a nicely maintained and decorated ground. We can see the sunset from the rooftop too. We got a wake up call at 3:30 am for the sunrise and was still not sure if it was worth it.

Absolutely lovely setting. Lodging came with a buffet dinner and breakfast. Clean and roomie. Beautiful mountain vista views. Hiking to settings with Giant Red Cyprus trees as old ad 3000 years. Hiked our first day here. Trails are well kept. We took a train ride early this morning to see the sunrise. Breathtaking!! Hotel coordinates travel to train station and has a shuttle to pick you up in town to connect with your transportation up or down the mountain. Truly wish we were staying another nite.

My family and I stayed here recently while we were on vacation. The staff were very nice and helpful. The room was very nice as well. The views were great because got a little porch and we got to see the beautiful trees. You even have a window by the bathtub if you wanted to soak and look at nature at the same time. The dining area on the first floor was okay. They had a dinner buffet and breakfast buffet. It was nothing to write home about but it was still good enough to fill my belly. Overall, I would stay here again if I had the chance.

Modern & only hotel in a special place. Got an upgrade - too bad didn't have enough time to fully enjoy the property. Service was excellent and room came equipped with a faux fireplace & space heater. When there are no clouds, it's a good location for star gazing. Breakfast buffet was delicious (variety of food) & they were good about replenishing. For those catching the "sunrise train", unfortunately, it's probably viewed 50% or less of the time; however, the hotel does provide tickets to catch the sunrise train & tasty ginger tea while you wait for the shuttle to catch the train. There's an artificial waterfall that looked amazing, but it seems to only run at certain times so kinda missed it (good for water conservation).

Being one of the few hotels situated within the national park, Alishan House brings together old and new but still has a bit of way to go. If you stay here and drive up, you ned to park in the national park base (often limited spaces) and take the shuttle up to the hotel. Alternatively you can take the local bus up and then transfer to the shuttle. The price to stay here is slightly above moderate and comes with a rich history and the location is truly fantastic. Some rooms in the old building could use some updating but it has old charm and has hosted senior officials and presidents. My favourite moment at the hotel was seeing the dreamlike Sea of Clouds during sunset on the roof of the hotel and visiting the historical part of the building (which contains some exhibits - photos, art). When you stay here you usually will dine at the international buffet located on the ground floor or head upstairs for a traditional chinese meal. If this does not satisfy your hunger you can take a 15 minute stroll towards the national park village where there are several food carts, restaurants and even a 7-11. There are plenty of walks close by but remember to bring a flashlight at night. In the morning you can also take a short tour+train to go watch the sunrise!

The advantage of staying at this hotel is you can walk out anytime exploring the national park instead of taking shuttle bus in. The so called "new wing" of the hotel is showing the sign of aging at many areas already. The service is good. The dinner and breakfast included was mediocre, kind of disappointing!

Very poorly maintained hotel. Rooms are not very clean in general even after we switched room. Their buffet dinner restaurant is a joke. Bad food and they didn't really refill the food trays unless you asked them. The chef who cooked noodle and cut roast beef didn't care about quality of service either. However, the waitresses were all very nice and friendly. The hotel has so. much potential, but poorly managed.