Heather W.
Google
If I could, I would give the service 6 stars. When the taxi dropped us off at this lovely hotel, I could not enjoy the tranquil grounds, the simple yet elegant building, or the stunning mountain backdrop because I arrived with no luggage: no clothes, no contact lens solution, no glasses, no toothbrush.
Ivy, the desk manager who checked us in, immediately understood that I would not be able to see anything if I could not get my hands on contact lens solution. She dispatched a colleague to drive 30 minutes to the nearest pharmacy, and by that evening I had my contacts out and soaking for the next day. Truly, Ivy was the difference between a nightmare and a dream at this beautiful hotel, so six (out of five) stars for service.
As others have said, the hotel is stunning. Our room was huge, with dramatic 15-foot wooden doors that separated the bathing area from the bedroom and then from the bedroom to a private patio that looked toward the mountains. It felt like our own mountain retreat from that side.
The grounds are dotted with Imperial Bonsai -- medium sized trees shaped to look full size, and they are delightful. Each morning we walked through the peaceful corridors and down to the breakfast restaurant, which looked over a central courtyard that led to a large field separating a large temple from the nearby village. The food was varied, plentiful and delicious.
From there we walked to Yen Tu Mountain, a steep lush mountain dotted with small temples. There are two gondolas to get you to the top of the mountain, though plenty of people walk the whole way up. We spent two days hiking from temple to temple, and still we did not get to see them all, there are so many. The hiking is intense, at least for me, though I definitely saw a fair number of people doing it in flip flops.
In the evening, we treated ourselves to time at the hotel’s spa. The friendly women behind the counter patiently walked us through the many options for services before seating us for tea in the beautiful waiting area. The hotel’s hot tub looks more like a stone grotto than a spa, and we ended the experience under a thundering shower in the generous changing rooms.
Between the hotel, its pool and spa and the adjacent temple and small village, there is plenty to see even without climbing the mountains. It was a very relaxing three days.
The one drawback, and it's minor, is that there was music playing from the hotel’s speakers from 6 a.m. until evening. The music was tasteful and not too loud, but I would rather hear the birds and the wind, at least for most of the day.
