Justin W.
Yelp
This was hands down the best hotel experience I have ever had in my lifetime. Located at the heart of Taroko Gorge in Hualien, I came here for my honeymoon with my wife for three days and two nights as part of a package, and we were blown away. This was the best service I have ever received and this establishment has strong hotel fundamentals that are highlighted by all the little details, found in the service, decorations, food, and many other items.
Our package included a shuttle to and from Hualien Station, which takes about one hour each way. When we arrived at the hotel, we were warmly greeted and then brought to the Retreat Lounge (part of our package), to check-in, where we were served hot ginger tea and the receptionist walked through the amenities available to us, as well as our scheduled activities the next few days. Our luggage was delivered from the shuttle to our room (the Garden View Suite). The room was even better than what I had seen online; it was beautiful, spacious, and we were greeted with a nice card, balloons, and a small cake to celebrate our honeymoon.
The hotel provides housekeeping twice a day, once in the morning, and once at night where they also delivered a special hotel dessert or meal (mung bean cakes and truffle congee). The staff did a great job, one of the things that stood out to me most was they helped wrap our charging cables with the little bands, a nice touch that was very helpful for us. The minibar was restocked twice for us and they also provided local snacks (sweet potato chips, dried fish snacks, etc.) for us.
Within the hotel, there are two restaurants and a Retreat Lounge (if your package gives you access). The two restaurants are the Wellesley Buffet and Mei Yuan Chinese Restaurant. We had both our breakfasts and one dinner at the buffet, one lunch and dinner at Mei Yuan. Presentation-wise, the food looked amazing. The wait staff were attentive and very helpful with recommendations and attending to any of our needs.
At Mei Yuan, our hot pot set dinner was good, but not great. Vegetables were fresh and amazing, but some of the cold and hot courses were average, and then meat quality was also pretty average. On the other hand, the lunch sets were some of the best meals my wife and I had in Taiwan. We ordered a stir-fried three cup chicken and beef noodle soup, both were bursting with flavor and definitely the culinary highlights of our stay here.
The Wellesley Buffet provided a good mix of Taiwanese, Chinese, American, and other international cuisines food. I can't say that everything was the best I have ever had, but it is a buffet and this is some of the best buffet food I've had. There were so many options, pastries, congee bar, salad bar, hot food bar with Taiwanese dishes, meat carving station, ice cream bar, so many beautifully decorated desserts. There is something here for everyone, and we always left stuffed and satisfied.
The Retreat Lounge provides access to soft drinks, tea and coffee, as well as a complimentary afternoon tea and happy hour (unlimited alcohol) from 1-6pm everyday. The food here was great, little sandwiches, desserts, crackers and cheese, etc. The ambiance was very nice and relaxing, and the teas that we ordered were high quality and aromatic. We came here multiple times to rest and just decompress from the various activities we participated in.
There is a plethora of activities available: indoor heated pool, fitness room, yoga room, outdoor infinite pool with an amazing view, outdoor jacuzzi, as well as a nightly concert by Aboriginal musicians and movie night at the pool. There is a recreation room with ping pong, Nintendo Switch, PS5, pool tables, board games, and a whole kid's play area that was well-designed and looked very fun. The hotel also offers self-service 24H laundry at 50 NTD each to wash and dry. There is a sauna that is reservable for a small fee as well.
We participated in the afternoon hiking tour, which brought us to three different areas where our tour guide explained to us the history of Taroko Gorge and the specific sites. Our tour guide, Mina, was very energetic, cheerful, knowledgeable, and even better knew how to get the best photo shots in the park. We were given reusable water bottles, hard hats for a specific part of the tour, and many memorable photos and experiences for a lifetime.
We came at Christmastime and the hotel was beautifully decorated. The little details stood out to me, all the staff were festive and wearing something holiday-related, and the lobby itself was beautiful with multiple Christmas trees and many beautiful lights. The restaurants and Retreat Lounge were beautifully decorated and elevated the experience for my wife and me. Most importantly, the hotel staff were amazing. We were thoroughly impressed throughout our stay here; they were professional, accommodating, and always had a cheerful and joyful attitude. I hope to come back soon because this was unforgettable.