Ying Shan Hotel

After spending hours looking on the internet for a reasonable hotel close to the Forest Park we found this place. It’s not cheap for what it is, but it’s a hell of a lot cheaper than the Alishan Hotel. Bonus is we could book it on Expedia. The hotel is in a good location just a short walk from the station, and with less stairs than many of the hotels in the ‘Hotel Area’ of the township. The Room was okay, had a tv, and a nice bathroom. The walks around the park are nice. We took the train Zhaoping Station and did all the walks from there. Took us about 2 1/2 hours to do all the walks, including walking back to the hotel. The walks around the park are much shorter than we expected, particularly given how some influencers on the internet make them out to be! All walks are paved/ on boardwalks, but there are quite a few stairs. Given how small the park is, I personally don’t think it warrants staying in the heart of the park at the Alishan Hotel which is where we were originally wanting to stay. The Ying Shan was perfect for a one night. We did the trip from Sun Moon Lake to Alishan via a private driver (Tripool). Then travelled from Alishan to Kaiyi HSR station. The Alishan to Kaiyi segment was more scenic.

I spent two nights here in October 2025. There is a relatively steep hill to get to the hotel, which was a pain with my heavy suitcase. I arrived before check-in but they let me leave my luggage in an area opposite the reception. Note that they do accept payment by card - I had other reviews of the hotel that said they only took cash and had brought the money with me. I had to ask for a receipt in case they tried to pull a fast one, and say that I hadn’t paid. On my return to the hotel, I used the elevator to get to my room on the first floor. The elevator looked a bit ancient, but thankfully I did not get trapped. Having read a number of negative reviews, my expectations of the hotel were low. The room itself was very dated with obvious signs of wear and the need for refurbishment. As stated in a number of other reviews, the hotels in Alishan take advantage of the fact that accommodation is limited. I paid over £125 per night for my room - I wasn’t willing to spend more than that considering I had arranged to pay £162 per night for the Grand Hyatt in Taipei. Beds were adequate but the bedding felt shabby/unclean, so I didn’t feel completely relaxed. I used a pair of the disposable slippers which were provided as I wasn’t entirely satisfied with the cleanliness of the bathroom. Overall, an unpleasant, overpriced stay. I would not recommend unless the hotel decides to invest the profits back into the hotel.

This hotel is OK if you know what you are getting yourself into. It’s conveniently located in Alishan by the train station. However, dont expect any bells and whistles. This hotel and what I hear most of these hotels are old and not very well maintained because they dont have to be with lack of competition. Room wasnt nice, semi-cleanish. Luckily we were just staying 1 night. The walls are paper thin. Not sure what the people upstairs were doing but it sounded like rhinos running. Also someone was blasting loud music like a club. If I did this again, I would only try to do a daytrip and Alishan and not stay in this park.

Good location, just 5 mins' walk to Alisan train station. Good supply of warming system to keep the room comfortable. The wardrobe is at the corner, slightly hard to open the door, only improvement I feel.

No heat until 9pm in the middle of winter, while it’s nearly freezing outside. Wifi is also very slow so it took a while to even write this review, but I thought it was important to warn others.

No expectations is the best expectation. This is a hotel with history and certainly good for a crash. A place to stay and sleep and things are relatively primitive here. Safe for sure. Quite family style in operation. Bring food and drink before arriving is a good option. Its location is right next to the parking lot and train station which is definitely a plus. Servers were polite and helpful but mechanical. Price is on the average Alishan range despite of being a bit historical but for its convenience. Car can park outside but need to notify hotel in advance.

This hotel was great for our two nights in Alishan, the location is amazing. After reading the very poor previous reviews we were a bit nervous, but actually found everything to be more than satisfactory. The room is a fine size, it was clean and had everything we needed. The staff are not overly friendly but we also didn’t particularly need anything from them. This is a good, basic hotel to base yourself for a couple of days to explore the amazing national park. We have no complaints.

I would do zero stars if I could. The room reeked of mold, it is definitely not safe to breathe for a long time there. The bed sheets and pillows stink too. We went inside the room, and immediately left since we couldn’t bear the thought of staying there. I would highly advise not to book. The staff were also not polite or helpful. No amenities whatsoever. No water, no soap even.