Gorgeous Hot Spring Resort — Hotel in Taipei

Ok I'm gonna preface this with a little explanatory rant. If you're staying here, you're in Beitou, where there's a lot of really great stuff to see and do - the Beitou public library is world-famous, there are million temples and shrines of varying sizes, there are night markets, museums, etc. That being said, you're probably staying here because you want that hot spring action in your own hotel room, and that's fair too. Decide which of the above you want and make your decision based on that. If you're wanting the spa more than the exploration, you might go with a larger, nicer room. If you're out to see Beitou and want the hot spa as an added bonus, great. ||||We were the latter - spent little time in the room and a lot out exploring Beitou. The entire hotel is pretty old, but it looks like it'd been renovated at least once. Our hot spring spa was in an oddly-shaped room attached to the bathroom. The spa itself wasn't really big enough for two people, but other rooms might have bigger tubs. ||||Room was big, bed was pretty hard. Insects weren't a problem but there were more than I'd have liked. The floor drain in the bathroom has the old bad Chinese plumbing problem, so I advise covering it with something (we used the trash can) over night. Outlets are scarce so bring a travel power strip. ||||Breakfast was pretty good. Tight selection, but good dishes. Some of the hotel front desk staff spoke English and were helpful. Free shuttle to and from the MRT. Free wifi, but it's kinda slow. It's quiet, but so is the whole area. ||||It's not a bad place, but I feel like it could've been nicer for the price. Here's the thing : are there nicer hotels nearby? Yes. Scroll through the list or just walk around and you'll see that some are much nicer, but also way more expensive. Are you gonna spend a lot of time in that room or out in Beitou? Do some research and schedule your hotel accordingly. If you want to hit the spa once and decide for yourself, there are plenty of places where you can do the hot sulphur bath...

Ok I'm gonna preface this with a little explanatory rant. If you're staying here, you're in Beitou, where there's a lot of really great stuff to see and do - the Beitou public library is world-famous, there are million temples and shrines of varying sizes, there are night markets, museums, etc. That being said, you're probably staying here because you want that hot spring action in your own hotel room, and that's fair too. Decide which of the above you want and make your decision based on that. If you're wanting the spa more than the exploration, you might go with a larger, nicer room. If you're out to see Beitou and want the hot spa as an added bonus, great. ||||We were the latter - spent little time in the room and a lot out exploring Beitou. The entire hotel is pretty old, but it looks like it'd been renovated at least once. Our hot spring spa was in an oddly-shaped room attached to the bathroom. The spa itself wasn't really big enough for two people, but other rooms might have bigger tubs. ||||Room was big, bed was pretty hard. Insects weren't a problem but there were more than I'd have liked. The floor drain in the bathroom has the old bad Chinese plumbing problem, so I advise covering it with something (we used the trash can) over night. Outlets are scarce so bring a travel power strip. ||||Breakfast was pretty good. Tight selection, but good dishes. Some of the hotel front desk staff spoke English and were helpful. Free shuttle to and from the MRT. Free wifi, but it's kinda slow. It's quiet, but so is the whole area. ||||It's not a bad place, but I feel like it could've been nicer for the price. Here's the thing : are there nicer hotels nearby? Yes. Scroll through the list or just walk around and you'll see that some are much nicer, but also way more expensive. Are you gonna spend a lot of time in that room or out in Beitou? Do some research and schedule your hotel accordingly. If you want to hit the spa once and decide for yourself, there are plenty of places where you can do the hot sulphur bath...

Pros =|- The hotel comes with private onsen facilities in the rooms (the typical hot spring smell is pervasive in the common hallway and rooms).|- The hotel is clean and generally well-maintained. In-room and common area WiFi is available and is reliable.|- The locale where the hotel is situated in Beitou district is relatively near a commercial area with a good selection of F&B outlets and other hotels (pls refer to remarks in Cons below however). The commercial area also boasts of a nice park integrated into the commercial area.||Cons =|- It is an old hotel which is trying to age gracefully but not succeeding in certain aspects (e.g. it features outdated room architecture and furniture).|- While the room was generally clean, the rooms were not uniform in their design. Ours for example had a multi-level bathroom cum toilet, not to mention the step into the onsen bath enclosure itself.|- The hotel is close to but not right next to any eating establishment. It is 20-30 minutes by foot to the nearest shopping and eating strip. The hotel however provides transportation to and from the commercial / shopping area.|- Do note that the hotel is situated amongst several other hotels (the area looks and feels touristy) and is located uphill which might make the return walk slightly challenging if one decides not to wait for the hotel transportation.|- Breakfast at the hotel’s dining area only starts to be served a bit late from...