Yue Lake Backpackers — Hotel in Yuchi Township

My wife and I booked a room at Yue Lake Backpackers for a trip to cycle around the island. Unfortunately, the week before our booking, COVID began spreading in Taipei City (where we live) and Taoyuan City (where my wife works). A few days before our booking, the government announced that they would be announcing protocol (probably tier 3 lockdown) on the day of our booking. We contacted the hotel and told them that we could not in good conscience come down south (where there was little to no COVID at the time) and potentially spread the virus, especially with an impending lockdown. We asked for a refund. They refused. They said that they would not refund our room unless the government announced an official lockdown.

Well, sure enough on the day of our booking, the government announced a tier 3 lockdown. We did not go to Sun Moon Lake, of course, so we were not there. We received a message from the hotel on Agoda.com that they would refund our room. Agoda sent us an official message saying that our booking had been cancelled for free. Three weeks later, we had been charged and had received no refund. We called the hotel, and they pretended that they didn't know what we were talking about. In fact, they refused to process a refund, despite the COVID situation and restrictions.

It is INCREDIBLY dangerous, selfish, greedy, and a whole bunch of other things...to handle this situation the way that Yue Lake Backpackers handled it during a global pandemic that has currently caused our COVID cases to spike 800% since the day that this booking was supposed to occur.

I will never support a company with policies like this. People are dying of this disease. Protecting lives is far more important than squeezing money out of unfortunate bookers like ourselves.

Shame on you, Yue Lake...

Well what a surprise for a supposed backpackers place this was one of my best stays in taiwan. After arriving to the hostel I was taken on a short walk to their lakeside resort that is a set of small homes set in beautiful courtyard gardens right next to the lake. ||ROOMS|The rooms are beautifully designed compact areas with everything you need including sofa and cable tv with English channels. The bathroom was spotless & shower was hot with great pressure. My room had a great double bed with an extra large window next to it with views over sun moon lake... ||COMMON AREAS|The hostels main area has a nice seating area with widescreen tv for community sport viewing. Kitchen & free drinking water is also provided. ||SERVICES |They have everything you expect from a higher star hotel. Staff are super friendly & knowledgeable with maps & information on places to eat nearby. |The have just opened a cafe that is serving great breakfasts for the guests & drinks in the afternoon it’s a super chill place. ||LOCATION|Located just a five min walk from the main bus stop & boat pier it’s close to everything you need but far enough to get away from the huddle & bustle of the place. I spent my time in the gardens listening...

Well what a surprise for a supposed backpackers place this was one of my best stays in taiwan. After arriving to the hostel I was taken on a short walk to their lakeside resort that is a set of small homes set in beautiful courtyard gardens right next to the lake.

ROOMS The rooms are beautifully designed compact areas with everything you need including sofa and cable tv with English channels. The bathroom was spotless & shower was hot with great pressure. My room had a great double bed with an extra large window next to it with views over sun moon lake...

COMMON AREAS The hostels main area has a nice seating area with widescreen tv for community sport viewing. Kitchen & free drinking water is also provided.

SERVICES They have everything you expect from a higher star hotel. Staff are super friendly & knowledgeable with maps & information on places to eat nearby. The have just opened a cafe that is serving great breakfasts for the guests & drinks in the afternoon it’s a super chill place.

LOCATION Located just a five min walk from the main bus stop & boat pier it’s close to everything you need but far enough to get away from the huddle & bustle of the place. I spent my time in the gardens listening...