娜路彎大酒店 — Restaurant in Taitung City

We were looking forward to this hotel. It aspires to very high standards and in most respects does well.||||But there were problems. I wanted to charge devices overnight, but switching off the lights cut the power to all the power points. I didn't really want to have to sleep with the lights on. There was a charging station on the table which stayed on but all its sockets were the American standard. After visiting my room, staff managed to track down adaptors. Problem solved.||||Despite having a thermostat control that could be dialled down to an absurd 4°, the air con refused to cool the room down to a comfortable sleeping temperature, so I asked for a fan, which was delivered promptly. Another problem solved.||||Two little issues, quickly resolved, but of course it would have been nice not to have faced them in the first place.||||We got vouchers for a free cocktail in an inauspicious little "bar" in the basement carpark after 8 pm. It turned out to be a sugary soft drink with virtually no alcohol in it. The promise of a 'concert' at 8:30 turned out to be some third-rate musicians playing guitar and keyboard in a corner of said "bar".||||So I retired after a rather unmemorable evening. Fortunately, I got a good night's sleep (with fan) (on a very firm mattress, by the way) and a nice hot shower to start the next day. The shower was over a bathtub, requiring a climb over a wall, but there was a railing to hold on to. The towels had obviously put in a lot of service and were rather hard, but at least there were face washers — which are becoming rare in hotels in many countries.||||Breakfast was a huge buffet affair, as you'd expect. Sugary reconstituted cordials masqueraded as fruit juice. So-called cereals were over-processed sugary confections such as chocolate flakes and "rainbow balls". We eventually found (in a different room) someone preparing eggs to order, but it was fried eggs only. My preferred cheese omelette was too difficult. So breakfast was a bit of a disappointment too.||||All of these irritations could be easily fixed. Let's hope management doesn't give a stock response here saying they will be, but...

Our stay at this hotel was a mixed experience, and overall, I wouldn't consider it worth the cost.The hotel itself is old, and the facilities feel very dated. While it boasts a large swimming pool and spa areas, they were unusable during our stay as they were running with cold water. We didn’t see anyone using them. The “beauty pool,” which was advertised as having heated water, was disappointing due to a strong sewer-like smell. Additionally, the sauna is not complimentary for hotel guests, which felt unreasonable.The dining experience was also underwhelming. The à la carte food in the restaurant was below average in quality, the portions were small, and the prices were high. However, the atmosphere was pleasant, though it felt odd being the only customers at 8 p.m. On a brighter note, the breakfast was excellent. I would rate it four stars for its variety of local and aboriginal food, which was a highlight of the stay.The timing of activities for kids was inconvenient as well. While kids could play pool and ping pong for free in the evening (after we arrived at 7 p.m.), all other activities were scheduled for late morning or early afternoon, after checkout time.The hotel’s location is another drawback. It is far from restaurants and busy areas, making it necessary to have a car or take a taxi.The one positive aspect of our stay was the room. We booked the premium family room/suite, which provided separate sleeping areas for parents and kids—a feature we appreciated. However, this came at a premium price, costing 25% more. I had requested a room with a view, and the front desk clerk was accommodating, which I appreciated.Overall, while the room and breakfast were nice, the rest of the experience didn’t justify the cost or the inconvenience. I wouldn’t recommend this hotel unless significant improvements are made to the facilities...

A bit on the older side but has a distinct style. Compared to newer resorts Naruwan may seem less high class and lacking in entertainment options. For a five star hotel I would place it on the lower end; compared to other 3 or 4 star hotels, it is definitely more luxurious and offers much more on the amusement side. Compared to others such as Evergreen Resorts in Jiaoxi or Promised Land Resort in Hualien, Naruwan is much more lacking in quality. The breakfast had a decent selection but that was it; it wasn't impressive in quality. The rooms were pretty good, but you could smell cigarette smoke in the hallways (at least on the 11th floor, where we stayed). A small annoyance for sure, but for a 5-star hotel, you would expect better. Service was good, courteous and professional for the most part, although most workers seemed to keep to themselves.

They often have special deals for rooms, and we were able to get an executive suite for only 5000 NTD for a night (2 rooms in one, one king size and two twins, office area with computer). If you are able to score a deal like that, I would highly recommend staying here, if not, I would look elsewhere. That's the main reason for giving it 3 stars--for the value, it doesn't quite measure up to other 5-star hotels that charge similar prices.

All in all, a decent place to stay if you're looking for a high-end place for your vacation to Taidong, but only if you can find a good price. Otherwise, I find it hard...