Chateau Beach Resort

I still remember my first visit here, about five years ago. It’s one of my favorite, most memorable hotels. The views and rooms were lovely, and the money felt well spent. As I recall, the ocean was really warm in summer, with fish in the water too.

The view was beautiful, and the staff were generally kind and helpful. The food was decent, too. But the property is clearly old: the furniture is scratched, the rooms feel dated, and the hallways smell musty. There were even random things piled near staff-only entrances, which looked bad for a hotel listed as five-star. I liked that there’s a shuttle from the high-speed rail station, but at the resort’s high prices I think it should be free. Howard resorts provides free shuttles between its property and the station. The buffet’s second floor, where the barbecue is, seemed unused for ages and had an abandoned, creepy feeling. Based on Google, this is a five-star hotel, but I think the service and rooms should be rated at four-star level now. It wasn’t a bad stay, but next time I’d pick somewhere that feels more like a five-star hotel.

If you love the beach, get a first-floor ocean-facing room. The private patio opens straight onto the beach. There are plenty of activities on site, and I really liked the Taiwanese beef noodle soup at the restaurant. The rooms are clean, though their design feels dated and not quite up to modern five-star standards. The huge, beautiful beachfront and the sea’s color are what make the five-star rating feel deserved.

The rooms are high quality and very clean, with lovely views, and the hotel has two decent cafés. The building and rooms are a bit dated, but generally nice. Beyond that, our stay was frustrating. There’s just one main restaurant, and it’s expensive and underwhelming. I’d eat outside the hotel instead. There was almost nothing to do during our visit. Ocean activities weren’t available except for one that needed at least four people, so we couldn’t join as a couple. The pools are mostly only 50 cm deep, which seems suited to children rather than adults who want to swim or relax. Even though it’s beachfront, ocean access ends at 6 pm, and swimming without a life vest and lifejacket requires signing a waiver. That felt too restrictive. We wanted to try the spa, but it was closed during our stay. The next day it opened at 2 pm, after we had checked out. Activities, cafés, restaurants, and pools all have different hours, strict rules, and limited availability, which made everything confusing and stressful to plan. You only find out what activities are available the next day, on that same day. The hotel did what we needed at a basic level and has potential, but all the restrictions and awkward scheduling made the stay unpleasant. I won’t be back. Unless you’re traveling with children, I’d seriously consider another place.