Ocean Day by Day

The breakfast was great, and at check-in the hotel gave us coupons for free drinks and ice cream. They were very generous with them, more than they needed to be, and we appreciated it. The staff were incredibly friendly and treated us so well. The building is stylish, with impressive attention to detail, and the location feels secluded. During the day, though, lots of people come by to take Instagram photos. We’ve been traveling down the coast, and this was easily the most stylish place we stayed. There wasn’t anyone onsite after hours to keep unruly guests in check, so you’re at the mercy of the other people staying there. We had a party crowd the first night, which was rough, though everything else went smoothly. We brought our seven-year-old son, but I think it’d suit a romantic weekend away better, if you know what I mean.

A sweet little escape on a quiet stretch of coast. The mid-century modern decor made it feel like Scandinavia. The staff were friendly and helpful, and made me feel special on my birthday trip.

The night was incredibly quiet, a lovely setting for stargazing and listening to the waves. Breakfast comes with the stay, though I found it odd that the coffee didn’t come with creamer when I asked. The place sits alone in a big grassy area on Taiwan’s southern east coast, with a beautiful ocean view and artistic design inside and out. It’s a great choice if you want somewhere remote and secluded, but you’ll need transportation to reach town, stores, and restaurants, about 15-20 minutes away by car. There are no other businesses or resorts nearby. Rooms all differ, and some have bunk beds or stairs to reach the bed. Some rooms are upstairs, with no elevator, so hauling heavy luggage could be tough. You also have to go outside to get from your room to the lobby. This isn’t a luxury stay. The lobby staff leave in the evening, so at night it’s just the guests around. The fridge isn’t stocked, and if you want a late snack, you’re out of luck. A vending machine would help. I’d come back for the location if a few things were improved and made more convenient.

Our one-night stay felt like being at the zoo. We booked a four-person room for about $250 US a night, breakfast included, though the breakfast was for tiny stomachs. This place is all about getting cool shots, and the photos do look great. You can satisfy your social media hunger, but people were taking pictures everywhere during the day because tourists are let in for 90NT. Our windows looked out on them, and a sign asked visitors not to photograph guest windows. We tried to settle in with so little privacy. Closing the blinds was the only option, and then it felt like living in a concrete box. We paid a lot to be beside the ocean, but couldn’t properly enjoy it. I wanted to catch beautiful photos and the place is clearly curated for Instagram lovers. Book it if that’s what you’re after. The remote oceanfront location is lovely, and I liked how private it felt. The bathroom hardware was beautiful and everything was clean. But the large windows are fixed. A tiny vent window was the only way to hear the sea, and opening it made the room too hot. We ended up shutting it and hearing the air conditioner instead. There was no coffee or maker in the room. The hotel has coffee and tea, but only staff can operate the machine, so our plan to watch the sunrise with coffee didn’t work out. The sofa forced us to sit upright, with nowhere to rest our heads, and it squeaked. The only comfortable seat was tucked in a corner, and it wobbled on uneven legs. The TV faces the kitchen, so I’m not sure how a group could sit and watch it. The cool-looking coffee table has wheels but nowhere to roll, so we had to be careful not to kick our cups off. The shampoo smelled amazing, but the dispenser was broken, so we couldn’t try it. Outlets were inconveniently placed, and when our phones ran low, there was nowhere to sit and use them while charging. We couldn’t charge them by the beds. The kitchen counter is painted wood with chipped spots, and we worried about setting food on it because it didn’t seem sanitary. There’s a reason counters use marble, granite, or even plastic laminate. The stairs have minimal design and no guardrails, which made me wonder how Taiwan’s building codes are regulated for commercial use. Safety should come first. The exit light was so bright, and leaked through the open stairs, that we had to cover it to sleep. The pillows were much too high, so we gave up using them. I spent the night trying to get comfortable and getting frustrated. The entrance feels like a motel, like walking into a back alley. The door was hard to operate. Pulling it shut woke people in the beds, so I had to leave it half open most of the time. The beach in front of the hotel was covered in garbage. We filled a very big bag in under ten minutes. The staff tried to be professional, but their hospitality didn’t feel warm, which made the stay less enjoyable.