Bulowan Hotel

Family Mart is only a short walk away, and there’s a 24-hour coin laundry right across the street. We also enjoyed walking to Dongdamen Night Market. It’s a good-looking, good-value hotel for a quick overnight in Hualien, with plenty of shops and places to eat nearby.

The staff were attentive and spoke enough English, and the facilities were good. It’s conveniently close to the city center and lots of shops. One room had a sewer smell from the bathroom, though it wasn’t a big issue for a single night. The other rooms didn’t seem to have it.

I’d read reviews saying the rooms smelled bad, but I didn’t find it as strong as people described. Maybe there was some renovation going on and that caused a slight smell. The soundproofing isn’t great, though whether that bothers you depends on how well you sleep with a little noise. The hotel was clean and very pretty, and there’s free coffee in the lobby.

The sound carries badly here, and cigarette smoke from my neighbors ended up filling my room. On the first day, the room smelled like insecticide too. I wouldn’t recommend staying here if smells or noise bother you.