Da Shih Hotel

Economical.

The yellowish lights made the room feel dim, and the TV and curtains were pretty dusty. Still, the floors were very clean, and the heating actually worked, which was a big plus for someone like me who gets cold easily. The staff were polite and gave excellent service. My main hassle was the old-fashioned duvet setup: the cover and duvet kept coming apart, so I asked staff to sort it out two nights in a row. I also didn’t get the bathtub I’d hoped for! The hotel feels a bit dated and lacks modern decor, but I really enjoyed staying there. I remembered the Ambassador Hotel from when I was very young, including what I think was its second Ambassador Café or karaoke bar around the corner. This time, when I went back home, I happened to book a room at the Ambassador. During Lunar New Year, I think it was the cheapest place in all of Hualien City, a little over 2000 NTD for one night, right in the city center. The cultural and creative district is across the street. Nearby are snack shops such as Yanming Red Wheel, dried tofu, and Big Potato Tofu Pudding. Laicheng Ribs is a three-minute walk, and the railway shopping district is five minutes away. You can also get milkfish belly and congee side dishes on Xingang Street, where they’ve now relocated, and Zhou's Steamed Dumplings. Dongdaemun Night Market is about 15 minutes away on foot. If hotel prices in Hualien stayed this affordable, I think tourists would flock there.

The location was excellent during our weekend stay of three days and two nights. The room cleaning was disappointing: they only emptied the trash, didn’t make the bed, and didn’t refill the limited toilet paper. For a reasonably priced hotel, I expected better upkeep, especially after staying at other hotels in this price range that were very well maintained.

It was a good-sized room with all the necessary amenities, and even had a bathtub. The facilities felt a little old and weren’t new, but the place was very clean. Being so close to the city center was also really convenient.