Four Season Beauty Hotel

The room wasn’t as bad as I’d feared from reading the reviews. I stayed in a mountain-view deluxe suite with a huge bed, a big TV, and two separate tubs, one for cold spring water and one for hot spring water. It’s a little far from the famous spots in Wulai, but the distance is manageable by bike or car. Nice experience for the price, and I’d definitely visit again.

I’m giving three stars mainly because the staff were genuinely friendly. For the price, even with the VIP room, I expected better upkeep. The outside looks nicer than the interior, and there’s no soundproofing. Both mornings, people in the next room got up at 5 a.m. and woke me too. Breakfast was included and basic but alright, and exactly the same on both mornings. On the second night, hundreds of flying ants gathered around our room light and started getting in the way in the tub. We worried they’d get into the room, so we left the lights on while sleeping. By morning they were dead all over the place, easily more than a few hundred, and we had to call the hotel to clean up. This may not have been in the hotel’s control, but perhaps a filter or insect trap in the vent could stop it getting so bad.

The maid spoke better English than the reception staff. We arrived for dinner during the hours staff had told us, but nobody was there and there was no food. I went into the kitchen looking for service and saw a rat. Our room was supposed to have a view, but a tree or a dirty vegetable garden blocked it. We asked to change rooms because I’d booked a view, but they refused. There were lots of insects in the room, mold on the walls, and the bed smelled. The resort seemed to be falling apart and hadn’t been maintained for years. The pool was full of cracks and plants, so I thought I could swim there, but it wasn’t usable. The bath water pressure was too low. It could be a nice place if it were maintained.

We really liked the Tatami room and its private hot spring bath. The place itself could use renovations, and it feels like some work is needed right away. I'd stay again, though, and hope it looks cleaner and renovated when we come back.