Island Hearth Tamsui

The best thing about the place was that it didn’t have the smoke or mold odor common in many local hotels. The staff were average, meeting expectations without going beyond them. I still wonder about all the positive reviews, though, and whether they’re really from guests or fabricated by forced labor somewhere undisclosed in Thailand. From the street, the hotel and its public areas look modern and upscale. Inside, it felt chaotic and neglected. The room was outdated, bare-bones, and furnished and decorated in a mismatched 1970s Taipei style, which matched the budget price. Check-in was strictly at 4 pm with no exceptions. I’d suggest the operators travel more to understand hospitality. Getting there from Tamsui station means walking uphill along a narrow, broken sidewalk. The route was as bad as the guest room. During our two-night stay, the WiFi kept disconnecting and resetting. There was just one old-style two-prong outlet in the room, and the lights were hardwired, so I couldn’t find any others. The front desk did lend me a multi-outlet adapter. There was coffee and tea, but no creamer or sugar, and the breakfast area didn’t have sugar for coffee either. Maybe the operators don’t drink coffee, or only drink the watered-down kind found in many older Taiwanese eateries. Breakfast choices are aimed at local tastes, so be prepared for that limitation.