Pause Landis Resort Wulai

The shower room layout makes no sense and is dangerous for kids. This was the worst experience ever.

The hotel looks great, but it's poorly run and they didn't seem to care that the AC wasn't working. The room stayed at 24°C all night even though we set it to 20°C. Maintenance came by and said it was working fine. Reception also called our room at random times for odd reasons, like to tell us breakfast had opened.

The communal hot springs were a highlight, with four pools in the men's section at different temperatures, plus a steam room, sauna, and individual showers. The building is striking, the walk up to reception is pleasant, and several roofs double as water features. The ground-floor cafe is nice, though a bit pricey. Snacks in the room were a nice touch, though that's common at Taiwanese hotels. The walk to Wulai Old Street was no problem for us, at most 10 minutes. Still, I'd save your money. A year ago we spent several nights at the original Landis in central Taipei and loved the comfort, service, and care, so we expected something similar at Pause Landis in Wulai. We were very disappointed. Our room was a decent size, but it looked much as it must have when the resort was built 20 years ago. The carpets were stained, furniture was banged up or water damaged, and there were no outlets at the bedside tables. The TV either showed other guests' YouTube videos or stayed on TLC. We could turn it on and off and change the volume, but not the channel. The shower door opened outward onto carpet, and the walls barely blocked sound. It felt as though the room had been designed by someone who'd never stayed in a hotel. The front desk staff weren't warm or welcoming. Every interaction felt strictly transactional. The website said the attached restaurant was closed for dinner and only served breakfast to guests like us whose room rate included it. The sheet listing the hot spring and breakfast times didn't mention dinner. That seemed odd in peak season, especially with so few restaurants nearby. Breakfast was just so-so. We had to choose Chinese or Western food and one of two time slots the day before, and couldn't simply show up when we wanted. We tried both options, but the dishes were the same each day. They were nicely plated, but everything except the congee was cold, including the scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and mushrooms. I suspect it was all prepared early and left sitting out. A small buffet helped round things out. As 11 approached, staff were eager to close and clear the dining room, which didn't exactly feel relaxing. The hotel has little to offer beyond the hot spring. There's no massage to book, room service, dinner, rooftop bar, or workout facility, so calling it a resort seems like a misnomer. The Pause is an expensive onsen with few amenities and little interest in customer satisfaction, while the Landis in Taipei felt luxurious. I won't recommend Pause. We left feeling disappointed with our overnight stay.

The large, luxurious spa areas are the standout, and probably the best in Wulai. The resort's design is quite good, up to a four-star standard. But the guest rooms disappointed us: the bathroom fittings were mediocre and the sound insulation was poor. We could hear the people next door all night and couldn't sleep.