Cheng Pao Hotel

The room was enormous, with a balcony and room for five or more bikes, so we could spread out and sort through our packs. Chengpao Hotel was happy to take cyclists, unlike other hotels and B&Bs I’ve encountered, and the buffet breakfast was decent enough. The location works well for that kind of straightforward, spacious stay while cycling around Taiwan. Some of the comments that it’s a bit old are fair, but everything worked properly: the wallpaper was intact, the towels still absorbed water, and the surfaces were clean. I’d give it five stars if breakfast started earlier, so we could avoid traffic up Wuling Pass.

We moved rooms, and the one we ended up in smelled of urine and didn’t seem to have been cleaned well. The sheets had oil stains and didn’t look like they’d been properly washed in a long time. Towels were thin and ragged, and the TVs looked about 20 years old. Everything showed its age and wear. The included breakfast was the cheapest slop they could put in a warmer. Maybe it was once a great hotel, but it feels like they’ve spent around 30 years doing the bare minimum to keep it going. I counted at least 12 tour buses coming and going while I was there. I guess once a hotel gets to the point of hosting tour groups, they stop caring about quality. This was a terrible hotel, well past its prime.

We stayed for a week. It’s getting a bit run down, but may be one of the better options in little Puli. The location is good, the rooms are a decent size, and the service was decent too. It used to be a night class hotel and now seems to be run by a family or something. There were few guests apart from the occasional tour group. The Chinese breakfast was, well, Chinese breakfast.

There’s a beautiful pool, lights, and massagers all around, plus even a waterfall. The fridge is lousy. The place feels more like a suite. A warning: it’s made for people who are okay with the cold. If you aren’t, go to the sauna.