Trans Inn

The night market is close by, and there are halal ramen and dumplings just a short walk away down an alley. The portions are large. We often picked up vegetarian food from Seven Eleven instead. I stayed for four days and three nights. Check-in is from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., and you can leave your luggage in the lobby if you arrive early. For a budget hotel, the room was clean, had an outward-facing window, and the hot water worked well. The mattress was a little hard. The toilet is dry, so if you usually rinse with water, bring your own portable bidet. It wasn’t too noisy during my stay since I wasn’t there on a weekday. Check-out is at 11 a.m. I’d recommend it for a stopover.

I felt deceived by what I paid for. The room lighting was poor, and the room didn’t look as nice as the photos. The elevator was old and somewhat unclean too. I booked a room with breakfast for about 1,300 Taiwan dollars a night, but breakfast was just a sandwich or hamburger and water. Rooms without breakfast were 1,000 Taiwan dollars, and adding breakfast separately was 100 Taiwan dollars, so the 300 Taiwan dollar difference for the same basic meal didn’t make sense. There wasn’t a receptionist available 24/7 when I needed urgent help. After I lost my key, I waited a long time and called the hotline, but nobody answered. The emergency number they provided couldn’t be reached either. On my last day I needed to check out early, but at 8:30 a.m. there was no receptionist, even though they say reception is staffed from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. I won’t stay here again, and I’d tell others to be wary of the overly positive online reviews. The price doesn’t match the quality.

The location was the one good thing, right outside the night market. But getting to the only elevator means climbing a flight of stairs, so this hotel isn’t suitable for elderly guests or tourists with heavy suitcases. We booked three rooms for one night. Room 502 smelled strongly musty from the toilet, and its floor was sticky. The receptionist kindly sprayed what may have been air freshener before leaving for the day, but the smell was back the next morning. In room 501, a leaking tap left water pooled on the vanity and soaked our toiletries pouch. We couldn’t report it because reception wasn’t open.

The night market is right downstairs, and there’s a 7_11 nearby. I really enjoyed staying here. It was convenient, the rooms were clean, the customer service was nice, and there was hot water and breakfast. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a hotel in Taichung. Hopefully I can come back.