Shih Kuang Homestay

A chill place.

I checked in on 7/10, and the only thing I'd give a star for is that Gogoro bikes are available. The rest was a mess. The moment I entered, there was a strong foot odor in the room. I eventually traced it to the floor mat and wondered if replacing one was really so expensive. The floor also felt sticky underfoot. During my extended stay, the pool wasn't cleaned, and there were unidentified things floating in it. I was also told that even if you book the whole building, you can't bring a sound system because neighbors might complain. I found that ridiculous and wondered why I couldn't play loud music in a place I'd booked. There's no toilet in the living room, so you have to go back to your room. The room felt like an animal colony, with centipedes, black ants, and geckos. Soundproofing was awful too. I could hear people walking and washing upstairs.

The beds and pillows had just the right firmness and support, and there was plenty of space to have fun: a big pool, a Gogoro bike, and a living room with mahjong and karaoke gear. It's close to downtown as well. Still, some of the facilities felt worn. The living room floor was sticky, the fridge there didn't cool drinks, and the air conditioner in the first-floor double room took a long time to get cold. I noticed several sofa stains when I sat down, though a wet wipe took them off easily. The medicine in the living room first-aid kit was expired. A friend cut their heel on the bedside board while getting out of bed and couldn't treat it right away. I hope they replace the kit's supplies regularly so guests can at least disinfect and bandage an injury. It was okay overall, but anyone fussy about cleanliness or facilities may want to think twice.

Our group reserved the whole building in early July for the end of August and paid the deposit on time. A week before arrival, the guesthouse asked for everyone's full names, ID numbers, birth dates, addresses, and phone numbers. We provided them without issue. Then, four days before check-in, they told us there had been a booking mistake and duplicate registrations, and proposed splitting us between two buildings. With the trip so close and our group so large, finding another place with a wading pool and private areas would have been extremely difficult. Hotels were hard to find too, and the one we'd stayed in the night before was fully booked. Drawing on my experience with group tours, I reluctantly accepted the proposal, though I was already unhappy. I didn't want to disrupt the trip by arguing. I worried that if I'd raised it earlier, the owner might have arrogantly said, "Then don't stay! Go ahead and leave a bad review!" We still had a trip to take, and ended up having to sort out the mess ourselves. The new arrangement gave us more space and three extra electric scooters without an added cost, and for that we should thank the guesthouse. But the original place was near Anping Street, a charming area within easy walking distance, so we wouldn't have had to make repeated trips for dinner, late-night snacks, or breakfast. With older people and children in our group, seven scooters would have been enough; ten would just have been a bonus. There were also cleanliness concerns. Perhaps it was summer peak season and staff were short, but clothes left by the previous guest were still in the bathroom when we arrived. The wading pool seemed to have had its water changed without being cleaned. I saw it being filled before I left but didn't see anyone clean it. After we got home, two of the eight children developed eye infections. We told the staff we were dissatisfied before leaving; they listened with a smile and said only that they could report it to the back office. I wanted simply to make clear that we'd raised the issues. After thinking it over, I decided to share this as a reference for others. I had read reviews before booking, and saw that other people had also been moved to the second building for different reasons. Large groups booking an entire building should be cautious, and I hope the administrator avoids duplicate registrations so neither side is inconvenienced. One other detail: the layout is unusual, with the rooms and living room disconnected. You have to put on shoes and walk outside to get between them. Luckily, the weather was good and we didn't run into afternoon thunderstorms.