YA GO RIVER LODGE

A quiet, well-priced place right beside the old town, just 250 meters from the MRT. The town and river are so appealing that it's a good idea to stay here a little outside the center. Hot springs are nearby too.

The rooms and service were clean, and the staff were friendly, but I found the hotel setup awkward. Reception isn't at the main entrance. You have to leave it, turn left, and walk past a church to get to the lift. The rooms are above the church offices, and there's also a Buddhist temple just outside. I understand the temple is part of Taiwanese culture, but the hotel barely looks like a hotel when you're new to Tam Shui, and putting it beside a church feels strange. The parking lot is quite small as well. We visited yesterday with my parents. The location is okay, not the best, but you can walk to the markets. My dad drove us to Tam Shui. Compared with visiting two years ago with my mum, younger brother, and his girlfriend by MTR, driving is much harder than taking the MTR. What really bothered me was that we couldn't leave our luggage at reception or keep the car in the parking lot until 3pm. That seems odd after other hotels I've stayed at, in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and England, let us leave bags while we explore before check-in. Today, on the way back to Luodong, we stopped at a hotel near Lover Bridge, and they allowed it there too. If we return, I'd expect to be able to leave our car and bags while we visit somewhere nearby. I give this place 2 out of 5.

The location is very convenient, just a 5 minute walk from Tam Shui metro station, and the staff were friendly. The rooms are spacious and looked generally clean and neat at first. Unfortunately, there were bed bugs in the quilt or bedding, and my arms and legs were badly affected. I only noticed the bites after leaving the lodge to return to my country, so I couldn't tell the management in time and suggest they get professional pest control to inspect and clean the rooms. Otherwise, the location and roomy accommodation would work very well for family travel.

I stayed 3/27/24-3/30/24 and got bed bug bites all over my body and legs. I told a staff member, who just apologized. Since I'm apparently THE ONLY ONE who had this problem, I doubt the manager would do anything to fix it. I left a message asking the manager to call me back, but never heard from them.