Hualien Accommodation Recommendations | Yanbo Hualien Taroko: Yanbo International’s 7th base

"I initially thought that a chain hotel group wouldn't be too bad, but this is the first time I've stayed at a hotel with such unprofessional front desk service... Check-in took at least half an hour, and they spent ages explaining the price to us, but still got it wrong in the end (although someone who looked like a supervisor or manager helped confirm it). We had to run downstairs to pay the difference almost half an hour after we checked into our room. The 50-point toiletries redemption counter forgot to enter it, and they had to call to confirm it later that night. And now, Taroko Gorge is short on business and still charging high prices." The room was completely empty, with no drinks, snacks, or even a bottle of water. There wasn't even a coffee machine for afternoon tea, and the fried food was poorly prepared and covered in oil. The infinity pool was incredibly basic; all you could see was forest, not a glimpse of the sea. The gym equipment was also very rudimentary, with only four machines (one of which was under maintenance and unusable). The sea-view rooms on lower floors were further obstructed by the trees. The only redeeming feature was the relatively new equipment; otherwise, there were no advantages. The surrounding area was extremely inconvenient. With fewer tourists recently, shops were closing around 7 or 8 pm (in the new town area, some even close at 6:30 pm for dinner). The nearest convenience store was only accessible by car. With no view and no service, given the devastation of Taroko National Park after the earthquake, there was absolutely no reason to stay here. For the same price, you could find far better options in the city. I sincerely do not recommend this place… BTW, if you really want to eat dinner here, the newly opened stir-fry restaurant across the street is quite good; it stays open quite late. Update: The next morning, when I got up for breakfast, the counter manager personally apologized. He had reviewed the surveillance footage the night before, admitted the oversight, and promised to improve. His speed in handling the crisis was commendable. The breakfast buffet was quite plentiful and varied; the crab roe seafood congee was delicious.

"How ridiculous! This isn't up to your hotel's standards. Am I staying at a tiny hotel in Yanbo? This stay was extremely unsatisfactory. I came to celebrate my birthday, but it turned out to be the beginning of a series of disappointments. 1. Confused communication and directions: On the day of check-in, I received a call from the hotel, but the person on the other end kept claiming they couldn't hear me and said they would call back later, but then never heard from me again. Upon arrival, the hotel didn't proactively inform me that there was a basement parking lot, leaving first-time guests wandering around aimlessly. The service details were completely inadequate. 2. The birthday celebration plan was all show and no substance: The most baffling thing was the "birthday surcharge plan." The contents weren't explained beforehand, and on-site I discovered that there were only "two paper hats" to take home. I was expecting small gifts or dolls, but even the decorations had to be taken back. The 8.8% discount on dining after the surcharge was even more useless, because guests already had a 8% discount, and the discounts couldn't be combined. So where did this extra cost go?" There was a sticker and the staff said "Happy Birthday," but the sticker was missing; I had to ask at the counter. 3. Food and hygiene are questionable: The dinner experience was terrible; not a single dish was satisfactory. I strongly advise against adding any extra items. Breakfast was slightly better, but there were flies buzzing around the salad bar and on the buffet table, making the hygiene disgusting. 4. Inadequate maintenance of facilities: The bathroom sink drain plug was faulty, permanently sealing itself and preventing water from draining. I had to manually remove it to make it barely usable. The maintenance of the facilities is clearly a major oversight. Summary: Although the staff were friendly, the overall performance, from pre-trip communication and facility quality to food and hygiene, was completely disproportionate to the price. The birthday celebration plan was particularly perfunctory and disrespectful. I would not visit again and would not recommend it to anyone celebrating a birthday.

"For my birthday this year, I decided to treat myself and chose the slightly more expensive Yanpo Taroko National Park, staying for two nights with a room change in between. Overall, the stay was okay, but the overall standard and experience really didn't justify the 7-8 NTD per night price tag. The room was comfortable: the room was nice overall, the bed was large and comfortable, and it had a separate bathroom and toilet, with a large bathtub. It was a bit of a shame that I was assigned a sea-view room on the 5th floor on my first day. The guest room toilet was equipped with a bidet toilet. The breakfast was pretty good, and the best part was that you could eat until 13:30 PM, which was a huge plus for someone who wanted to get a good night's sleep. The lobby toilet... well, since the guest rooms all had bidet toilets, why didn't the lobby toilet have one? Small bathroom details... well, although the bathtub was large, the showerhead was of very poor quality; the water jet was uneven, like a cheap model, which was a bit of a letdown." The facilities were somewhat lacking, with limited amenities and sparse gym equipment. Those planning to stay all day might find themselves bored and unsure what to do. Dinner was a major disappointment… definitely don't add any extra items! On the day of my stay, aside from the royal cuisine and fried rice, the other dishes were quite unappetizing… I later read the reviews and found that many others had also complained about the poor dinner. Please improve that! Also, the road leading in from outside is very narrow and lacks any signage for the Yanbo Grand Hotel; I almost thought I was lost. The parking lot signage was unclear; I had to wander around for a while to find it on my first day. Overall, aside from the truly disappointing dinner and limited facilities, everything else was acceptable. However, considering the price, the overall sophistication and upscale feel are somewhat lacking. Whether I'll stay here again… I'll look at other hotels next time.”