InterContinental Kaohsiung

The southern Taiwanese port city of Kaohsiung may not quite be on Taipei’s level as an international destination, but a hotel like the InterContinental Kaohsiung means visitors can expect world-class luxury hospitality. It’s part of the Asia New Bay Area waterfront redevelopment, and is surrounded not only by corporate headquarters but by significant cultural destinations as well, including the Kaohsiung Exhibition Center and a Music Center containing several concert halls; your neighbors at the InterContinental might be visiting executives, but they might just as easily be concert pianists or K-pop singers.

Like its neighbors the InterContinental is built with sustainability in mind, from its construction methods to its energy consumption and its food waste programs. But none of this prevents its guests from living in the manner to which they’re accustomed — the hotel’s 253 rooms and suites are spacious, light-filled, and plush, and come with luxe details like high-tech Japanese washlets and Byredo bath products, as well as impressive views thanks to the hotel’s status as the tallest residential structure in Taiwan. Add a substantial fitness center and a dramatic indoor swimming pool — plus a handful of Chinese, Japanese, and international restaurants — and you’ve got yourself a perfectly self-sufficient luxury-hotel experience.