For most travelers, the first point of contact with a destination after the airport is the accommodation, which is also often the place they spend the most time in.
In Taiwan, hotels not only flaunt top-notch facilities or services, but many of the hotels recommended in the MICHELIN Guide also integrate local charm, providing not just a place of respite, but also a slice of local culture for visitors. Tailored tours and thoughtful designs lend color and set each hotel apart.
Guided hikes are also available at Hoshinoya Guguan, taking hikers along the Sikeba Trail between the Malun and Baxian mountains.
HOSHINOYA Guguan
HOSHINOYA Guguan, a hot spring resort built by Japan’s renowned Hoshino Resorts group, is surrounded by mountains. Visitors can soak in the hot springs while admiring the wonders and magnificence of nature. This healing experience away from the hustle and bustle of city life is the most attractive part of the hotel.Part of the hotel’s brand strategy is to combine local traditions, history, and culture, designing activities that are integrated with local customs in hopes of preserving and showcasing the local culture through the brand’s unique lens.
Activities change according to the seasons. For example, the Historical Morning Stroll in Guguan is created in collaboration with local elders and senior tour guides to ensure historical accuracy and insider knowledge of the geography. In winter, guides take hotel guests on bicycle tours to visit the Songhe tribes in one of the three largest forest reserves in the past, to take in a majestic century-old Japanese-style cypress wood house. Guided hikes are also available, taking hikers along the Sikeba Trail between the Malun and Baxian mountains. Enjoy the rich forest surroundings and the sound of rustling pine; experience the Atayal tribe’s hunting ceremonies and sample their ritual of drinking millet wine from a bamboo cup to pray for good luck, and enjoy the five-leaf pine beverage and spiced aboriginal snacks.
The digital art show at InterContinental Kaohsiung integrates visual beauty and sound effects to interpret Kaohsiung’s history and its imagined future.
InterContinental Kaohsiung
The first of IHG InterContinental Hotels in Taiwan not only maintains the hospitality standards and philosophy of the international brand, but also melds it with local character. From the brand’s signature malachite green hue to the play of light and shadow in the public areas, the hotel’s coastal design echoes the image of Kaohsiung as a shining harbor city. Guests in sea-view rooms can even enjoy the scene of ships entering the port.At 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily, the Japanese restaurant on the fifth floor plays host to The Sea Of Fertility, an immersive four-minute digital art show projected onto the 30-meter-high walls, integrating visual beauty and sound effects to interpret Kaohsiung’s history and its imagined future.
The hotel's concierge can also tailor customized tours for guests. A sample itinerary suggests nearby attractions such as the Kaohsiung Music Center, Neiwei Art Center, and the popular walk-around district of Yanchengpu. Culinary itineraries may also be arranged, where eager gourmands can dive into local delicacies. Guests of InterContinental Kaohsiung can further discuss with the hotel in advance to help plan their itineraries.
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One of the most popular activities at Mandarin Oriental Taipei has to be its xiaolongbao making lesson taught by chef Cheng Kwok-hung of one-Michelin-starred restaurant Ya Ge.
Mandarin Oriental Taipei
While known for its magnificent European-style architecture and meticulous service, Mandarin Oriental Taipei also designs its activities with local flair to provide guests with a unique experience and a rich taste of Taipei.For example, private tours of the famed Whitestone Gallery in the Neihu District of Taipei give visitors an in-depth understanding of the contemporary art culture, while a collaboration with century-old teahouse, Yoshan Tea, brings fresh appreciation for the art of tea roasting.
Outdoor activities include tours to Taipei’s Yangmingshan National Park, where visitors can hike in the national wetlands, take in the mist-shrouded Dream Lake to understand the beautiful eco-landscape, or go to Miaoli with a tour guide to try their hands at baking or creating nature prints with local farmers, as well as understanding the beautiful neighborhood. But one of the most popular activities at the hotel has to be its xiaolongbao, or soup dumpling, classes, taught by chef Cheng Kwok-hung of one-Michelin-starred restaurant Ya Ge.
Regent Taipei has a planned tour of a nearby district led by locals.
Regent Taipei
One may have all the reasons to stay indoors at the Regent Taipei with its wealth of dining and entertainment facilities, but the organized excursions out of the hotel are not to be missed as well. In 2019, it launched two city walking itineraries, branching out of Chifeng Street and Qingguang Shopping District to explore the charming neighborhoods around Zhongshan North Road, from Zhongshan MRT Station to Shuanglian.Zhongshan North Road, where Regent Taipei is located, is full of greenery and rich history. It was known as the Official’s Road in the past, the main thoroughfare for Japanese royal dignitaries visiting the shrine and home to the residences of Japanese officials stationed in Taiwan. Today, the vibrant shopping and entertainment district of Tiao Tong and its collection of modern independent shops have led London’s TimeOut magazine to select it as one of the 40 coolest neighborhoods in the world in 2023.
Since then, the hotel has expanded and enriched its city tour offerings. For Lunar New Year it has launched New Year itineraries working with local shopping districts (2024 the Lunar New Year starts Feb 20th and the tour offering spans from Jan 26th to Feb 8th), while during the winter vacation, students' off days, there were organized trips to nearby art and cultural exhibitions. The hotel’s Regent Academy program features local experts leading half-day in-depth tours of Taipei — including a themed tour of Dadaocheng and Dihua Street in the footsteps of French film director Luc Besson; a meal at the National Palace Museum hosted by a Chinese food culture expert; a tour of the Nanxi Commercial District led by a Chifeng Street local; as well as temple visits with a private butler.
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Silks Club has room packages that include a visit to the ALIEN Art Centre, a contemporary art museum converted from an old military hostel.
Silks Club
WIth its understated and unique style, a main attraction of Silks Club is its collection of more than 100 local and international works of art. Upon check-in, guides can provide in-depth explanations of distinctive pieces such as the Dancing Particles in the lobby, created by the German kinetic art team Art+Com specially with Kaohsiung in mind. It consists of 168 metal balls dancing smoothly, with a play on light and shadow reflected by the water below, symbolizing the dazzling beauty of Kaohsiung as the "Pearl of the Sea".The hotel also provides several tours that blend local culture such as room packages that include a visit to the ALIEN Art Centre, a contemporary art museum converted from an old military hostel. Beyond its exhibitions and artworks, the building is an icon of post-war architecture in Taiwan, incorporating modern Western architectural minimalism and various symbols of classical Chinese architecture.
The hotel's concierge can also arrange transport to Kaohsiung's famous attractions including the unique limestone crag formations and coral reefs of the Shoushan National Nature Park. Another recommended tour takes visitors to the 350-year-old Sanfeng Palace to admire its majestic temples and intricate carvings, while contemplating spirituality in its sea of lanterns before visiting Kaohsiung’s oldest street market nearby at Sanfeng Middle Road.
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All photos courtesy of respective hotels. Hero image by Hoshinoya Guguan.
This article has been translated by Rachel Tan from its original Chinese version.
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