Day 3 Lodging: Hotel Royal Chiao Hsi
Every detail of this gorgeous hotel thoughtfully mimics Japanese style, down to the extraordinarily polite staff. Ask anyone...my people are not known for politeness.
The lobby had calming pools, smooth rock gardens, flawless wood furniture and floor-to-ceiling windows. Shops were lovely and tasteful. Unlike Farglory, the bar looked VERY promising, but we never made a visit.
This is easily the most luxurious hotel I've ever visited, and with an exorbitant PER-PERSON price, it certainly should be. The hotel clerk/guide bowed frequently on the way to our room, which was a "Western Suite." The mattresses were on the floor, but the true "Japanese Suite" has only tatamis. Smooth wooden doors hid the toilet and closets. The beautiful flat-screen TV featured tons of movies. Our guide brewed delicious complimentary tea (my favorite, genmaicha) and showed us the lovely robes and slippers that could be worn throughout the hotel. Very cute designs...but unfortunately not free to keep!
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The bath and shower were in a gorgeous separate room, with a deep stone tub for an in-room spa experience. The mineral water filled a bit slowly but it was wonderful squeezing in a quick dip before dinner.
We elected to have the set meal for dinner...although in this gorgeous hotel, the buffet had potential. Dinner at Zen Fusion Garden started with rosemary focaccia and veggie straws with a creamy dip. This was followed by amazingly fresh sashimi, then one of my favorite dishes, egg custard. Although I prefer the Chinese version that values quantity, I do love the cute presentation of the petite Japanese custard in tea cups, with precisely one shrimp, one fishcake and one gingko nut mixed in. Most beautiful item was a sweet potato mash wrapped in rice paper. Main course was a savory fish filet and giant prawn.
For breakfast I chose the Japanese set menu again but was less pleased. The bento featured more scrumptious egg custard and miso soup, and a rather less appealing pregnant fish and pickled vegetables. I was pretty full but happy to sneak into the Chinese breakfast with my family. It ended up being a good buffet, so I could get my turnip cakes, juice, and great waffles.
The outdoor spa here is somewhat more "adult" than Hotel Royal Chihpen's Spa Paradise. With more guests and smaller pools, I found myself waiting in line for the massage chairs. But the gorgeous wood walkways, scent from herbal pools, starry sky and soft lighting created such a relaxing atmosphere. The hottest pool was 50 degrees Celsius and felt incredible. The lovely swimming pool is called the "View Pool" because the edge seems to fall right off into the city skyline.
There is also a naked-only indoors aromatic bath, but I didn't really see the appeal. Why choose a steam room over the beautiful view? Even though the morning wasn't particularly warm, I was so happy to squeeze in another visit to the springs before we had to leave.