Royal Seasons Hotel

I sat here, trying to come up with a more interesting title for this one, but I have failed to do so!

Following on from my previous post, I had a job in Taichung during the 2nd-last week of October. As I'd mentioned, this was smack in the middle of Bike Week in Taichung, so hotels were full to the brim. However, I was very lucky to snag a room at the Royal Seasons Hotel.

The Royal Seasons Hotel sits a bit closer to the city centre than where all the bike stuff was happening, so that might have been why I was able to get in. Having said that, the room my company's travel agent was able to get me might have been the last available; it was a 2-bedroom suite, so it was a bit odd staying there alone. However, it was still cheaper than some of the other basic rooms going in Taichung at the time, so it all worked out okay.

The furnishings of my room were quite ornate; like an old-style boutique of sorts. Not quite how I would decorate my house, but no complaints about staying in such decor.

The bed was quite comfortable, though a little firmer than my normal preference - but that seems to be the thing in Asia. I've stayed in places where I could rap my knuckles on the mattress and it would make a sound like a wooden door. But, this bed was nothing like that, so my back was in good hands. Of course, it's always hard to get a good night's sleep when your girlfriend (who is half the size of you) uses three-times as much of the blanket as you do. I still haven't worked this one out! But no - I kid, it's fine. It's usually hot enough in Taiwan that it doesn't bother me!

Adorning the living room (yes, the suite had a living room) counter was a simple supply of coffee and water. Being the coffee snob that I am, it was a bit disappointing to only have the instant "3-in-1" style coffee. As such, I didn't bother trying it, but some people will be fine with this kind. I blame my company for that time they sent me to South America and got me hooked on the good stuff!

The tea cups were a nice touch; very elegant in style and stamped with the hotel name so you don't forget where you are. We tried the tea that was provided along with the "coffee" (he-he); I didn't mind the tea, but my girlfriend - sorry, fiancée! - has a bit more of a discerning tongue when it comes to tea. She informed me that it wasn't great!

Also provided in the living area is a kettle, mini fridge, a desk with power and internet connection for doing a bit of work (or blogging.. or Facebooking!), and two lounges - one single seat and one double seat. So you can even have a few friends over! Unless, of course, you are occupying this suite with another couple in the other bedroom.

The couches did - to me - have a bit of a "grandma's house" vibe, mainly due to the upholstery. But they were certainly comfortable enough, so they did what they were intended to do: relax one's butt. The little table situated between them was adorned with a bowl of fruit, so that was also a fine addition.

And finally, the most important room in the house: the business centre. I mean, bathroom!

The fittings in here were a bit more modern, but still matched nicely with the rest of the suite. Lining the basin was an elegant box, containing all the basic essentials normally supplied by a hotel: toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, etc. Along the wall to the side were two glass shelves holding a cup and face towel for each person potentially staying in the room (i.e. four of each in total).

Plenty of towels, both body and hand-sized, were piled in the racks inside the separating slide door. Overall, I was fairly pleased with the bathroom. The only downside for me - and this is really just a personal preference - was the bath/shower combo with shower curtain! I hate shower curtains, generally speaking. They always find a way to flutter into your shower space and stick to you. Slightly less hated is the bath/shower combo. I never quite feel comfortable standing up in a bath. I'd rather them be separate, but I can deal with this if need be. However, having said all that, this particular shower curtain was quite well behaved, and didn't get in my way at all, so I can add some points back on for that!

Of course, I can't wind down this post without mentioning breakfast! On the second floor of the hotel is the restaurant, serving breakfast from 6:30am - 10am.

Breakfast here was good... but not great. I felt like the options were a bit lacking. There was a toaster and choice of white or brown bread; a fully stocked salad table with all sorts of things (but eating salad at breakfast is weird for me!); and then about six hot options, but not often were they particularly inspiring choices. There was commonly boiled eggs, various things deep fried, then some rice and Chinese vegetable dish options. What was there was good, but I feel like it needed a bit more variety. But, nevertheless, we could still get a good feed to start off the day. Most importantly, of course, was the coffee. An automatic espresso machine was available, providing latte, strong coffee, light coffee and cappuccino. This was always my first stop each morning!

Gudetama is a good representation of how I feel before my coffee!

On the roof of the hotel, there is a meager gymnasium. It's quite a small room with two treadmills, a cross-trainer and exercise bike, then a stack of dumbbells that go up to 10kg. Nothing too serious. I did use it once, but wasn't really motivated to return! The rest of the roof is a bit more impressive, with a pleasant "Sky Garden", allowing for views of the Taichung city scape for almost 180°. The night view from here isn't too spectacular, but if you go up for sunset, it's a bit nicer.

So, all up, I was quite happy with my week in Royal Seasons Hotel. The location is not great - it's not too far from the action, and you can jump on a bus or BRT if you know how the system works (I have a local guide for that!). But if you're only on foot, then it's a bit of a walk to find a restaurant, and there's no convenience store particularly close by. However, all things considered, I'd still put the Royal Seasons up there around the 4-star mark.