Travel: 2012 to 2013 Stay at Hualien11, Hualien, Taiwan

Taiwan is one of my favourite countries to visit. Hence, I became the official planner whenever we plan to visit Taiwan. In 2012, Hualien was on my list because I was attracted by the beautiful sceneries of Taroko Gorge and Pacific Ocean along its highway after watching Welcome To Taiwan on Channel News Asia (CNA).

When it comes to hunting for accommodation, I look for a hostel that is in close proximity to the train station, within our budget, provides good range of facilities (in particular en-suite bathroom and free WiFi) and of a good rating.

Of all the hostels I searched using HostelWorld.com, Hualien11 caught my attention with its 95% ratings. In comparison with a few others of similar ratings, it seems nearest to Hualien train station. Less than 10 minutes walk from the Back Station exit! By the way, this is not a sponsored post (in case you are wondering).

From their Info tab in HostelWorld.com, the list of tours Hualien11 could help to arrange made it even more attractive (save all our time and effort from planning). Its uniquely designed rooms (all rooms come with en-suite bathroom) caught my attention too! Yes, every room is REALLY designed differently.

The room we stayed in 2012 was a family suite (Sorry, forgot to take a picture of the room! But, you can see it from their website[1]. It is the Plato themed room 柏拉圖四人套房). The room we stayed in 2013 is a probably a White Cloud/Blue Sky themed:

Managed to take a picture of another Double Bed room which was probably waiting for its hosteller to arrive:

I must share that we were delighted to find out that Hualien11 is very close to supermarket, 7-11, fruit stalls and vegetarian eateries. So being hungry at Hualien11 might be the last thing you will experience. FYI, Hualien11 is run by Lisa and her son (I call him Little Boss). Though breakfast is not provided for, hang out in the lobby space with Lisa and she might surprise you by sharing a dish or two which she had just cooked or seasonal fruits.

Dining area in the Lobby

I fondly remembered that we arrived after midnight in 2013. Guessing that we were probably famish, she fried us some noodle so that we did not have to sleep on an empty stomach! I have also tasted her dishes when I was not hungry of course. Hence, I can vouch that her culinary skill is pretty good.

Any down side? Probably just that it does not provide you with any scenic view. Also, if you are not a dog person, you should probably inform Lisa beforehand as she has one by the name of Lucky. By the way, they do not have a swimming pool within the building which they listed as one of their facilities under the Facilities tab in HostelWorld.com.

When in Hualien, stay with Lisa and Little Boss at Hualien11. That was how I felt ever since I stayed with them since 2012. Till this date, we still keep in touch with one another. Lisa is indeed a very hospitable person and staying at Hualien11 really makes you feel at home while being overseas.

References:

1. Hualien11
2. Facebook - Hualien11
3. Tripadvisor - RYWsg review of Hualien11

Travel: 2010 to 2013 Stay at H132 Hostel, Taipei, Taiwan

Whenever I make my annual visit to Taipei (since 2010), I will always stay in H132 Hostel[1] which used to be known as Star Hostel[2]. It is conveniently located within 5 (at most 10) minutes walk from Zhong Shan station. Before you start thinking that this is a sponsored review, I assure you that it is not.

I found H132 Hostel with my best friend back in 2010. We were attracted to it mainly because its convenient location, it being within our budget, its chic interior design and its facilities: free WIFI, ensuite bathroom, complimentary breakfast, desk service, in-room hair dryer, towels, etc. On top of that, it was newly opened back then.

I vividly remembered that we stayed in Room 401 back in 2010. It was a private en-suite double bed room (meaning it has attached bathroom).

Panoramic view of H132 lobby

H132 lobby

H132 room walkway

H132 double bed

H132 in-room TV

H132 bathroom

We were pleasantly surprised by their staff who spoke English fluently. They are also extremely helpful, which made you feel at home and well taken care of!

A recount on the extra mile that they went on my most recent stay: We were supposed to stay for one last night but my hubby's friend checked us out, showed us around Taoyuan and checked us in South Gardens Hotels and Resorts. Because we checked out too last minute, we did not get any refund and forgot to collect the key deposit! But the staff were very helpful and e-mail us about a week later to refund us the key deposit.

As for the unpleasant part about staying in H132, first of all, it does not have a lift. To reach its common area (lobby), you got to walk a flight of stairs up to the 2nd level of the building. The rooms are located from 3rd level onwards. Next unpleasant part (as the year passes) was ant infestation. The last but most unpleasant part is that H132 gets fully booked TOO FAST!

In any case, now that Star Hostel is relocated near Taipei Main Station, I will stay there (assuming I manage to book a room of course!) when I visit Taipei because they finally have lifts within their new building! That, I think, is very crucial given that we have QW to bring along with us! 

Until next time, keep up the great work and we will be missing you~ Star Hostel~!

References:

1. Star Hostel
2. Tripadvisor - 2012 RYWsg in Taipei H132 Hostel reviews
3. Tripadvisor - 2011 RYWsg in Taipei H132 Hostel reviews