Escape to Paradise: Chiayi's Nice Prince Hotel Awaits!
Escape to Paradise: Chiayi's Nice Prince Hotel Awaits! - A Frankly Honest Review & Booking Plea (Because My Feet Still Ache From Thinking About It)
Alright, folks, let's get real. You’re looking for a Chiayi escape, and the Nice Prince Hotel is on your radar. Good choice! But let's cut the fluff. I've just come back, my feet are still screaming from all the (amazing) hiking, and my brain is a delicious swirl of memories - the good, the slightly off, and the "wow, that was unexpectedly excellent!".
So, here's the unvarnished truth about the Nice Prince, in a review that's less "travel brochure" and more "chatty friend who's just lived it." Prepare for some meandering, occasional tangents, and absolutely no sugarcoating.
First Impressions & Accessibility (The Ramp! The Darn Ramp!)
Okay, the first thing you gotta know is the access. Finding accessible hotels in Taiwan can be… well, let's just say "hit or miss." I arrived at the Nice Prince, and while I don't personally need full-on wheelchair access, I’m very mindful of mobility issues because, frankly, we're all getting older and creakier, right?
The entrance itself has a decent ramp. Phew. Seriously, that ramp was my first emotional experience. It's the little victories, you know? Elevators are plentiful, reaching all floors, and the hallways seemed reasonably wide, making wheelchair maneuverability seem achievable. Now, whether the individual rooms are perfectly accessible, I can't say with absolute certainty. However, Nice Prince earns points for trying and being upfront about their facilities. They have listed facilities for disabled guests. Plus, for those who might need a little extra help, the concierge is generally happy to assist with any needs. Remember that when you have the concierge, you have a lifeline.
Rooms: Your Sanctuary (…or Not. Depends on Your Preference!)
Now, about the rooms. I snagged a non-smoking room (a must for this sensitive soul!). Air conditioning worked wonderfully – crucial in the Chiayi heat. Free Wi-Fi (yes, free and it works! Praise be!) was a lifesaver for Instagramming those stunning Alishan sunrises (more on those later).
The room itself was… nice. Let's leave it at that. Not opulent, but clean and comfortable. Bedding was crisp, the blackout curtains were truly blackout (bliss!), and having a bathtub was a major win after a day spent trekking through tea plantations. The complimentary tea and coffee was a godsend at 3 am after that jet lag… seriously, I felt like I’d aged 10 years. Hair dryer? Check. Bathrobes? Double check (yes, they're fluffy!). Safety/security features? Present and accounted for. The TV had a decent selection of channels, and yes, satellite/cable channels too.
My tiny rant? Could have used a few more sockets near the bed. That modern problem of needing to charge everything. But hey, first world problems, right?
Dining: Fueling Your Adventures (And Maybe Expanding Your Waistline)
Food, Glorious Food! Chiayi is a foodie paradise, and the Nice Prince Hotel doesn't disappoint.
- Breakfast: The breakfast buffet was a glorious chaos of Asian and Western options. I'm talking Asian breakfast with congee, dim sum, and all sorts of delicious mystery meats. And of course, the more familiar Western breakfast, the bacon, eggs, and pancakes. They had a coffee/tea in restaurant and a restaurant that served desserts too!
- Restaurants & Bars: I spent a lot of time here. Don't judge. The restaurants offer a variety of cuisines, including international cuisine and Asian cuisine. The poolside bar was tempting, but I was too busy exploring.
- Room Service: 24-hour, because sometimes you just need a burger at 2 am (or a sneaky extra dessert).
- Snack Bar: For those mid-afternoon cravings.
Things to Do & Ways to Relax: Spa Day? Yes, Please!
Ah, relaxation. The Nice Prince knows what's up.
- Spa: They have a spa, which you'll NEED after hiking around Chiayi. Offering a body scrub and a body wrap. I didn't manage to squeeze in a full spa treatment, I'm still kicking myself for not going for that massage.
- Swimming Pool: The swimming pool is outdoors with a view, and even if you don’t swim, just the sheer sight of the sparkling water is relaxing.
- Fitness Center: Didn't use it (blame the hiking!), but it's there for the guilt-ridden.
Cleanliness & Safety: Feeling Safe & Sound
Let's be honest, these days, we all want to know we're safe.
- Hygiene Certification? Probably.
- Daily disinfection in common areas and Rooms sanitized between stays? Likely.
- Staff trained in safety protocol? Makes sense.
- Hand sanitizer everywhere? You bet.
- They also provide individually-wrapped food options, which is a plus. The Safe dining setup was comfortable.
- CCTV in common areas and CCTV outside property.
- Fire extinguisher, smoke alarm and soundproofing in the rooms.
- A doctor/nurse on call and a first aid kit are available if needed.
I felt safe and well-cared for, which is priceless.
Services & Conveniences: Little Touches, Big Difference
The Nice Prince goes the extra mile.
- Daily housekeeping (thank you, angels!)
- Concierge - helpful!
- Laundry service and dry cleaning (essential when you’re sweating and hiking)
- Luggage storage (always a lifesaver)
- Gift/souvenir shop (yep, I succumbed)
- Car park [free of charge] (huge bonus!) Also has taxi service.
- Elevator
For the Kids
Family/child friendly with babysitting services and kids meal options!
(A Moment of Truth: The Unexpectedly Lovely Shrine)
Okay, this is random, but I have to mention it. There's a shrine inside the hotel. I know, sounds odd. But it was beautifully maintained, peaceful, and a lovely little oasis of calm amidst the (welcome) bustle of the hotel. It really enhanced the serene atmosphere.
Getting Around
- Airport transfer available!
- Bicycle parking
- Car park [on-site] and access to a car power charging station
- Taxi service and valet parking available, if you feel like it
Areas for Improvement (Because Nobody's Perfect)
- The food in the restaurant can be a little inconsistent. Some dishes were outstanding, others… less so.
- Wi-Fi in the room could be spotty at peak times.
The Verdict: Should You Book?
Absolutely. Yes. A thousand times, yes!
The Nice Prince Hotel is a solid choice. The location is great; the amenities are fantastic; and the staff is genuinely friendly and helpful. It's not the most luxurious hotel in the world, but its charm and the thoughtful touches make up for it.
NOW, for the Booking Plea! (Because I Want You to Go)
Listen, Chiayi is magical. The mountains, the tea, the street food, the sheer energy of the place… you have to experience it. The Nice Prince is your perfect basecamp.
Here's the deal: Book now! Seriously, stop reading this and go book it. I swear, the view from the [insert name of a specific room with a view] is worth the price of admission alone. Forget work, forget the laundry piling up – escape to paradise.
Here's what I think: They should offer a "Chiayi Explorer Package"!
- What is it?
- 3 nights and 4 days at the Nice Prince Hotel.
- Welcome drink (maybe a chilled Taiwanese beer?).
- Daily breakfast at the hotel.
- Guided hike to Alishan's sunrise (because you have to see it).
- Free entry to the local museums.
- Discounted Spa Treatment.
- Why is this awesome?
- Because it makes planning your trip effortless.
- Because it will give you the best experience.
- Because, let's be honest, you'll thank me later.
Final Thoughts (Before I Pass Out From Over-Enthusiasm)
Chiayi and the Nice Prince Hotel provided an unforgettable experience.
Escape to Paradise: Canto do Curio's Unforgettable Paraty Getaway
Alright, buckle up buttercup, because we're about to dive headfirst into my chaotic, possibly ill-conceived, and definitely over-enthusiastic adventure at the Nice Prince Hotel in Chiayi, Taiwan. This ain't your grandma's itinerary, that's for sure. Prepare for a rollercoaster of existential dread, sugar-fueled highs, and the constant threat of forgetting my passport. Let's do this!
The Great Chiayi Caper: A Messy, Magnificent Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival and Mild Panic (aka, "Where's the Dumpling?")
- 1:00 PM: LAND! Taoyuan International Airport. Breathe. Remember to collect luggage. My brain is screaming "LOST LUGGAGE!" at this point, but I think I actually packed strategically this time. High five, me!
- 2:30 PM (ish): The High-Speed Rail (HSR) to Chiayi. Okay, this is actually pretty smooth. The HSR is like, clean and futuristic compared to my usual travel experiences. The windows are HUGE, so I'm immediately glued to the scenery - rice paddies, random temples, and the occasional suspicious-looking factory. Someone sneezed and I was convinced the entire carriage would be under COVID lockdown.
- 4:00 PM: Arrive at Chiayi Station. Immediately overwhelmed. Google Maps is my frenemy. Where. Is. The. Hotel?
- 4:30 PM: Finally, the promised land! Nice Prince Hotel. Check-in…smooth. Whew. The lobby is… surprisingly nice. Not the dive I was secretly expecting.
- 5:00 PM: Room reveal! Okay, it's fine. Clean, functional, a bed. Nothing too exciting. But the tiny balcony! Jackpot. (More on the balcony later, trust me.) I immediately chuck my backpack on the bed. That's it. I can now officially relax…
- 5:30 PM: RELAX? NOPE! Food hunt commences. Dumplings. I require dumplings. Wandering the streets near the hotel is a sensory overload. Scooters whizzing by, the smell of deliciousness, and the general hum of a city I don't understand. This is simultaneously exhilarating and terrifying.
- 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM: Dumpling search unsuccessful. Found noodles. Excellent noodles! Stumbled upon what felt like a local hole-in-the-wall and ended up eating a mountain of noodles with a side of…mystery meat. Didn’t ask, don’t want to know. The language barrier is hilarious and confusing. Pointing and smiling is my new superpower. I get the feeling I ended up paying about triple what I should have, but whatevs. The noodles were worth it.
- 8:30 PM: Back to the hotel. Balcony time! Ah, the sweet release of fresh air and the distant sounds of Chiayi. This is where I'm gonna write, this is where I'm gonna have my moment of zen. Or, you know, scroll through Instagram. And maybe order some room service.
- 9:00 PM: Room service: fried chicken. Why did I do this? Oh god, I shouldn't have done this. But it's delicious.
- 10:00 PM: MELTDOWN ALERT. Jet lag. Fear of missing dumplings. Panic about the itinerary. Maybe I need a nap? This is already off to a fantastic start.
Day 2: Alishan and the Altitude High (And the Unexpected Coffee Revelation)
- 7:00 AM (maybe): Alarm screams. Hates it. Drag myself out of bed. Coffee. Mandatory.
- 7:30 AM: Breakfast at the hotel. Standard hotel buffet. Cereal, eggs, the usual. But the people watching is GOLD. Watching families maneuver their kids. Someone managed to get a entire bowl of rice on their face. I am just laughing.
- 8:30 AM: Catch the bus to Alishan – The Big One. The one everyone raves about. The one that, according to the internet, will make me weep at the beauty. I'm skeptical, but hopeful.
- 9:30 AM - 1:00 PM: The bus ride to Alishan. The road winds, I feel queasy, and my neighbor seems to have a slight obsession with chewing gum. The views are… yeah, actually pretty amazing. The mountains are gigantic and covered in lush, green tea plantations. I start to feel a little bit…awed.
- 1:00 PM: ALISHAN! Okay, it's stunning. Seriously. The air is crisp. The scent of pine needles is intoxicating. The trees are…well, they're enormous. So old, they've seen everything. But I am so tired. The altitude is kicking my butt. I’m panting and I’m not even walking fast.
- 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM: Tea Plantation Tour! This is where my world shifted. I sampled some ALISHAN tea, and it was like nothing I'd ever tasted before. Silky smooth, floral, and…I realized I’m a complete coffee snob about to be converted. I bought like, 5 bags. Judge me.
- 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Stumbled into a coffee shop. In Alishan! And it was amazing. Like, life-changing, tiny-cup-of-heaven amazing. The air was so crisp and the view was spectacular. How did I get here? I don't know. I'm not complaining, I'm taking notes.
- 4:00 PM: The hike to the sunrise viewing point. I start to feel like I'm going to faint, so I end up just sitting on a random branch. Good decision.
- 4:30 PM: Back to the bus for the return trip. I am DONE. But happy. And caffeinated. I feel like I have been living for the last 12 years.
- 6:00 PM: Back at the hotel. Collapse on the bed. I'm pretty sure I could sleep for a month straight.
- 7:00 PM: Shower. Eat a protein bar.
- 9:00 PM: Bed. The most incredible sleep of my life. (Maybe. Who knows, I can't really be sure. I remember falling asleep…)
Day 3: Temple Hopping and a Possible Culinary Disaster (And a Surprise Farewell)
- 8:00 AM: Woke up with a slight headache. Too much tea and not enough sleep, probably.
- 9:00 AM: Decided to visit the local temples. I found an incredible ornate complex. So much incense. So many people praying. Took a moment to consider my own place in the universe. Then I got distracted by a small, fluffy dog.
- 11:00 AM: Street food adventure. Found a place selling these fried pancakes, and they were pretty good.
- 12:00 PM: The "Culinary Disaster" - I tried to order something… I thought it was tofu. It was not tofu. It was…something. I ate it. No regrets.
- 1:00 PM: One last walk through the market, where I bought more tea bags. Because obviously.
- 2:00 PM: I went back to the hotel and just sat at the balcony. The sound of Chiayi. The breeze in the leaves. The scent of the city. It was the first time I've felt actual peace.
- 3:00 PM: Check out. Head to station.
- 4:00 PM: Taxi to the station.
- 5:00 PM: Waiting to get to the train.
- 6:00 PM: On the train, I found I left my jacket.
- 7:00 PM: The finality of saying goodbye. I hope I come back.
- 8:00 PM: Arrived.
Final Thoughts:
Chiayi, you were a chaotic, beautiful, and utterly surprising experience. You offered moments of incredible beauty, a glimpse into a different culture, and the best coffee in the world. You made me laugh, cry (a little), and question my whole worldview. I’ll be back. And this time, I'm bringing a friend.
P.S. I still haven't found those dumplings. Maybe next time.
Unbelievable Hotel Views: Xichang's Hidden Wetland Paradise!
Escape to Paradise: Chiayi's Nice Prince Hotel - Frequently Asked & Slightly Unhinged Questions!
Okay, so... Nice Prince? Sounds a little... cheesy, doesn't it? Is it actually any GOOD?
Alright, alright, let's be honest: "Nice Prince" DOES sound like something you'd stumble upon in a romance novel you'd secretly read as a teenager (don't @ me!). And yeah, when I first booked, I was picturing a place where they serve you…uh… *Prince-ly platters of fruit*? (Don't judge, I was tired.)
But GUESS WHAT? It's actually… pretty darn decent. It's NOT the Ritz, okay? But for the price (which I found SUPER reasonable – my wallet sighed with relief), the rooms are spacious, cleanish (more on that later), and the staff… well, they're NICE. Seriously. Like, they'll smile at you, even when you stumble through your terrible Mandarin. That alone is worth a million points in my book. I'd give it a solid 7/10 – and that's before the free breakfast buffets' egg-station... oh, the egg-station!
Is there a pool? Because if I'm escaping to "paradise" (and I desperately need to), I expect a pool situation. Tell me EVERYTHING.
Okay, so here's the thing about the pool… there is ONE. It's...adequate. It's definitely not the sprawling infinity pool of Instagram fame. More like a rectangular…thing. But hear me out. It's generally clean (I saw them skimming it once!), and more importantly, it wasn't PACKED. Seriously, I think I had it to myself for two glorious hours one afternoon, just floating around, listening to the cicadas, and pretending I was a mermaid princess. (Don't tell anyone.)
However, the best thing? The pool bar! Maybe. Depending on the day. One day it was bustling, the next, it was closed earlier than advertised, forcing me to hunt around town for an equally as good cocktail. I'm thinking I'll have to settle for a slightly better plan next time.
The breakfast buffet... is it worth it? I have high standards for my morning sustenance.
Oh, the breakfast buffet. This is where the Nice Prince *really* earns its stripes. Listen, I'm a buffet connoisseur (judge me, I dare you), and this one was surprisingly good. There was your standard stuff: eggs (YES!), bacon (a little on the crispy side, but acceptable), pastries (some better than others - avoid the ones that look like they’ve been sitting out since the Jurassic period), and fruit (fresh, vibrant, and a welcome sight after a night of questionable street food).
But here's the kicker: the egg station. Oh, the egg station! The omelets were masterpieces, fluffy, cheesy, and prepared with a smile. I may have eaten three omelets one morning. Don't tell my doctor. It was pure bliss, which is the only way I remember my time there. I'd go back just for the omelets, honestly. That's how good they are.
Chiayi itself... what's there to DO? I don't want to just sit in a hotel room (though, let's be honest, sometimes I do).
Chiayi's a great base for exploring Alishan, which is the HUGE selling point, right? The sunrise there is supposed to be legendary (I overslept. Don't judge, again). Lots of tourist attractions for the avid tourists. There's also the Chiayi Park, which is actually quite lovely, especially if you're into pagodas and serene ponds. I spent a pleasant afternoon wandering around there, taking photos, and trying (and failing) to understand the locals’ conversations with the ducks.
But the best part? The FOOD! Oh sweet mother of pearl, the food. Chiayi has some AMAZING street food. From the chicken rice (a must-try, people!) to the night markets overflowing with… well, everything delicious and deep-fried. Just be prepared to loosen your belt a notch or two. Or three. (I may or may not have bought a larger pair of pants while I was there.)
Okay, tell me the TRUTH about the rooms. Are they clean? Are they modern? Is there a weird smell? Spill the tea!
Alright, time for brutal honesty: the rooms are… a mixed bag. Cleanish is a good descriptor. They're definitely not *dirty*, but they're not exactly pristine. Think "slightly worn", but not in a "rustic charm" kind of way, more in a "seen a few battles" kind of way. There might be a stray stain here or there on the carpet – but, hey, that's what slippers are for, right? (Pack your own. The ones provided looked a little…used.)
And the modern-ness… well, it’s not exactly a futuristic hotel. It's got that classic, slightly old-fashioned charm that you might see in an '80s movie. The air conditioning worked fine, the Wi-Fi was decent, and the beds were actually pretty comfy. The bathroom was… functional. The water pressure was good, but the shower curtain made more than a few appearances, getting clingy in the wind. As for the smell… I didn't notice anything overwhelmingly bad. Maybe a faint whiff of… something. Honestly, after a few days, you get used to it. And if you don't, there's always the strategically placed air freshener. (Disclaimer: I am not a hotel critic! I have no idea.)
Would you go back? Be completely honest!
Okay, yes. I would. Absolutely. Despite the slightly dodgy rooms and the ambiguous smell and the… well, you get the picture. The Nice Prince Hotel is comfortable. It is affordable and offers good value. It's well located. It’s also a solid base for exploring the surrounding areas. But the real reason? That egg station.
Look, I'm not expecting perfection. Paradise is a state of mind, right? And for me, "paradise" includes a fluffy omelet, a semi-clean pool, and a comfortable bed after a long day of hiking. Chiayi is a great location. And the Nice Prince Hotel delivers on all those things. Plus, the Prince’s charm grows on you, like a bad habit you can’t quite quit. So, yeah, I'd go back. Bring on the omelets!
Any tips for surviving/thriving at the Nice Prince?
Absolutely! Here's the lowdown from a seasoned Nice Prince veteran (well, a *very*The Stay Journey
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