With the weather not yet warm, I chose to stay at the Hot Spring Hotel in Beitou for one night. Beitau is rich in natural resources, with beautiful mountains and waters, and is very famous for its hot springs. In 1896, a merchant from Osaka, Japan, set up Taiwan's first hot springs hotel, the "Tengu-an Inn", which laid the foundation for the development of the hot springs hotel industry in Beitau. During the 1960s and 1970s, it was estimated that there were as many as 70 hot spring hotels in Beitau, and the Atami Hot Spring Hotel, which has a very long history, was one of them.
In fact, Atami is a famous hot spring area in Izu, Japan, and the hotel is operated in the style of a Japanese onsen ryokan. The hotel is very popular, with many tour buses carrying tourists on holidays. The Atami Onsen Hotel has been rated as a three-star hotel by the Tourism Bureau and has been in business for more than 40 years, and is now in its third generation.
Hotel Appearance and Facilities
The smell of sulphur permeates the surroundings of the Atami Onsen Hotel, making you look forward to taking a dip in the hot spring. The hotel has an old-world feel and is classically elegant. The lobby is bright and spacious, with elegant marble floors, soft lighting and oriental furnishings, making it a comfortable yet elegant place to stay. The floors are divided into the new hotel floor and the general guest room floor, and the whole hotel is equipped with wireless broadband Internet access, but guests need to bring their own laptop computers.
The hotel has three types of hot spring facilities: the public bath and the Shirasu-yuya on the ground floor B1, and the Onryu Iwatsuki Room on the third floor. The public bath, made of small round stones, is not too big, and the water temperature is moderate. The natural elements and special light and shadow design make you feel like you are in a natural cave.
Couples can choose between the private chartered hot spring "Hakusuya" and the "Onryu Rock Hot Spring Room". The former has a comfortable and simple design, and each pool can be enjoyed by two adults. The latter was added after the renovation of the hotel in September last year. Guests can rent the room for two hours to relax and enjoy the hot springs. It is important to note that all of the above facilities are on a waiting list and cannot be booked in advance, so if you want to try them out, you are advised to go during less crowded hours.
Room Facilities and Hygiene
After a long period of time, the Atami Spa Hotel has recently undergone a refurbishment project, adding new and refreshingly spacious hotel rooms, which are larger than the old ones and allow guests to enjoy the hot springs in their own rooms at any time of the day. The industrial design is also more stylish, with elegant white colours and dark carpets creating a contrasting aesthetic. The interior is brightly lit, and the windows are open to a natural landscape of birds and flowers.
Both old and new rooms are well-equipped, with the usual LCD TV, fridge, kettle, hairdryer, tea bags, coffee bags, etc. Don't worry if you forget to bring an adapter plug, as there is a three-hole adapter socket, which is very considerate.
Wet and dry facilities are separated in the bathroom, and the white marble street tiles on the walls are complemented by a black marble double bath, unique to the hostel rooms, adding to the elegant feel.
Guests staying in the guest rooms are entitled to free use of the men's and women's public baths, as well as a complimentary Chinese and Western buffet breakfast, with a wide range of food choices. The female guests are also given two face masks with soup blossom ingredients, which are designed and produced by the hotel itself and are perfect for use after bathing in the hot spring.
Accessibility
The hotel is located about 10 minutes walk from the New Beitou MRT station. The location is not too difficult to find, so the hotel does not yet provide a shuttle service and car park. There are convenience stores and a few vending machines within three minutes' walk of the hotel, and another 10 minutes' walk to Gongguan Road, where there are a number of small shops for late-night snacks. There are many attractions in the vicinity of the Atami Hot Spring Hotel, including the Geothermal Valley, Beitou Waterfront Park, Beitou Hot Spring Museum, Beitou Museum of Cultural Heritage, Beitou Library, Danshui Fisherman's Wharf and many more.
Room Rates
Below are some of the room types and nightly rates for your reference.
Deluxe Double Room (2 small beds): NT$2,070 (HKD525)
Twin Room (One Bed): NT$2,970 (HKD750)
VIP Room (King): NT$4,320 (HKD1095)
Wintourist Rock Soup Design Suite: NT$5,220 (HKD1320)
*The above prices do not include tax
Address: No. 172, Sec. 2, Chung Ching N. Rd.
Tel: +886 2 2891 5161
Website address : www.atamihotel.com.tw/
Traffic :
Passenger stops:Beitou Park Station, walk along the right side of the park (where you can see the Superior Supermarket) for 7~8 minutes.
Reference frequency: 216, 217, 218, 223, 266, 302, S.6, S.7, S.9, S.25 and Guide Bus Xindian Templar Line, it takes about 10 minutes to reach the station on foot.
MRT Stops:New Beitau Station; Reference frequency: Beitau or Danshui Line, get off at Beitau Station and change to the New Beitau Train, go to the intersection directly in front of the park on the right side (see the Superior Supermarket) to the station to reach the time of a 10-minute walk.
Self-drive
Taipei City:Drive from Taipei City to Shilin/Beitou direction → go straight on Chengde Road and then Daiye Road to the bottom (New Beitou MRT Station) → turn right and turn left at the second traffic light (see Dinghao Supermarket) → go straight ahead for about two minutes and you will arrive at the Atami Hotel.
Outside the county:Take the Zhongshan Expressway and get off at the Chongqing North Road interchange in the direction of Shilin/Beitou → turn left at the first traffic light after crossing the Bailing Bridge → go straight on Chengde Road (in the direction of Beitou) and then take Daje Road and go straight to the end of the road (the new Beitou MRT station) → turn right at the second traffic light (you will see the Superior Supermarket) and turn left → go straight ahead for about two minutes and you will arrive at the Atami Grand Hotel.
Taiwan Tour 2.0 Acknowledgement: (Public Sector, Eva Airways, Taiwan Tour allies)
Taipei City Government Tourism Bureau, Taiwan Tourism Bureau International Section, Tourism Bureau Hong Kong Office, TAT Shanghai Office, Nantou County Government, Eva Airways, Taiwan High Speed Rail, Chia-Chi International Travel Service, Seng Han Travel Service, Taipei City Hotel, Beitou Atami Hotel, Jingsawa Hotel in Sun Moon Lake, Hetian Hotel in Penghu, Hipton Digital Co. Clear Mountain Villa, Nantou County Tourism Industry Alliance Association, Nantou County Hotel Association, Nantou County B&B Tourism Association, Nantou County Chingjing Tourism Association, Nantou County Taiji Beauty Land Development Association, Nantou County Taomee Leisure Agricultural Area Promotion Association.
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