ALISHAN House - Cozy and Warm in the Winter

Guestroom with cherry trees right outside

About two years ago we visited Alishan Forest Recreation Area and we did manage to stay in the fancy Alishan House, right in the area. We still remember fondly the cozy beds, the thick carpets, and the warming fireplace in our room. This is not a cheap hotel, but certainly the best you can get at Alishan.

“Bright, airy Alishan House stands amidst the soaring, straight-spine trees and shady walking paths that define the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area. The upscale hotel has two sections, each with its own distinctive character. The front, two-story wood-built section, which was built as a mountain getaway for imperial officials by the forest-loving Japanese in 1913, has the look and ambience of the old, rustic inns you find in wooded areas in the New England countryside. The chic, modernistic new section, opened in autumn 2012, rises above the old in the rear and along one side, like a mother gently protecting a child with one arm extended. Alishan House has all the facilities of a big-city hotel, plus much extra nature-sculpted beauty. Especially inviting are the rooftop decks and café amongst the trees. (Rooms start at NT$7,000.)”

[Travel in Taiwan 2014, March-April]