Mention eastern Taiwan's Taroko Gorge and one conjures up images of marble-walled canyons where steep rock cliffs plunge hundreds of feet to the meandering stream bed below. It represents the epitome of the natural beauty hidden beyond the island's urban sprawl. One would expect lodgings nestled among such grandiose surroundings to attempt to mirror its splendour, and The Grand Formosa certainly does it's best to live up to the scale of its setting.

The Grand Formosa Taroko belongs to a chain of hotels known for a high level of quality, and the associated price tag that goes with it. But what could this respected chain of hotels manage in surely one of the remotest areas of Taiwan? The Taiwan Ho! team decided to shell out the dosh and give it a whirl. The things we put ourselves through for our curious readers!

The Grand Formosa Taroko is not in Taroko, strictly speaking, rather it lies in the village of Tienhsiang at the end of the gorge providing the perfect spot to rest and explore Taroko National Park.

The park is a truly wonderful place. Every time I drive through the gorge I am astounded by the dramatic scenery and the precarious man-made highway. One could spend months or more exploring the many hiking paths in the park, but that's another story. This review is about the Grand Formosa Hotel, after all.

A free shuttle bus from Hualien train station wisks guests to the hotel and can be pre-arranged when booking the room. Wait just outside the exit of the train station and a member of the hotel staff will be waiting for you with your name on a sign (always posh). The trip to the hotel takes about an hour through the gorge, and the driver will play an informational tape on the way. Truth be told, there is too much information, but it is a nice touch. The driver, as do all the staff in the hotel, wear traditional clothes of the Atayal, the predominant tribe in the area.

Of course there are other accommodation options in Tienhsiang. More specifically, the one other option is the now infamous Catholic Hostel, otherwise known as the last place missing teacher Fred Frontier was seen. Once in a while the Taiwan Ho! throws caution to the wind and splashes out on something above a dorm room. This means, of course, that the Grand Formosa is not budget level accomodation. Off peak and during the week the hotel was offering a twin room for NT$3,800 a night. Full tariff is quoted at NT$6,000 a twin but there are frequent promotions. Check the website or call for details.

So what do you get for your hard earned Taiwan dollars? The rooms are, of course, very luxuious with a woody motif, small balcony, extravagant marble bathroom, TV (with some satellite channels and several pay for view movies). Also included is tea and coffee making equipment, a safe and fridge.

A packet of coupons may be available, depending on the promotion of the moment. You can at least expect breakfast. Check when you make reservations to see what other items are included the in the current package. Breakfast is a buffet style affair with a choice of western or Chinese food. So, if you prefer scrambled eggs on toast with bacon and a good cup of coffee over soupy rice and pickles, you'll be set.

Tienhsiang offers little variety in dining options, so you will be pretty reliant on the hotel, especially if you desire western food. There are several choices with a normal high-end hotel western style buffet dinner running at around NT$650 a person, sandwiches NT$200 and rice or noodle dishes at NT$250.

Alas, the relatively high price tag doesn't buy everything, including high-speed Internet access (ADSL) for your room. At best, guests can expect to use the phone line to dial up to an old fashioned 56K account, but you will have to have access to a local dial-up account. There are several computers in the lobby you can use but they also use dial up-- not that you should be spending time watching TV or surfing the Net whilst up here of course!

The facilities at the hotel are plentiful and diverse, especially taking the location into account. Outdoor and indoor swimming pools, mini-golf, a tennis court, sauna and gym are all available for guests' use. There is a spa offering various kinds of massage available at predictable prices. In the basement there is a mini-bowling alley, table tennis, "casino" (slot machines), various arcade games, three pool tables and a mini-electric motorcycle area. All of these activities are reasonably priced.

The hotel activity areas shut down fairly early, with the outdoor pool and tennis court closing at 6 pm, the recreation area 10:30 pm and the pub at 12 am. The pub itself, Ma-Lu-Sa (which means "how are you?" in Atayal) is worth a mention. It only opens from 9 pm to 12 am and fits into the old style Taiwanese pub bracket. Although spacious, the low level of lighting makes it seem smaller. There is also a singer. Now while I enjoy a bit of live music, this style of jazz, pop, bossanova and a bit of "I have no idea what" favored in so many of these kind of establishments can quickly become grating. Perhaps this explains the short business hours and the drink prices, too. While cans of "imported beer" cost NT$80 downstairs, they sell for NT$220 in the pub. Other drinks are equally pricey. Room service (including drinks) is cheaper and available from 2 pm to 10 pm.

There is a travel service centre on the first floor where you can book a variety of tours, including one to Ho Huan Mountain, one of the only locales in Taiwan where it snows in the winter. The whole tour takes seven hours and costs $1500, although it's a bit more for a "foreigner tour guide". Other guided tours are available, but you do need to make reservations the night before. Also make sure you make a shuttle bus reservation the night before you leave for Hualien from the same desk.

For general luxury, The Grand Formosa Taroko earns four Taiwan Ho! stars. The location is its real attraction and while the hotel is great, it is not quite up to five stars. However, if you want to treat yourself to a bit of luxury in one of the most beautiful spots in Taiwan, it is well worth the $3,800. Whether it is worth $6,000 full price, though, might be open to debate.



Contact Information:

Web*: http://www.grandformosa-taroko.com.tw/
Email: N/A
Tel: (03) 869-1155
Fax: (03) 869-1160
Address: No.18 Tienhsiang Rd., Shiou Lin Village, Hualien County 972


* - Note that the website does have an English (and Japanese) section, it just doesn't work all the time. You should be able to check out the latest prices though, although it would probably be best to call to make a reservation (English speakers available).

You can see photos to accompany this story in the Gallery.