Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Directory A-Z
BOOK YOUR STAY ONLINE
For more accommodation reviews by Lonely Planet authors, check out
ht-
tp://hotels.lonelyplanet.com
. You'll find independent reviews, as well as recom-
mendations on the best places to stay. Best of all, you can book online.
Accommodation
Taiwan provides the full range of lodgings, from basic hostels to world-class resorts, though
it's at the midrange level, especially at guesthouses, that you will get the best quality for
money. Air-con is standard and no key deposit is required, but you'll need your passport or
ID to check in. Note that quality can really vary at the same price range. Outside of popular
areas in summer, on holidays and weekends there is usually no need to prebook rooms.
Accommodation is generally priced per room (or number of beds per room) and not per
guest. What is called a 'single' room in other countries (one single bed) is rare; a 'single' in
Taiwanese hotel lingo usually means a room with one double-sized bed, suitable for a
couple. 'Double' generally means a double bed but could also mean a twin (for example,
two beds per room). In general, use the term
dān rén fáng
to mean a room for one. Use
shuāng rén fáng
to mean a double or twin: emphasise
yī dà chuáng
to mean one large bed
for two;
liǎng chuáng
to mean two beds.
A suite is generally called a
tàofáng
(a room with a separate living area). In the coun-
tryside many hotels and homestays have rooms called
tōngpù
; these have no beds but of-
fer thick quilts and floor mats. Usually you must book the whole room but if it's not busy you
can often have the room to yourself and just pay for a single person.
Summer, Chinese New Year and Saturday nights are high season. Winter months are
also high season for hot-spring hotels. Discounts of 10% to 50% off the rack rate are the
norm even in high season except for a few hotels (mostly strictly budget) that always
charge the same price. Sometimes you must ask, but mostly discounts are given automat-
ically (often they are written on the hotel's price list). For resort discounts try midweek and
for business hotel discounts try the weekends.
Making Reservations
You can reserve by phone or internet (which often gives better rates) but unless you go
through a booking site you will likely need to use Chinese. When reserving homestays you
may be asked to wire a deposit.
