Best Hotel in Taiwan...

Any ideas?  Where is this awesome hotel located?

Hints:

1. It has two dogs in residence, a Husky and Dachshund
2. It allows pets of all shapes and sizes
3. It is near a historical land mark (pictured)
4. It hosts a number of themed rooms, done up to the highest (and coolest) level!

So frustrating!  This is now the third time I have attempted to write this post- it's going to take me some time to re-write it so just hang in there; blogger is being a real jerk today!!

So, after several days of fighting with google, I’ve finally gotten a chance to post this without it being deleted, timing out and disappearing, or something else equally as wonky!  A big thank you to the Internet nymphs for cooperating at last.

The answer to the hotel question I originally posted last week is 哈Cheese, a small family run hotel in Hengchun, a small city in the south of Taiwan.  哈Cheese is my favorite hotel for a number of reasons, but the one that makes this place stand out above the rest is its friendly atmosphere and its acceptance of pets.  People wanting to visit Taiwan’s southern beaches of Kending with their non-human companion will find this place totally amazing; they not only accept pets of all sizes and species (reptiles, snakes, and birds included), they do so with excitement and warmth:  every human and pet is a super-star! 

Their personal Mascot, a Husky named Torol, can be found on most days hanging out in the front of their townhouse property, soaking up the cool air from his personal fan, while his Dachshund sibling, Bagle, usually keeps a lookout from inside the guest house and mans the front desk.  Every guest is asked to take a picture with the two, one of which is posted digitally to Facebook and the other, a polaroid, is given to the guests as a keepsake.  We’ve collected quite a few photos by now, and they’re all equally adorable- we even took some of our own (see the pictures of me making out with Torol above).

Many “pet hotels” I’ve visited tend to be dingy, and many people accept this as the price you pay for bringing your companion on vacation with you.  哈Cheese, however, is totally different: all rooms look brand new, and are constructed around a theme, such as ‘nautical’ or ‘countryside’ in order to offer guests a one of a kind experience- even the floors are designed and textured to mimic the ocean!

Moving on to a more technical aspect of staying in Taiwan, there are a few different terms for hotel.  In Chinese, most hotels will advertise using the words: 飯店 (fandian)，酒店 (jiudian)，or 旅館 (luguan).  These words are usually associated with larger hotel chains, although also can be associated with larger independent hotels.  The key here is that these hotels usually have larger buildings and lots of rooms available (think 30+).

On the other hand, there are 民宿 (minsu), or what is commonly translated here as “home stay.”  However, I should note that these home stays are not really what Westerners would think of when it comes to a home stay (i.e., staying in a guest room in a family home that looks… like a family home).  These hotels or hostels are usually much smaller in nature and have fewer rooms, and often, although not necessarily, have cheaper prices than larger hotels.  Sometimes, these establishments are more like Bed and Breakfasts; they are a mom and pop operation and the owners live on the property.  Sometimes, they are more like a standard international hostel, and can have dorm style housing.

Knowing whether it’s a 飯店／酒店／旅館  or 民宿 will usually tell you roughly how large the establishment is, but beyond this, there is little way to really know what kind of place it is.  Really, the best way to get a better idea about the particular place you’re staying is to do a little searching on the internet and on an internet map like google maps.  Unfortunately, the Taiwanese hotel scene can sometimes be a little bit confusing, so I highly recommend booking based on friends’ recommendations when possible.  Also, prices for hotels in Taiwan vary on the season and whether they're peak (weekend) or off peak (weekday), so it's a good idea to check online to confirm current prices.