Arsma Hotel

Fantastic experience and view from the room was amazing. Got to see the ocean, granted the weather wasn’t that great. Not the hotel‘s fault. The breakfast was absolutely amazing would come back just for the food. The service at the front desk was exceptional providing help with services outside the hotel. Definitely worthy of a five star review oh, and I forgot five minutes from the night market by foot.

Our first choice hotel is still closed for renovation so we picked this one. Hotels in Hualien are more expensive than most of the other cities in Taiwan. This hotel has an old school glamor to it that I liked a lot. The room was very spacious and I think newly renovated due to the earthquake as it had a new carpet smell. The bed was quite comfortable but again the pillows were too soft. The bathroom was quite small compared to the room though and was super crowded. It was also a bit strange how the sink slants to the left and there is a drain right in front of the sink, which I don’t like standing on. The shower had a bucket option like the spas. Shower pressure was excellent and the toiletries were good though I didn’t like the heavy plant smell. The do not disturb light is located by the bed. There are adequate electric outlets near the bed. There was a concert at the nearby night market for new years that we could hear from our rooms. There is no view out the window outside as it’s covered with scaffolding. Also, the closets need to be aired out. They smelled really bad. The hotel is still undergoing construction after the earthquake. They start at 8 am which is quite early. They’re also down to one elevator, which the staff also have to use for everything so the wait can be long. The laundry room isn’t available. There are snacks in the evening but we never went. The breakfast was excellent. The Taiwanese congee and also the taro and custard buns were very good. The fruit kept in the fridge so it wasn’t fresh - a bit soggy. Location is good- few minute walk to the center of town and also the night market.

The room and bathroom are spacious and clean. However, the bathroom could use an update. The hotel was remodeling during our stay and there was a lot dust and noise, but the staff was extremely attentive, courteous and apologetic for the inconvenience. Breakfast was great. Would come back again.