Taiwan Part 2: Old England Manor, Cingjing, Nantou Taiwan

As mentioned in my previous blog, this hotel or manor is really a tourist spot on its own. Designed and constructed by a Taiwanese architect, it took 10 years for the manor to be completed as the owner travels back and forth Europe to source the right materials for the construction. Trust me, the moment you set foot into the building, be prepared to be amazed by the level of attention given into the fine details of architecture, decorations, furniture and utensils used all apparently imported from Europe. In fact, I actually accidently left behind my belongings on two occasions (first being my handphone and 2^nd being my jacket) as I was either too engrossed with taking pictures with my camera or simply too busy admiring the overall atmosphere of the place. You will really feel that you are transported to Europe at an instant except that… you don't really see many westerners around and mandarin / Chinese is the main language used of course.

Most of the time you will find many people outside of the hotel taking pictures / selfies against the backdrop of the manor. Unless staying / dining in the hotel, outsiders are not allowed into the manor and that kind of adds to the exclusivity of the hotel. This may not be the most expensive hotel that I have stayed in but I can say it feels like the most luxurious and value for money.

If I am not wrong, the manor is divided into 3 sections which are all interconnected although most residents will use a walkway outside the hotel to go from one section to another. The hotel lobby and restaurant is located at Section 1 and Section 2 respectively. At the 3rd section, you will find the banquet hall and also a big living room where the hotel will host a get together session each night. The host will play selected classical music from a very expensive Hi-Fi set and residents can indulge themselves with free flow of wine and other alcohol beverages.

The interior design of the living room (music room)

Another snapshot from the music room

Most people will just stay a night here as there are limited things to do in Cingjing however I would recommend a stay of at least 2 nights here so that you will have enough time to chill out / relax and explore the vicinity of the manor. I tried to navigate through the maze which connects the three sections mentioned above and it turned out to be quite fun. There is a mysterious feel to it as you will always wonder what lies behind this door you open, where the staircase leads to or where the existing path will bring you. Every now and then you will reach upon a little garden / living room to chill out or take some pictures.

The room

My wifey and I stayed at the Madrigal suite. It’s definitely one of the most luxurious and romantic place I have stayed so far. The room comes with a coffee making machine and a Hi-Fi system which you normally would not find in a standard hotel room. Enjoying my cup of coffee while listening to classical music and overlooking a beautiful scenery outside the window do make me feel like Bruce Wayne :). The hotel also provides wine, fruit basket, drinks and snacks in the room with no extra charges. There is a also a fire place but I think one needs to specially request in order to use it. Otherwise there is air conditioning which can serve as a heater as well.. The bed is comfy enough that’s all I can say. Similarly, you can expect the bathroom to be spacious as well complete with a bath tube and separate shower area. At the balcony area, you will find a complete garden set comprising of a coffee table & chairs and a sleeping bench. I like chilling out there to enjoy my cup of coffee and fresh air.

Food review

There is only one restaurant in the hotel. The hotel package includes both breakfast and dinner although the hotel reservation done through Bookings.com showed that it only includes breakfast. Goodie!!

Food was overall satisfactory. For dinner, a fine dining menu was offered with 3 or 4 main course to choose from. Presentation wise was pretty good but the food tasted a little bland for my liking. Nevertheless, I think it would probably go well with people who are more health conscious. The atmosphere in the restaurant of course adds a little to the plus points. If you stay here more than a night, you can also expand your choices from the lunch menu as well.

Breakfast is western buffet style which is also at the same restaurant. The variety is pretty decent for a small hotel except that it is not changed. So if you go for breakfast on the second day it will just be the same as the one you had on the first day. I think the hotel should improve on this.