Les Suites Ching Cheng is an 80-room, boutique hotel situated in the eastern part of Taiwan and within a two-minute walk of the Mass Rapid Transit (metro) station, Nanjing Fuxing, on the newest line. Despite its central location, it exudes peace and tranquility.
Our welcome after a long journey was excellent and efficient and our bags were in our deluxe room before us. On checking in, we were given the option of having some kind of mobile which gave free calls and/or a London Underground Oyster type card integrated into our key card. We opted for the latter and found it really useful as we never had to worry about where to buy tickets or having the right change.
Our room, 520 on the fifth floor, had a big bed and modern bathroom. What fascinated me most was the centrally-heated loo seat and what I can only describe as a wash and brush up machine for your bottom. The loo seat took a bit of getting used to but turned out to be very comforting and I missed it when we left! There were lots of other little touches: fresh fruit replenished daily, a box of six fabulous chocolates, bottled water, well stocked mini-bar and coffee machine. The only pain was a safe in an inaccessible low corner which required a credit card swipe to open and close: not good if you want to leave your credit card in it. Wi-Fi was complementary, uncomplicated and fast as one would expect from a country that’s now known as an IT powerhouse.
Breakfast was served in two adjacent rooms on the ground floor where during the day there was a range of complimentary soft drinks, snacks and fruit with an honesty bar for beers. It was all so beautifully set up with lots of flower displays. Off these rooms was a garden with a handful of wooden tables and chairs which overlooked a small pool and fountain.
We loved ‘tini hour’ where on Monday to Friday from 6pm to 7.30pm, we could enjoy either two free glasses of martini, or white or red wine along with a variety of snacks like mini quiche and nachos. The candles were lit and it was all very atmospheric with attentive service.
Reception continued to be helpful during our five-night stay both providing restaurant recommendations and changing some of our large denomination notes into smaller change. All staff spoke very good English and provided maps and tourist information if required.
Breakfast was served from 7am to 10am on weekdays and 7am to 10.30am on weekends. Tables in the ‘cold buffet’ room overlooked the garden and tended to be smaller whilst the ‘hot buffet’ room was more suitable for group and families. The meal started by being presented with a glass of vinegar juice which appears to be good for the heart. As well as a great selection of the usual fruits, yoghurts, cold meats, cheeses and juice, the hot display provided a daily changing menu of eggs, noodles, stir fries etc. There was also an á la carte menu with specials. Breakfast tables contained the weather forecast with high and low and chance of rain. On our final day, we had to leave at 5am but breakfast boxes were provided with simple, but huge club sandwiches and a wonderful chilled grape drink.
All in all this was a great start to our tour of Taiwan. The only downside was the lack of a bar or restaurant in the evening. However, we’d have no hesitation in recommending it.
http://www.hotelsuitesching-cheng.com
