There is also the property valuation angle to be factored in. Cheap loans to build by a major developer/landowner/construction company, operated on a very tight budget, land value shoots up, gets redeveloped with more loans at low rates, … business redevelops it as residential or commercial. Big companies like that take the long view.
But yes. Hotels are often a disappointment outside the main tourist areas, only exceeded in their rapacity by the ‘expensive’ luxury B&Bs that offer no services (no B-reakfast, no welcome, literally just a place to crash, with few amenities beyond a miserable shower, terrible parking, and a room with literally no view (our last place) - Thanks Booking com for making our lives less pleasant. I literally couldn’t find a decent hotel last time in Tainan on Booking com. So next time I’ll just use Google and go straight to the hotels direct.
Now before you judge me. It’s the wife: she likes nice places to stay, she isn’t that fussy but she does have standards, of cleanliness, service, expectation, etc. she definitely didn’t like the B&B in Tainan with no breakfast. What kind of ‘guest’ house is that? Where ‘guests’ are so inconvenient that the ‘host’ can’t even be bothered to prepare breakfast? Mmm. Perhaps we weren’t the target market, but Booking com didn’t offer anything better.
Helpful perspective and a follow up. If it is a property valuation play, doesn’t it usually make more sense to leave it as vacant land (or lightly used as farmland, parking lot) and then sell to the developer?
This is a genuine question. Are there any quirks with Taiwan taxes or land laws where it is better to build a big hotel that loses some money rather than leave land vacant?
In Thailand and parts of the US, agricultural land and empty land is taxed much lower.
In this Tamsui waterfront case, i am guessing/speculating it is taxed higher but maybe there was government pressure to develop that land so they had to build it to get or retain possession of the land. And maybe the gov’t also gave some subsidies.
We are at the stage where going to Japan and staying there for a week is an alright hotel is more budget friendly than booking a room in Taiwan for same
Major temples usually have them. Here is one well-known one run by the two major temples in Beigang. It’s more expensive than most of such lodging because it has been renovated etc. Around NT$3,000 I think.
And here’s the equivalent at the Fokuang Buddhist complex in Kaohsiung.
Catholic churches often have accomodation at very reasonable prices. Here is a list of ones in Hualien. The one in Taroko Gorge at Tianhsiang is especially good.
Unfortunately about 80% BnBs do not provide breakfast anymore .
Even when they say they do they play a scam saying the chef is off sick and we will give you a 100nt discount each. Happened multiple times. Really dishonest.
Or they’ll give you a coucher for some crappy breakfast ship or order in from a crappy breakfast shop.
Tourist offering here has major problems, hence many places are half empty I visited Taidong multiple times last year , outside of the balloon season was completely dead. Similar with Kenting.
Bed and breakfast is a misleading translation for 民宿. And Minsu have evolved greatly over the years. These days they are usually run by retired folks or someone supporting a rural lifestyle. Few have employees. They usually provide no services beyond a place to stay.
Most used to have breakfast, it’s not misleading at all. Been staying in them for 15 years or so. They got really lazy during covid. Everything was about using covid as an excuse for shit or lazy service. Now it’s their SOP.
Now we mostly stay in hotels , at least some have an ok breakfast. Some !!
It was more common in the past. Although some of my cycling buddies would complain about the congee breakfasts that were standard. Wimps.
In the 1980s, these were extra rooms in real homes that locals would let out during big holidays especially near tourist attractions. The experience varied wildly depending on the family.
Yes I agree they have evolved. You do get lots of retired people and then you get BnBs that are actually small or even medium sized hotels. But they almost all got worse, much lazier and more lying as well. Airbnb influence also leads to more hands off approach. As little work as possible is the name of the game for operators as they were absolutely spoilt during covid.
Now many places are empty much of the year and some want to screw you for as much money as possible on weekends or whatever.
You can get pretty good deals with these places using Agoda when they apply special discounts , they hate it but there is nothing they can do about it.
Every now and then will find a decent one that focuses on breakfast or a service but not often now. Hence the hotels are often our go to and they have parking too.
Yes, this has happened to me several times, and it always leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I don’t think every Minsu should be expected to provide breakfast, but when they clearly show on Agoda that they do, and then when you arrive, you hear some version of this excuse, it’s pretty off-putting. Earlier this year on Orchid Island (which I acknowledge might be a special market in certain ways), I had booked a not inexpensive Minsu (3500/night), and the boss only subtracted 50 per person per day for the breakfast that was not provided. Like, is anyone anywhere only paying 50 for breakfast these days? Seems like it could only buy one plain danbing and the smallest soy milk at most. In the past I was willing to pay more for a nicer place if breakfast is listed as being included, but I’m not sure how true that is anymore.
Yeah, I hear you guys. It used to be that there was plenty of cheap and cheerful accomodation that you could just roll up to randomly to and know what to expect. Things are all over the place now.
By the way as for hotels I remember when they were much much worse, the wave of investment from Chinese tourists helped to see a lot of them get a makeover.
Yes they were definitely cheaper for the smokey stained carpeted rooms and people earned less as well. Now weekends are always expensive here and long weekends are urghhhhhh. Expensive is relative right I get that but you just don’t get much for your money here. There used to be a lot more airbnbs but the govt shut them down I think, they were a good cheap option .
Sadly I don’t earn much more so I miss those good old fashioned prices. Mind you, I am almost always on a cycling trip so I don’t really care about the amenities or view as long as there is a place to sleep, food, and somewhere to get and consume Taiwan beer.
I’ve always felt that the real rip off comes when you spend good money to splash out on a supposedly nice place in Taiwan. And many of us our spoiled by he incredible values available in SE Asia or even just the decent ones in Japan.