I was bit surprised I couldn’t find really cheap places to stay in Hualien such as what I found in Kaohsiung. After searching for ages, I decided on City Center Homestay and I’m happy with my choice.
The “homestay” isn’t a homestay. It’s a hotel which isn’t staffed which is how most hotels in Hualien seem to be run. This means that when I arrived, there were no staff available and I had to email the owner through the booking.com app — luckily I had data on my phone.
The room I was given was quite large and certainly big enough to store a bit of luggage in as well as house the bed and table and chair. The LCD TV is massive and has international channels, the wifi is fast and reliable and the air-conditioning is icy cold. Too bad it was already cold when I visited Hualien.
I thought the bed was excellent. Super soft, nice big soft quilt and really clean. The shower was hot and strong and the bathroom modern and clean.
What was really cool was that there was a washing machine on the top floor for free use by guests.
Location is great. I initially thought the location was bad because it’s 2.5km from the train station. But to be fair, the train station is miles away from the main centre of town. Around the hotel are coffee shops and great eateries and it’s easy to catch the bus to the train station from here.
All in all, City Center Homestay is a great hotel in the center of Hualien. Recommended.
City Center Homestay
No. 83, Xinyi Street, 970 Hualien City, Taiwan
Standard Queen Room: US$36 (check current price on booking.com)