Entree Kibbles: Freshfields Hotel (清新溫泉飯店) - A Five-Star Establishment with Onsen @ Taichung in Taiwan

The good thing about tour packages is that you often have a gauge on the quality of the hotels. For our 8 Days 7 Nights See Iconic Taiwan Anew Tour Package via Chan Brothers, I am aware that hotels would be minimum 4-star.

And for Day Two of our tour, our assigned hotel was Freshfields Hotel on the outskirts of Taichung; an area I wouldn't consider for free and easy as I always prefer to stay at commercial / touristy districts with many people and shops.

Nevertheless, I was still happy as Freshfields Hotel is the only five-star onsen hotel in Taichung! I had an enjoyable onsen experience back in Hokkaido and can't wait to soak in hot spring water right here in Taiwan!

A soak in the hot spring aside; do you know you can get also get a great view of Taichung city from a viewing platform belonging to the hotel?!

Secured our room cards.

Block B, Room 703.

This device caught my attention. It looked like some kind of umbrella but its location in a hotel lobby would have been strange for a brolly. Ignorant me, coming from a country that is year-round summer, didn't know it was actually a heater used during winter!

Look at the ring of mesmerizing blue flames.

Room

Stepping in, we were greeted with a wardrobe that had a double opening leading to the bathroom! I thought it was ingenious as it allowed for separate access should one is showering, and another needs to wash the toilet.

The beds first; two double beds! And I kid you not, the mattress was comfortable and I must say it was a very deep sleep I had that night. Wait, maybe the onsen played a part too.

Mini-fridge and electric kettle counter.

Long table next to the floor to ceiling window at night, and the amazing view the next morning! Should I have more time in the hotel, I would have brewed a hot cup of tea in the morning and relaxed by the window.

Small television and the hidden door to the bathroom. Frankly, this wasn't as hidden as the one inside the wardrobe! p.s. no idea what the chairs below the television are for.

Vanity area and the provided amenities. I actually don't use any of them although I would, unashamedly, bring back shower caps and toothbrush kits!

Oh my gosh; a Japanese style toilet bowl! How I wish I could install one in my HDB flat but I heard there were issues on electrical safety given that my toilet can't have the wet-dry segregation.

Wash-up section - for privacy, there's a door.

Said to be a marble bathtub, it felt more like a tiled bathtub. Whatever the case, this was one large tub where hot spring water would be piped in for that therapeutic soak.

There's even a shower area but it's more than just the rainfall shower! See the different knobs on the center-left "pillar"? That allows strong jets of water to hit your back and it's so shiok, like water massage!

Remember to draw the curtain looking into the bedroom!

Again, the view while having a soak. What would have been better? If the bathtub were to be placed outdoor and you get the chilly wind while having your body immerse in the hot spring water!

Gymnasium

Decent setup but I was overwhelmed with happiness since I didn't manage to exercise on Day One and couldn't wait to have a few kilometers jog on the treadmill.

Hot Spring

Just a note that I was the last patron and I made sure no one was around before whipping out my phone to take photographs. There's an outdoor hot spring for both males and females, but as there are still people; I didn't take any photo.

As the name mentioned, the area beyond the door would be the nudist area for men, which was to be assumed as the indoor hot spring.

Three tubs of various temperatures were in the enclosed area. One was at a comfortable 38.4 degrees celcius and another one was a burning 42.7 degrees celcius! Those adventurous can also alternate between the hot tubs and the cold tub which was only 8.7 degrees celcius!

Steam room and sauna; never get why people like them.

Happy and refreshed after the hot spring! As I was staying at Freshfields Hotel for only one night, I am afraid I didn't manage to check out the rest of their facilities, including their outdoor swimming pool!

Breakfast

For tour packages, breakfasts would always be provided as part of the hotel stays and it's no exception at Freshfields Hotel. Good news for my dad who loves having a heavy breakfast whereas his son, aka me, would skip breakfast in Singapore.

Quite a spread and I couldn't resist taking a bowl of miso soup and some fruits, plus jelly. Stingy me would also feel it's a waste to skip breakfast when it's already provided, although it's common to see me indulging in fruits. Kon was quite shocked to see having so many bananas when we were in Hanoi!

Photos of dad, before and after breakfast.

Kidding, taken just seconds apart.

Outdoor Garden

According to the placemat at the breakfast restaurant, there was an outdoor garden. Even though excited and keen to explore, the fact that we didn't have much time weighed heavily in our heart.

We managed to walk just a bit but the area we visited didn't seem like the ones indicated on the placemat. It was still a nice, albeit, rushed stroll though as the cool air was amazingly crisp and fresh.