By: Sarah Richard
When choosing a hotel for you and the kids, there’s a fairly standard checklist: large rooms, child-friendly restaurants, entertainment and a quiet location. But some hotels – like the awe-inspiring Silks Place in Yilan in Taiwan – offer more than your average stay. The hotel has raised the bar for family-friendly hotels and boasts all the above plus a free in-house cinema, giant inflated robot slide and even a kids’ race track!
The only international 5-star hotel in Yilan, Taiwan, Silks Place is located within the largest shopping centre in Eastern Taiwan, Luna Plaza, and next to Luna digital cinema. With a whole floor dedicated to kids, it provides entertainment like no other, allowing parents to enjoy their surroundings while the little ones are entertained for hours.
I must confess I didn’t actually didn’t have any kids with me on my visit, yet I kind of wished I did, so I too could ride an electric-powered car up to my room and stay in a colourful tent, instead of a bed. However, when I realised there was a shopping mall in the same complex and free bikes to ride around the city I was happy to compress my inner child for a while.
Geographically, Yilan is right next door to Taipei, but for all of us living in Asia, we know how long it can take to get from one city to another. Luckily, Taiwan has an efficient bullet train service getting passengers there in less than two hours. While Taipei is undoubtedly an amazing city, if you are looking for something slightly different with less crowds (yet still with the energy of a Taiwanese city) then Yilan is the place for you.
The best way to explore the city was on the hotel’s free bike and I grabbed my camera and rode the cycle-friendly streets through markets, and around temples Three hours later I returned to the hotel a tad sunburnt and ready to feast at Red Lantern restaurant on the first floor – famous for its roast duck, a dish which is undoubtably the best I had tasted in Asia.
Tired after a day of exploring I couldn’t have been happier to take advantage of my huge bed, bath and view over Yilan and slept soundly until my alarm signalled it was time for a buffet breakfast! My room was huge and perfect for a solo traveller, but I couldn’t help being impressed with the family rooms, equipped with everything an energetic clan could need. From the tents and kids’ tooth brushes to the free child care in the play lounge (which is any child’s dream playground) who not only take care of the kids, but also provide entertainment.
In all my travels I’ve never seen such a kid-friendly hotel with attention to detail! I can’t help imagine how fun it would have been to be a kid on the kids floor being able to slide down a robot slide and jump into a pit of play balls. But then again, a cocktail and a massage didn’t go down badly either.
Silks Place Yilan | 36, Minquan Road, Sec. 2, Yilan City, Taiwan | 886-3-935-1000
Need some ideas on things to do in Taiwan? Take a look at our guide here.
