To answer your question about where to stay in Tainan, we need to understand the purpose of your trip. Are you looking for relaxation, city excitement, or seclusion?
Just Sleep Tainan Hushan, located in the southern part of the city near Tainan Airport and Chimei Museum, is perfect for a peaceful getaway just outside the city. Whether you’re a family seeking a quiet vacation near Tainan’s top attractions or simply looking to escape the hustle and bustle of city life and unwind in this tranquil countryside setting, Just Sleep Tainan Hushan is the ideal choice for you.
Just Sleep Tainan Hushan is the newest addition to the Just Sleep hotel chain in Taiwan and opened in 2021. The hotel and Just Café are managed by the same team as Silks Place Tainan, ensuring a high level of quality and service.
Please take note that this article contains links to services and products from which I may receive compensation at no additional cost to you.
Here are some useful links for you if you are going to Tainan:
- Transportation
- Tourists Attractions
- Recommended Tours
- Book staying at Just Sleep Tainan Hushan: Website | Klook | Booking.com | KKday | Agoda
Important to note, is that if you book on the official Just Sleep Tainan Hushan Website (link here) then you can enjoy a special offer of 30% or more off your High-Speed Rail tickets! Please note that this is at the time of writing this post, and may be subject to change.
Table of Contents
It will take you around 4 hrs to drive down or get the bus from Taipei, yet only around 2 hrs on the High-Speed Rail (you can book tickets here). When you arrive in Tainan, Just Sleep Tainan Hushan is located to the South of the city, and it will take you just over 30 minutes from the High-Speed Rail Station in Tainan by train (you can use this link to book tickets) or if you arrive at Tainan Railway Station, then it will take you just under 30 minutes to get to the hotel by train (you can use this link to book tickets).
What you’re faced with when you arrive is a grand building that doesn’t seem to look much from the outside, yet is modern and understated enough to intrigue.
The first thing that struck me was the huge drum, seemingly a prop from the Ten Drum Cultural Village just next door. It took me back to one of my first impressions of Silks Place Tainan, which also showcases some of the drums from Ten Drum Cultural Village.
The Ten Drums Creative Group modernizes the century-old art of drumming while preserving the factory’s historical appearance through the ‘conservative and innovative’ approach. The park transformed an idle sugar warehouse space into a magical venue, seamlessly blending the natural environment with artistic and humanistic elements. In June 2022, it evolved into the R23 Sugar Warehouse Convention and Exhibition Center, offering event leasing. The venue has become a popular choice for corporate activities and serves as a picturesque outdoor wedding venue in southern Taiwan, inviting people to create beautiful memories together.
When arriving at Just Sleep Tainan Hushan, you can park just outside of the hotel in the parking lot.
You can also pull straight down to the parking garage on either B1 or B2. If you have an electric car then you are in luck, as the B1 parking lot is equipped with four electric vehicle charging stations with charging connectors compatible with Type 1 adapters (Tesla owners, please bring your own adapter). When you take the elevator up to the lobby on the 1st floor, you can simply tell the staff at the check-in counter your license plate and they will ensure that you don’t pay for your parking.
Check-In
As you enter through the big automatic doors, the long reception area opens up Infront of you to a well-arranged set of comfortable seating and thoughtfully lit décor.
Just Sleep Tainan Hushan also understand that you may want to travel to Tainan city centre from time to time, too. The relative seclusion means that getting a taxi might not always be the most viable option, so they offer a free shuttle service from the hotel to Silks Place Tainan. This service may change its times depending on the season, but knowing that you can be in Tainan city within 20-30mins, completely free, is great. It does seem to state that it will take 45mins on the list of times above, but a quick search on Google Maps shows it to be only about 20mins on a good day.
Check here for the most up to date times for the free shuttle bus service.
Notice those things that look like grain funnels fixed to the ceiling? That’s a funnel that was previously used to empty sugar at the factory nearby, as Just Sleep Tainan Hushan is built on what used to be a sugar cane field. For those who didn’t know, Tainan is synonymous with sugar due to being such a player on the sugar export market before. This still translates to a slight sweet accent on a lot of food in the area.
What I really like about the reception area is the simplicity of it. It’s all thoughtfully put together and balances simplicity with elegance, while also bringing in a touch of Tainan. For example on first inspection you may think that those black stacked tiles you see behind the reception desk are just black tiles. However, they are a specific nod to the historical city of Tainan which was famous for red bricks and black tiles. In fact, you’ll see the red bricks dotted throughout the hotel a little later on, too.
See the red bricks?
The comfortable seating area continues around the hotel lobby, with a small room off from the main lobby that is a little more secluded and comfortable for a bigger group to sit in relative privacy. Just Sleep Tainan Hushan sees the importance of its history and culture, with consistent nods to both throughout the hotel. This photo collage helps highlight that importance, which faces you when you arrive on the 1st floor from the elevator.
At the end of the reception area, you will find Just Sleep Tainan Hushan’s Mini Mart. Due to the relatively secluded location of the hotel, they wanted to ensure that you’re still able to access some of the delicacies of the region from the comfort of the hotel, without having to travel out if you don’t wish to.
Expect to find staples such as nuts, chips, instant noodles and other candy. It’s enough to tide you over should you not be prepared with snacks and treats that you brought with you.
You’ll also see that Just Sleep Tainan Hushan has a Sky Bar, where you can access an amazing view from the top of the hotel looking out over the surroundings. The opening times and the actual event put up on the roof can change from time to time, so be sure to check with the reception staff whether it will be open or not. If it is open, then you’ll be able to sip your favourite drink while looking out over quite the view. It’s well worth it.
In addition to the ‘Sky Bar’ and the ‘Mini Mart’, Just Sleep Tainan Hushan also provides food at the Just Café throughout the day and during the evening, too. There’s more about the Hot Pot later on in this post, but if Hot Pot isn’t your thing then they do also have a Donburi set menu that looked great, too. This simply ensures that you don’t need to leave the hotel, as everything is reasonably priced and of really good quality.
On the 2nd floor, you will find the ‘Good Lounge‘. This is perfect for families due to the big open space and the games provided. You can sit with your family and/or your friends in a comfortable location and play darts, foosball, or just sit and chat. You’ll notice that the red brick I mentioned earlier, is synonymous with buildings of old in Tainan. The inside of the ‘Good Lounge’ here at Just Sleep Tainan Hushan is warm, welcoming, and comfortable. It’s well lit in the afternoon, and relaxing during the evening with warm lighting throughout.
If you walk to the end of the ‘Good Lounge’, you’ll find yourself walking out onto a lovely terrace area just outside. There are a few sofas that are covered if you want to be in the warmth but not in direct sunlight, or you can enjoy some drinks or food outside on the long communal tables. This is a nice outside space to relax in.
The ‘Good Lounge’ also boasts a couple of washing machines, tumble dryers and some vending machines, too. They really have you covered should you not want to leave the hotel for your entire stay.
There’s no gym here at Just Sleep Tainan Hushan, but there is a lovely pool outside! You’ll have to check the opening times at reception, as they’re likely to change based on the season or maintenance, but if it’s open then it’s certainly worth taking a dip. There are sofas and sunbeds on poolside, and it’s kept clean by the lifeguards who are stationed nearby watching over.
Be aware that it’s not completely private in the sense that if you swim at breakfast time, you may unknowingly be putting on a show for those sat in the windows eating their breakfasts. But if that doesn’t bother you, then I would definitely recommend you to pack your trunks, goggles, and swimming cap!
The Room’s at Just Sleep Tainan Hushan
Superior Twin Room
We stayed in a Superior Twin Room throughout our 2 night stay here at Just Sleep Tainan Hushan. For 2 people, it was perfectly comfortable and well put together. The interior is designed beautifully with a warm, modern, minimalist style characterised by mostly simple colours accented by some of the classic features of Tainan. You’ll notice a big canvas painting signifying the importance of the Ten Drum Cultural Village just next door, and you’ll notice those beautiful green-blue tiles on the wall of the bathroom, which allow the light and colours of the room to contrast nicely.
On the wall next to the TV you may have also noticed those taps that look like they’re from a water pipe. They are actually another nod to the location of Just Sleep Tainan Hushan being on the site of an old sugar cane field. Those knobs that are now used as clothes hangers are in homage to the old sugar factory in Tainan. Just like Silks Place Tainan, Just Sleep Tainan Hushan work hard to preserve the tradition and connection between modern and traditional Tainan by emphasizing little details such as these.
The spacious balcony outside was lovely to sit at in the morning with a fresh coffee from the breakfast bar downstairs, overlooking the Chimei Museum. Wonderfully relaxing.
Superior Quadruple Room
The Superior Quadruple Room is best for groups of 4 or for a family of 4. There’s a camping-style throughout this room, allowing the relative peace of having your own space yet still being in a communal room. Inside the room, there’s lots of communal space and thoughtful décor throughout, such as those hanging flags and hanging LEDs to add a fun and friendly atmosphere.
Deluxe Family King Room
The Deluxe Family King Room is also another option for a group of friends or a family of four. Very similar to the Superior Twin Room that we stayed in, the Deluxe Deluxe Family King Room benefits from two double beds, yet still doesn’t feel cramped in any way. There’s plenty of space within the room, in addition to the spacious balcony outside.
Grand Deluxe Family Suite
Similar to the Deluxe Family King Room, but more spacious inside and also boasting a large patio door opening out to a more spacious balcony area, the Grand Deluxe Family Suite is where you can take close friends or family to really relax in style. There’s plenty of seating inside, and all the whole space just feels ultimately relaxing. Coupled with that view, the Grand Deluxe Family Suite is a great option for your stay.
Inside the rooms – the amenities
Inside the rooms you will find amenities such as the ones pictured above. Extra water can be asked for at reception, as can the tea bags and the other refillable amenities such as toothpaste and cotton swabs. The sparkling tea is made in conjunction with Silks Place and a famous tea shop from the South, and the sparkling cold nature of it was deliciously refreshing.
The Views
As noted in the introduction, the quiet and secluded nature of Just Sleep Tainan Hushan is all part of the allure. The views are noteworthy. From some of the bedrooms you can see the Chimei Museum, which is just a beautiful building and grounds to walk around. Whether during the day time, at dusk, or at night, the view over the museum never gets tired. It is a magnificent structure.
On the opposite side of the building, you get the view of the Ten Drums Cultural Village, which is also really fun and unique, too. It may not be as pretty, but it is culturally important for this area of Tainan, and a big source of regional pride.
Food at Just Sleep Tainan Hushan
Hot Pot at Just Café
At this price, the Hot Pot here at Just Sleep Tainan Hushan’s Just Café is unbelievably good value for money. We ordered 1 Chinese herb spicy hot pot with beef, and 1 seafood hot pot with a Chinese herb and vegetable soup base. Both were good! The menu may change here now and then to account for seasonal produce, but one thing is for sure – you will leave with a smile on your face at the exceptional value for money paired with the deliciously fresh flavours.
Beef Hot Pot
The characteristically bright red colour of the beef marbled with amazing streaks of fat throughout were cut expertly thin and melted into the hot pot. A couple of swishes from left to right allow enough time for it to both cook and also take on some of that Chinese herb spicy hot pot flavour, without being overpowered. It melts in your mouth and covers your tongue with that characteristic beef flavour.
Just Café does not skimp on the vegetables here, either. They pack the hot pot, ensuring that you get a balanced meal and leave feeling satiated.
Seafood Hot Pot
That plate of seafood is quite something to marvel. Crab, fish, squid, oysters, scallops, shrimp, mussels and clams. For the price, this selection and variety is quite incredible. But, more than that, it was really fresh and tasty. The freshness of all of the seafood was spot-on.
I’d have to say that my favourite was probably the crab and the mussels. The way that the crab was prepared made it accessible to eat, but the sweetness of the crab meat was what made this one of the stand-outs. The mussels were also delicious, and incredibly meaty. However, all of the seafood was really good and certainly worth ordering.
Breakfast at Just Café
In the same place as the Hot Pot, we found ourselves once again at Just Café – Just Sleep Tainan Hushan’s restaurant. Located just past the reception area, a crew of excellent chefs from Silks Place Tainan were cooking up a storm.
Start your day with a fantastic buffet-style breakfast filled with goodies such as Tainan delicacies, hearty soups, a vast bread selection, plenty of vegetables and salads, and yummy cooked food. Each dish is done well, showcasing the chef’s culinary skills.
Served between 06:30 and 10:30 and, all you need to do is tell the staff your room number, and they will guide you to your seat. We were fortunate to be sat right next to the window, flooding our eyes with that natural light that helps to wake us up healthily in the morning.
It’s all buffet-style breakfast here, so after taking plenty of pictures for all of you (of course, the camera always eats first), we dug right in to that hot food section. Important to note is that Just Sleep Tainan Hushan won the 2022 HotelsCombined Taiwan Popular Accommodation Breakfast Award. So be ready for some great food!
The food selection is remarkably varied. Some of the top takes were the steaming hot beef soup, the smoked duck breast with peaches, the crispy hash browns, and the surprisingly delicious Taiwanese fried chicken. While the offerings may change from time to time, some of the core elements may stay the same. But rest assured, I think you’ll be happy each time you come!
Top takes:
- Beef Soup
- If you didn’t know, Tainan specializes in Beef Soup. It’s pretty much everywhere in and around the city. If you see the characters 牛肉湯 (pronounced – niú ròu tāng) then you should dive right in and order a bowl.
- The crucial difference to Beef Soup in Tainan Vs Beef Soup everywhere else, is the freshness. Most other places around the island use frozen beef. But not in Tainan. Cut wafer thin in front of you and placed into the bowl raw, topped with steaming hot beef bone broth, the meat cooks as it’s transported to your table. Delicious, every time.
- This Beef Soup was really good. It had a great depth of flavour, plenty of chunks of beef (not wafer thin here, but probably due to the buffet-style), and everything was perfectly seasoned and balanced.
- Smoked Duck with Peaches
- Ducks and peaches are a match made in heaven. Thinly sliced smoked duck breast served cold with thin slices of sweet peaches were right on the money. It might not be everyone’s idea of breakfast food, but I was all-in for it.
- Hash Browns
- So if you have been in Taiwan for any time at all, hopefully you have tried the infamous Dan Bing. Hopefully you have tried it with hash brown added inside. You know how good that is? Well, it’s not just due to the incredible power of the Dan Bing, but the humble hash brown has it going on, too. Crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Winner.
- Taiwanese Fried Chicken
- Having never had Taiwanese Fried Chicken for breakfast before, I was skeptical. However, I am so glad that I ruled with my eyes and not my head. Crunchy batter coated this juicy chicken that was lightly fragranced with the seasoning and the basil on top.
- It was so good that I got some on both days that we stopped at Just Sleep Tainan Hushan. In fact, we even mentioned it to the wonderful staff who later showed us around the hotel, it was that remarkable.
- Scrambled Eggs
- Eggs for breakfast are like coffee with breakfast – non-debatable. If I get a good scrambled egg for breakfast, then I am a happy chappy. These were good. They were fluffy, especially for buffet-style breakfast a hotel. Oftentimes you can expect the eggs to be slightly rubbery in texture and without much flavour at all. But once again Just Sleep Tainan Hushan pulled it out the bag with a good dish.
- Fluffy eggs specked with mushrooms sat wonderfully on top of some toast for me. They were washed down with a nice hot coffee, and all finished with a smile on my face.
- Braised Napa Cabbage
- So I love me some Napa Cabbage. Any regular readers of Eating in Taipei know that I often get it when paired with some of my favourite braised pork over rice. But, for breakfast??
- When eating out all the time away from home, it’s quite easy to go a long time without realizing how few fruits or vegetables you’ve taken in. Smashing something like this tasty Napa Cabbage or some of the broccoli for breakfast ensures that I get a good healthy start to my day.
Naturally, we had to try everything on offer. It would be rude not to, right?
It should be pretty clear to see what we ordered on both days, which should explain the reason for doing so. Something that shouldn’t go without mentioning is that they have a coffee machine right next to the juice machine. I think this is an important thing to have in a hotel, but sometimes breakfast buffet-style hotels tend to have a pot of filter coffee kept on a hot plate. I don’t like that. I’m not here for the sludge coffee, I am here for the freshly ground espresso followed closely by a cappuccino.
Chimei Museum (at Christmas!)
Chimei Museum is an amazing place to walk around at any time of the year, in fact, especially in summer. The bright Tainan sun beats down on the incredible white building topped with gold and appears almost magical in the bright heat. There’s an amazing fountain with some really magnificent sculptures at the main entrance to the museum, and once you stare at that for some time and walk the long entrance path to the museum steps, you’re greeted by this majestic building.
We were fortunate to come here at Christmas and get tickets from the wonderful team at Just Sleep Tainan Hushan to the Christmas Disco. Now, I am not one to disco on the regular, but when disco is paired with Christmas, I am IN!
Every Christmas for the last few years, Chimei Museum has held this Christmas market event where families tend to pitch up a tent for the day, enjoy the amazing grounds and exhibits within the museum, and then enjoy a movie on the outside screen during the evening before heading home. There’s plenty to eat throughout the day, with countless numbers of popular vendors from the south of Taiwan dotted around the grounds. Chimei Museum at Christmas is where it’s at!
Gifts from Tainan
It would be rude to go back home without getting some of the delicious snacks that Tainan has to offer and sharing them with your friends, family, or coworkers. Here are some of my top recommendations.
Barely a brownie, but more a sticky, deliciousness of infused chocolate stickiness. These are unreal, and absolutely must be bought!
Not particularly sweet, these cookies/biscuits go really well with an afternoon coffee or tea. They won’t break the bank, they’re delicious, and they are perfect for your coworkers.
Shuansen mung bean smoothie – 双生綠豆沙
If the queue isn’t too long, I think you’re not likely to find a better mung bean smoothie on the island than this one. Tidy.
The bottom line
Is it worth going all the way to Tainan just for Just Sleep Tainan Hushan?
The short answer is YES.
The long answer is YES, because not only are you able to fully relax just outside the city centre, but the super convenient shuttle bus transfer service to the centrally located Silk’s Place Hotel is perfect for those who don’t drive but still want to get into the city. Tainan hotels aren’t all known for their decadence or splendour, but Just Sleep Tainan Hushan is honest, thoughtfully presented, and reasonable.
What’s the best thing about the hotel?
The location. Chimei Museum is a place you could easily spend the vast majority of the day. If you head there at Christmas, then you could absolutely spend the day there quite easily.
Book staying at Just Sleep Tainan Hushan: Website | Klook | Booking.com | KKday | Agoda
Finally, I saw this in the Mini Mart fridge on the way out and had to get a bottle to enjoy when I got home, to reflect on the stay in Tainan. A beer in conjunction with Silks Place Tainan and a local brewery, this Winter Melon Tea Ale went down a treat. It’s on the sweeter side, but that is pretty much synonymous with most things in Tainan, so I didn’t see it as a negative in any way.
Another thing to do on your stay, is to visit the Hushan Forest Farm for a walk around the lovely grounds. Hushan Forest Farm is a relaxing and tranquil woodland region with several straight and beautifully designed artificial forest trails. It is graced with a variety of luscious green trees, including small-leafed olive, bitterwood, white layer, Indian rosewood, and peach blossom heartwood. The shady passageways with green leaves interweave create a mystical mood evocative of the forest in the renowned Japanese animation “My Neighbor Totoro.” It has become a popular spot for photography enthusiasts and couples taking wedding photos, capturing every moment to flawlessly merge nature’s beauty with their personal elegance.
Where is it?
※ This article is a collaborative article with Just Sleep Tainan Hushan.
Rooms look far more spacious than those at Just Sleep Ximending, and I’m guessing that the location will hopefully mean less rowdy fellow guests than the Ximending branch? Looks like a lovely spot to relax.
Relaxation is most definitely the order of the day here at Just Sleep Tainan Hushan. It’s in a peaceful location more appropriate for families than rowdy guests, that’s for sure.