Volando Urai Spring Spa & Resort, Wulai [Taiwan]

Visiting a hot spring hotel in Taiwan has always been at the top of my to-do list, despite having been to Taiwan thrice. When we booked our stay for Volando Urai Spring Spa & Resort, we were not aware that it was under the umbrella of Relais & Châteaux that guarantees hospitality excellence. Relais & Châteaux almost always ensures that you have made a right choice in choosing your hotel or resort.

Volando Urai Spring Spa & Resort is a relatively small and boutique property located in the little town of Wulai in Taipei County, an area known for its hot springs. Entering the hotel, the reception area at the lobby is furnished with a decorative timber piece.

From the hotel reception, it is a short walk to the outdoor cafe where we had our afternoon tea.

Occupying a grand total of 100 sqm, we splurged on the Lake Suite for the highlight of our trip. After checking-in, our host brought us to our room. On our way, we were pleasantly surprised to find that all the staff at the hotel refused to share a lift with us! Ah. It seemed like they felt that they shouldn’t intrude into our personal space. We kind of got used to this along the way, and each time we would smile cheerfully at them as the lift door closed in our faces.

When the lift door opened, all we see is the door to our suite.

Above is the emergency escape plan – typically I use it to illustrate how our room is positioned in comparison to the rest of the property. In this case, we are staying in the only room at this floor.

In the event of an emergency, simply open the balcony door and jump into the river. Ermm no, I’m not kidding!

The door to our suite opens into a small working area with a simple desk.

The staff of Volando Urai Spring Spa & Resort left a welcome letter for us, plus a set of utensils for consuming the fruits in our room.

The TV console housed some basic media equipment together with the minibar and stuff for making hot drinks.

Complimentary wine (again, for the third time in Taiwan, after Just Sleep Hotel and Mulan Motel) for our 1-night stay at the luxurious Volando Urai Spring Spa & Resort.

The living room is cozy and honestly, a bit of an overkill for just two people. We did have our supper here late at night as there wasn’t any other place we could eat at.

From the living area, the passageway continues into the bed room.

Drawing the curtains revealed the full-height sliding doors, and right outside our room is the river that runs through Wulai. This is why our room is called the Lake Suite – it literally gives unobstructed access to the lake! Initially, we considered getting the Rooftop Suite instead which came with a private pool. However, due to the winter season, we thought it might be a little too cold for swim which would render the pool a waste.

With the curtains drawn, the whole suite looked extremely bright.

Sun-loungers outside our suite for tanning purposes.

The opposite river bank is made up of vegetation (well, there may be some hikers from time to time) so there shouldn’t be any privacy issues unless you’re into something really naughty. Interestingly, if we were to keep walking along the outside of the suite, we would end up at the outdoor cafe that we mentioned earlier.

A (de)humidifier, we think?

Located in the middle of the suite is the sleeping area. You can see that the wardrobe is built into the wall. The bedroom is furnished simply with a luxurious bed and a TV set.

Uniquely styled bedding with fluffy pillows for a good night’s rest.

The vanity area is a humongous piece of mirror with light panels on either side for optimal illumination. Great for spotting blemishes on your face, I guess?

Full set of toiletries are provided here and presented professionally. They even included a souvenir in the form of a Volando teddy bear, which was a sweet little touch.

Heated W.C. with fun features, and it looked exactly like the one we had in Oasia Hotel Club Suite, just that the wordings are in Chinese in Volando Urai Spring Spa & Resort.

As mentioned earlier, opposite the suite is an area covered by vegetation. Volando Urai Spring Spa & Resort has thoughtfully covered the windows with privacy film.

This door in the bathroom leads outdoor as well.

Finally, right at the end of the suite is the shower / private hot spring where we can soak in the mineral infused liquid to our heart’s content!

Again, a somewhat Japanese-influenced shower area with the iconic mini stool much like the ones we always get in Japan.

The massive hot spring bathtub was heavenly, and took forever to fill up due to its huge size.

Little snacks such as cookies and biscuits were left in our room in case we needed a bite. Nice little touches like these differentiate this perfect little resort from the rest of the competition.

Our well-travelled little mascots just couldn’t resist showing themselves off to the world!

Staying at Volando Urai Spring Spa & Resort was a memorable experience, and it ranked right up with Alila Hotels & Resorts and Eastern & Oriental in terms of providing the perfect guest experience. Every single aspect from the dedicated service to the dining experience felt like it was exquisitely crafted for each and every guest.

Would I recommend you to stay there? Absolutely!