Next up, I will be heading to Jiaoxi in Yilan. A new city for me! We will be visiting Wellspring by Silks, a new brand by the Silks Hotel Group that focuses on hot springs resorts. The Wellspring by Silks is excellent for staycations or a short break. Jiaoxi is a hot spring town full of onsen resorts that allow visitors to enjoy their renowned hot spring. The water here is said to be good for the skin and nerves. This boutique resort in Jiaoxi has won the prestigious Red Dot Award 2017 for Interior Design. You can find little aspects of their lobby, guest rooms and restaurants seamlessly integrated with the local culture, nature, and landscape of Yilan.
Booking Process & Pre Arrival
Wellspring by Silks is about 80 minutes by road from Taoyuan Airport or 45 minutes from Taipei. It can be a nice continuance of your trip after Taipei or right after arriving off an international flight. The fairly easy access makes it popular for both local and international travellers. The resort is just a short distance away from Jiaoxi Station. In the evening, the surrounding streets are full of stalls and eateries. I am so happy to have the opportunity to review this hotel. Seeing The World In Steps stayed as a guest of Silks Hotel Group. I am staying in their Hollywood Suite. Each room features a private onsen tub, separate shower stalls and the signature Wellspring Bed. With the tranquil and soothing atmosphere, the hotel provides a serene haven amidst the bustling tourist hub. Wellspring by Silks boasts 120 guest rooms and suites over 6 categories. You can find the breakdown of the rooms below. The hotel is directly connected with its sister property Just Sleep and guest can use their facilities as well.
| Rooms | Bathtub | Room Size |
|---|---|---|
| Superior | Outdoor Onsen | 33 Sqm |
| Japanese | Outdoor Onsen | 20 Sqm |
| Family | Outdoor Onsen | 40 Sqm |
| Hollywood Suite | Outdoor Onsen | 40 Sqm |
| Deluxe Suite | Outdoor Onsen | 53 Sqm |
| Corner Suite | Outdoor Onsen | 66 Sqm |
Checking In
We arrive at the hotel at around 4.30pm after a 40 mins drive from Taipei. Upon arrival, the bellboy came to help us with our bags. The grand lobby comes with plenty of seating at the side. I love the tall ceilings and huge window panels that make it very welcoming. The lobby also acts as an overflow area for the lounge when it gets busy during the evening happy hour.
Hollywood Suite
I am assigned a Hollywood Suite located on level eight room. It is just a short walk away from the elevators. This is the entry-level suite in the hotel. The suite measures a cosy 40 Sqm. It is suitable for couples and small families. I love the suite. I might just classify it as a Junior Suite since it is all in one main space. The suites come with an L-shaped entrance. On the left, you can find a full-length mirror which will be great for checking out your fit. The wardrobe is also right next to it. It comes with plenty of hangers, bath slippers and a safe. The luggage storage area is incorporated into the area. It could fit a carry-on suitcase nicely.
The bedroom is on the left of the suite. This is one of my favourite parts of the room. The bedroom is nicely designed and features a huge super king-size bed. The mattress is one of the comfiest that I have ever laid on. I wish that I have more time for it. The bed could fit 3 people comfortably. I certainly took the opportunity to roll around. It had a slight Japanese flair. The bed is on a platform with the mattress on the firmer side which I adore. It does not come with any nightstands. There is a platform above with power sockets, light switches and space for some small stuff like water and your phone.
The bedroom can be separated from the other side of the suite with a sliding partition. This adds up some Japanese flair to the room and has a very clean look. This can come in handy if a travelling party is resting and you want to use the onsen or laze in the living area.
On the first look, you might notice that the television is at an angle away from the bed on the wall. The TV is mounted on a rack that allows it to swivel between the bedroom and living room area. It comes with plenty of both local and international channels.
Over in the living area, you have a spacious sofa bed or window bay sofa that stretches along. The sofa can be a bed for the little ones. With the huge coffee table, you can use it as a dining or working desk. Although, this is not a place where you should be working. The Wifi connection is strong in the suite.
Left on the table is such a cute welcome amenity! What a nice touch from the management! It includes a personalised note as well as treats from the local region. They even had a picture of one of my most recent social media posts. How cute is this!
The mini bar area consists of a kettle as well as a classy Japanese tea set! It fits so well with the theme here. You can brew some tea to enjoy in your room after a relaxation onsen. Complementing this are sachets of rice crackers and tea. The mini fridge is well stocked with drinks as well as facial masks. How thoughtful of them to offer this. I am going to enjoy a mark after the onsen tonight. After staying in so many hotels around the world, this is still the first one that offered me a complimentary facial mask.
The bathrooms come with double sinks. Showers and toilets are located in separate rooms on either side. Do note that Wellspring by Silks does not provide any single-use amenities here by default. They are available upon request.
The standing shower comes with a handheld showerhead. Toiletries are from its spa brand. I do wish that they had a rainforest showerhead installed. That will be amazing. Water pressure and temperature control are excellent!
Every room and suite at Wellspring by Silks comes with your private onsen. This allows you to enjoy it with your loved ones all in the comfort of your room or suite. From the showers, you can head out to the outdoor onsen. How cosy is this! I love the look and vibe of this place. The place is very private and you can enjoy a leisurely soak to wind down over here. Jiaoxi is famous for its hot spring that works wonders on your nerves and skin. You are recommended to take frequent soaks ranging from 10 to 15 mins.
I love the suite! Some of my favourite aspects would be the private onsen and the bed! That mattress was so comfortable. If I had to complain, I feel that the air conditioning isn’t strong enough. It constantly only gets to 24 degrees which might be inconvenient in summer. I also got the opportunity to check out some of the other room types in the hotel.
Family Suite
Superior Room
Lounge
The resort offers an all-day lounge for all Wellspring by Silks guests to enjoy. This is regardless of the room type that you are staying in. It is open from 7am to 10pm. The lounge is found on the same floor as the lobby and offers a comfortable space to rest and relax. It is also a good venue if you need to get some work done.
There is a happy hour available to all guests from 5pm to 6.30pm. This is till 7pm on Fri and Sat. During this period, the happy hour is also available at the main lobby seating, which acts as an overflow area. You have some canapes and wine. It will be great to come here for some drinks before heading out to get a proper dinner.
Keeping in mind the onsen theme, the lounge comes with an outdoor area that features an onsen! How unique is this? Guests can soak their feet over a glass of wine! The ultimate enjoyment!
Just Sleep Jiaoxi Kids Club
The Kids Club is located in Just Sleep, the sister property just next door. Guests can use the exclusive facility to bring their little ones and have some fun.
Pool
The resort comes with two pools. Both of them are located on the roof. The hours of operation are from 7.30am to 11pm. The pool is one of my favourite spots in the hotel. The staff frequently go around the area to maintain cleanliness and offer water. You can also order drinks and snacks by the poolside bar. The daybeds by the side of the pool get plenty of sunshine to work up a tan. One of the pools is an onsen-heated pool.
The other one is a normal swimming pool. During summer the normal pool is more popular since it is more cooling. The pool area comes with an awesome view of Guishan Island.
In the evening, from 7pm onwards, guests can also enjoy an outdoor cinema by the pool where movies will be screened for guests to enjoy both in and out of the pool. The vibes are excellent. They have deck chairs out and lights all around that make it cosy and comfortable. This is one of the best ways to wind down after a long day. Especially when the weather in the evening is cooler. Take a soak in the pool while enjoying the latest hits over some beer or wine.
Mihan Jiaoxi Restaurant
An extension of Mihan Honke of Regent Taipei, Mihan Jiaoxi is a contemporary Japanese restaurant offering authentic Japanese cuisine. One of the most popular dishes is the hot pot, made with carefully selected Yilan local fresh seafood and hot spring vegetables. Onsen and Hot Pot is a classic pairing. The restaurant is on the 11th floor and is open for dinner from 5.30pm to 9.10pm.
You can find the menu here. It works in a semi-buffet style. You order a set of hotpots from the menu which comes with the main. In addition to that, they have a gorgeous salad station as well as a dessert bar. Staff service is excellent here and will assist in the cooking.
We went for the Surf and Turf hotpot set. It comes with assorted seafood and a choice of meat as well as carbs. We shared among ourselves and tried the beef as well as the pork. The food is excellent and I had an enjoyable time. The service is very attentive and we paired the meal with Dassai Sake.
At the end of the meal, the staff made a little porridge from the leftover soup which had all the essence from the ingredients we cooked. Last but not least, we went for ice cream from the dessert bar. They had 6 flavours on offer.
Breakfast at Mihan Jiaoxi
Breakfast is at Mihan Jiaoxi, the same place where I had dinner before. It is offered from 7am to 11am. I appreciate the lengthy breakfast service till 11am. It was pretty crowded by the time we got to breakfast after our morning hike.
By the entrance, you can find the pastry station. There is a good selection of bakes. This is complemented by all sorts of jams and spreads.
There is also a drinks station with juices, tea and coffee. You can also find some continental breakfast items here.
Right in the centre, there is a cold station that is packed full of fruits, vegetables and items from their collaboration with Green Michelin Star holder Little Tree Food “小小树林”. Try out their Acai Bowl, Salad Station and healthy grains. The greens are super fresh and I enjoyed making a little salad bowl to kick-start my day.
The main buffet line is found near the kitchen. There is a selection of hot dishes from grilled fish to noodle soup as well as some typical Western breakfast items. I love the Taiwanese classic. The “Gua Bao” was excellent! It was well braised and so tender. I am probably eating way too much!
With that being said, I would love for them to have an egg station. This way guests can have eggs cooked to their liking. It is a pretty standard breakfast item that is missing here.
Conclusion
I can see myself coming back in the future. I enjoyed the place. Having a private onsen in your room is very relaxing and convenient. The Wellspring by Silks is hands down the most luxurious property in the area and the only 5-star option in Jiaoxi. The relatively close distance to Taipei makes the resort a great spot for a staycation and a mini vacation spot! Wellspring by Silks is a fairly new brand and one that is expanding to hot spring spots around the country as well as overseas. I do hope that they can have a spa here. It will be awesome to have some treatments and massages. That will fit in so well with the location. Stop by for a night or two! Let me know how you find it!
This was part of a hosted media trip by Silks Hotel Group, all views expressed are my own.
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