Hoshinoya Guguan

On Guguan, in the mountainous northeastern fringe of the Taichung metropolitan area where the subtropical forest of the Shei-Pa National Park meets the gorge system of the Dajia River, Hoshinoya Guguan occupies a converted traditional hot spring inn complex expanded into a contemporary resort whose connection to the Guguan valley’s natural thermal resources gives it a wellness foundation of genuine geological provenance. The 49 rooms and villas are positioned along the river gorge with views of the subtropical forest and the hot spring tributary channels, and the architecture draws on the Taiwanese mountain lodge tradition adapted to the Hoshino Resorts group’s contemporary aesthetic of natural materials and considered spatial simplicity. The Shei-Pa National Park’s forest above the resort supports a wildlife population including Formosan black bears, sambar deer, and the remarkable bird diversity of Taiwan’s mountain ecosystems.

The hot spring bathing programme at Hoshinoya Guguan uses the naturally occurring sodium bicarbonate thermal water of the Guguan system, considered among Taiwan’s finest hot spring water types for its skin-softening properties and therapeutic mineral composition. The restaurant’s menus draw on the culinary traditions of Taiwan’s mountain communities — the wild boar preparations, the betel nut palm shoots, and the highland vegetable varieties of the aboriginal Atayal and Seediq people whose territory encompasses the national park above the resort. Hiking in the national park’s cedar and cypress forest and cultural visits to the aboriginal communities of the Dajia River valley provide the experiential framework alongside the thermal bathing programme.

Hoshinoya Guguan’s relationship with the Guguan valley’s natural resources includes active engagement with the national park’s ecosystem management and support for the cultural preservation work of the aboriginal communities whose traditional knowledge of the mountain landscape informs both the resort’s naturalist programme and the kitchen’s sourcing practices.