If you’re visiting Tainan, one of the best hotels to stay in is the Grand Banyan Hotel (禧榕軒大飯店). I have stayed here twice, the first time was when they opened in 2022, and then again this year in 2025. I was just as impressed if not more impressed this stay. I’ve primarily only done 1 night stays here. This 5 star hotel has a Japanese style modern aesthetic. The history of this hotel is that it is built around and preserves a 100 year old Grand Banyan Tree, as well as a few other decade old trees, hence the hotel name. Keep reading for my full breakdown of the rooms, location, and whether this unique hotel is worth the price.
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Location and Accessibility
You could not ask for a better location when it comes to being easily accessible without a car. We took the high speed rail from Taipei to the Tainan HSR station. Right after exiting the gate, you walk to the left and there’s a connecting bridge that walks you to the Shalun TRA train station. You don’t even need to leave the HSR station. From there you’ll take the train to the Tainan train station. It takes aproximately 20-30 minutes to get there. Once you arrive, you want to exit the front main station. You’re going to walk towards the right of the station near a roundabout, and theres a short underground walkway. From there its about a 6-8 minute walk to the hotel. It was a very smooth and easy walk. If you’re driving, they do have free self parking. It’s also within walking distance of historical sites like Chikan tower, and the Tainan Confucius Temple. But we were able to walk pretty much everywhere, since Tainan is pretty small. The Hotel Address: No. 28, Chenggong Rd., North District, Tainan City 704003, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Room & Amenities
We were able to book the family room with two double beds. It was so spacious, modern and clean!! We only had two people, but the room can fit a family of four. They are touted as an eco-friendly hotel, so they do not offer bottled water. Instead they have filtered water dispensers throughout the hotel with refillable bottles. Make sure to bring your own refillable bottles if you want to take it with you. I liked that the shower and the toilet were separate, which is great when sharing rooms. They include all the soap, and shampoo. They also include complimentary coffee, tea and snacks. As of January 1, 2024, in Taiwan they no longer provide amenity kits like toothbrush, and toothpaste, so remember to bring that with you.
Breakfast buffet
We didn’t get the package with breakfast included. It costs 735 ntd per person. They have 3 different times to choose from, and you have to pick one of these times: 6:30-8am, 8am-9:30am , 9:30-11am. You will want to make a reservation with them first. We picked the 8am time slot. It’s a relatively small buffet but has a decent variety. They had chinese food, western food, and Japanese food. I enjoyed the small Japanese breakfast plates. They also have a salad bar. You can order a truffle eggs benedict, or salmon omelet via qr code at your table. The truffle eggs benedict was delicious! They also had beef soup which is famous in Tainan, but it was not very good. I would probably rate it overall, a 3 out of 5.
Hotel facilities
One of the most popular spots of this hotel is the rooftop pool. It’s so gorgeous, I didn’t get to use it, but I got to take a look. The gym was also on the rooftop, it was small, but very clean and had all the basics you need. They also have the Grand banyan restuarant on the 2nd floor we didn’t really eat there, but there is a deck you can view the century year old tree from and the garden from above.
Pros and cons of Staying at the Grand Banyan Hotel
Pros:
- Great location and accessibility to the TRA station as well as the sights.
- 3 year old, relatively new hotel, so it’s still very clean, and modern.
- Concierge service was great. Staff was very friendly and polite.
- Very spacious and modern rooms.
- Eco-friendly with filtered water dispensers available.
Cons:
- Later check in at 4pm. They were not able to be flexible with checking in early at all. I think it’s too late especially for a one night stay. I understand it’s the standard to check in later, but its a tad inconvenient.
- Beef noodle soup at breakfast buffet wasn’t good. Very simple breakfast buffet, but there were a few items that were still good like the truffle eggs benedict.
Conclusion
It’s a high to mid luxury price point 5 star hotel. I think it’s definitely worth it for the location, friendly staff, and spacious rooms. The rooftop pool, and gym really elevate this hotel to really give you that value and wow factor. I highly recommend for couples, friends and families visiting the city!
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