After six decades in operation, Kaohsiung’s Grand Park Hotel has leased a leisure building owned by Kaohsiung Rapid Transit (KRT), invested NT$40 million in renovations, and transformed it into the Grand Park Caoya Branch, which is set to begin trial operations in early August. Grand Park stated that in addition to replicating the business model of its Los Angeles branch in the U.S., the new location will also integrate with the Taroko Park theme park to tap into domestic and international family travel market opportunities.
Grand Park Hotel was founded in 1958 by Dr. Chen Zhipei, its visionary founder. At its grand opening, the event not only featured a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by the late General He Yingqin but also included an inscription by the renowned calligrapher Yu Youren. Having now celebrated six decades in business, the hotel has been passed on to the second generation—current Chairman Chen Haini—who, through steady and prudent management, has successively established four overseas branches in cities such as Los Angeles, Silicon Valley, and San Francisco in the United States.
The main branch of Grand Park Hotel, located on Liuhel Road in Kaohsiung, identified the leisure building next to the KRT office and adjacent to the Taroko Park Caoya Outlet Mall theme park last year. After negotiating with KRT, the proposed plans won favor with the transit authority, leading to a formal contract signing in October of last year. Grand Park then invested NT$40 million in a comprehensive renovation, creating the 96-room, spacious-suite Grand Park Caoya Branch.
Grand Park Hotel explained that the Caoya Branch primarily replicates the operational model of its Los Angeles branch in the U.S. That American property is conveniently situated next to Disneyland and frequently attracts families from around the world. Inspired by this, the hotel decided to align itself with the Taroko Park theme park, especially the Suzuka Circuit Park, while also taking advantage of the mall, strategic location, and transportation convenience of the park. Leveraging these local strengths, the hotel has designed suites themed around racetracks, subways, and airports to reflect regional characteristics.
KRT General Manager He Xin stated that the Taroko Park Caoya Station currently sees about 4,000 to 5,000 passengers exiting via the MRT on regular days, with numbers increasing to 8,000 to 10,000 on holidays. With the trial launch of the Grand Park Caoya Branch, passenger traffic is expected to rise, creating a win-win situation.
The expansion plan of Grand Park Hotel has drawn attention from other major hotels in Kaohsiung. In response, Wang Jundi, Vice Chairman of E-DA Royal and Grand Hyatt—which also operates the E-DA Theme Park—noted that although the two properties differ significantly in scale, style, and target markets, E-DA offers more comprehensive amusement facilities and continues to enhance service quality. As such, he does not expect significant impact on the E-DA World.