By MOOK ScenicSpots Travel Life Network Wei Ruiwei, reporting | Photos by TAO CHEN & Wang Mingwei

Continuing last week’s feature on scenic hotels, this week we wrap up by introducing the final three distinctive scenic hotels in northern Taiwan—each offering views of airplanes taking off and landing, harbor charm, or expansive sea vistas. Make time to experience them if you can!

The Thrill of Watching Planes Take Off and Land – Novotel Taipei Taoyuan International Airport

Located just a 5-minute drive from Taoyuan International Airport, Novotel Taipei Taoyuan International Airport enjoys a prime position where guests can watch planes take off and land right from their rooms. This unique geographical advantage, combined with thoughtful soundproofing, offers transit passengers a premium and memorable lodging experience. It’s also Taiwan’s first “family fun” hotel, allowing up to two children under 16 to stay in their parents’ room free of charge with no extra bed fee—and they even get a complimentary breakfast. The first floor features a “Children’s Play Area,” so parents can enjoy meals or social gatherings without distraction. On holidays, many locals love coming here for an “airport mini-vacation”—visiting the nearby Aviation Science Museum, grabbing light bites at the first-floor Q Bar, dining at The Square (品坊) or the second-floor Flavor Court, or simply spending the night to unwind in the heated pool, Jacuzzi, and 24-hour fitness center. It’s the perfect place to recharge before your next journey!

Must-Try Highlights:

Flavor Court’s New Shanghai Cuisine

Different from traditional Shanghai cuisine (known for its heavy, sweet, and salty flavors), the Flavor Court Chinese restaurant offers a modernized version that incorporates elements from other Chinese provinces—commonly referred to as “New Shanghai Cuisine” or “Haipai cuisine.” The restaurant’s stylish, minimalist oriental design was also one of the filming locations for the popular idol drama “It Started with a Kiss.”

The Flavor Court menu blends delicacies from Shanghai, Hangzhou, Huaiyang, Yangzhou, and Suzhou cuisines. A must-try is the “Poached Tender Wagyu Beef,” cooked in a broth simmered for two days with over 70–80 spices including Sichuan peppercorn and chili, along with pork bone, chicken feet, and pig skin. The dish uses Australian Angus snowflake beef. When ordered, the server personally cooks the beef tableside. The aroma is so enticing it’ll have you—and probably your neighbors—salivating instantly. Though it may seem like a spicy favorite, the dish isn’t overpoweringly hot; instead, the numbing spiciness and fragrant taste keep you going back for more. Paired with ingredients like bean sprouts and mung bean sheets, the overall flavor is well-balanced, appetizing, and leaves you craving a second serving.

Other popular dishes include Osmanthus Honey Sticky Rice Lotus Root, Suzhou Braised Abalone, Hangzhou-Style Spicy Fish, Cloud Bamboo Shoot Sour Soup with Mountain Spring Fish, and Luffa Soup Dumplings... Each dish is priced around NT$180–640, and there are also set meals available for NT$1280 and NT$1580.

The restaurant includes open seating as well as six private rooms, with the largest accommodating 20–25 people and featuring a separate living area and restroom. It often attracts foreign visitors eager to try Eastern cuisine, as well as business travelers hosting banquets.