Gloria Manor

Kenting has been the tourist attraction that the Taiwanese most want to visit in summer. In recent years, even the tourists from China, Hong Kong, Europe, America, and Southeast Asia begin to take trips in the southern Taiwan. In addition to hiring charter vehicles for transportation, tourists are faced with another difficulty: there are limited hotel options for families. But just like many attractions, Kenting has two faces: lively but also tranquil. Most tourists in Kenting are eager to put on their beach shorts and flip-flops and rush to the beach. However, if you walk through the paifang (Chinese ancient archway) at the entrance of Kenting Street Night Market, you'll find a guesthouse of Chiang Kai-shek hidden in Kenting Forest Recreation Area, which boasts magnificent geological landscape. In the guesthouse, furniture used by Chiang—chairs he sat, tables he used, and bed he slept on—is all preserved. You can also see the traces of "keep secrets, stay alert to espionage" and "retaking Mainland China" around the guesthouse. The most special one is the deceiving fireplace in the study. Of course, it’s believed that no Taiwanese would think the winter in Kenting demanded wood heating. In fact, as long as you pull the ring under the fireplace, a passage underneath will reveal itself. In the past when the KMT were still waging a cold war against the CPC, the leader of KMT could slide into the secret underground passage in a minute and escape from the guesthouse.

However, as the Chiang family gradually left the politic stage, most of Chiang's guesthouses were left unused in the beautiful scenery all over Taiwan. Therefore, to preserve the culture of these residences, the government rent the guesthouses to the hospitality industry. Hospitality operators are allowed to renovate the historical houses under the condition that they kept the original appearance of these places and thereby give tourists an opportunity to stay in a presidential room. Successful examples include Silks Place Taroko and The Lalu, Sun Moon Lake. Gloria Manor, formally Kenting Guesthouse and now rented by Gloria Hotels since 2012 features a fashionable design with a touch of Taiwan's characteristics. For instance, when guests step into the main hall, they see domes woven by bamboo above their heads. As lights are turned on in the evening, these bamboo domes give an oriental feel. The outdoor swimming pool may be modest, yet it was the training place for national swimming team during the reign of the two presidents Chiang Khai-Shek and Chiang Ching-Kuo. With the faraway Dajianshan reflected on the swimming pool, guests lying on loungers languidly can take in the wonderful scenery, falling into asleep unknowingly.

Of course there are all kinds of Taiwanese snacks on Kenting Street Night Market. But if you are willing to have the dinner in a tranquil restaurant, meals provided in the manor will never disappoint you. Unlike many hotels, Gloria Manor uses ingredients from Pingtung's local farmers as much as possible. Because the guestrooms are limited, the manor is therefore granted with the freedom to purchase fresh ingredients in season with small farmers. There is no rush to finish the four-course dinner. Guests can take their time to savor the chef's dedication and creativity, while having fun chatting with family and friends. The happy reunion ends with a crisp outside, soft inside chocolate fondant.

The only thing that can be picked about is probably that the guestrooms are not as spacious as those at five-star hotels. After all, the manor is a historical site, so the walls cannot be removed. The company running the manor can only make the best use of the original compartments. When leaving the hotel, most people will take away the toiletries, the snacks in the refrigerator, and even a towel. But the free straw sandals given by the manor surprise the guests in particular. Different from the disposable slippers made of white paper in common hotels, the straw sandals breathe well and are comfortable to wear, making them suitable footwear indoors and outdoors.