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This is not a sponsored piece, nor is it marketing copy. I simply wanted to record what it felt like the first time I “stayed” at the hotel where I work.
Usually I stand behind the front desk watching guests come and go — some dragging luggage, some with tired faces, some who walk in smiling and say, “This place really has such character.” We are always busy handling bookings, introducing the facilities, brewing tea, carrying luggage, showing people upstairs… but in fact I had never once properly stayed at 3 Door in the role of a traveller.
So on my day off I decided to put everything aside, book a night, pretend I was someone who had come to Tainan on holiday, and see whether this place really is as good as everyone says.
Feeling the warmth and the details of 3 Door again, this time through a traveller’s eyes
The pace of Tainan makes you want to slow down
I have always loved Tainan, not only because I work here but because the city itself has warmth. During the day I wander through the old streets and lanes, and the street food, the red-brick walls and the drifting fragrance of old-time flavours all make you unwilling to hurry. In the evening I go and sit by the sea, watching the sunset turn from gold to orange before sinking quietly below the horizon; it really is healing. And when you are tired, when you have been in the sun all day and eaten your fill of street food and want somewhere comfortable to sleep, that is when your choice of accommodation truly decides the quality of the trip.
So the entrance I pass every day is this beautiful
Normally I come and go through the side door, but this time I deliberately walked in through the main entrance. The traditional hexagonal tiles under your feet in fact stand for a tortoise shell, signifying peace and prosperity. I pass them every day, yet only on this night did I look at them carefully. These details are not decoration but the intention of our founder, who chose and designed them personally. The rose-gold main door was more beautiful than I remembered too. Many guests get stuck at the door on their first visit, not knowing how to open it — I got stuck for a moment myself this time (laughs). But that kind of detail, which sets no limits and lets you work it out yourself, is very 3 Door.
That phrase “welcome home” moved me more than I expected
I know we all say “welcome home” to guests, but hearing it myself this time still gave my heart a small jolt. Perhaps it was because I had just come back from the sea that day, my hair a little untidy and sand still on my feet, with no defences up. That word “home” sounded very real, and it made me set down some of my tiredness.
That cup of tea and those snacks are our most sincere care
The black tea and the tea jelly both use A+ grade tea leaves from Puli, brewed and made fresh by the butler every morning. I have watched this process many times from the back of house, but only when I really sat down as a traveller and took a sip did I find that this cup of tea is more delicate than I had imagined. The mellow honey fragrance of the tea, together with the springy tea jelly beside it — in that moment I truly felt what it is to be “treated with care”.
Do you remember the self-service snack bar? The snacks there are not just something to eat but stretches of memory: five-spice Kuai Kuai, preserved fruit and prawn crackers sought out from old corner shops in Tainan — all the flavours of our childhood. What goes into your mouth is a snack; what stays in your heart is a familiar, reassuring childhood memory.
Our butlers normally take guests to their rooms in person and explain the facilities, the space and the details of the hotel’s design carefully. Only this time, as a “traveller”, did I truly understand that this is not a service procedure but a gentle rhythm that says, “leave yourself safely with us”.
Only when the details are right do you know what a stay you can really feel means
When I first started working at 3 Door, seeing the rooms for the first time surprised me. This is plainly in the centre of Tainan city, and yet there are floor-to-ceiling windows? You can see sunlight and greenery? For a moment I really doubted it: is this really a hotel near Tainan Railway Station?
This time I stayed in the “Tianbu Art Twin Room”. The details in the room truly show what comfort means:
- Top-grade mattress:An American lace mattress with a comfort layer five to six centimetres thick; lying down on it is wonderfully comfortable, the firmness is just right and it cradles you well, so you really do sleep through until morning.
- Independent air conditioning:One-to-one independent air conditioning with its own return air vent, so there is none of the stuffiness of a central system and the air quality is better.
- Silent refrigerator:The refrigerator is so quiet it makes almost no sound, which is a great blessing for light sleepers; you will not be disturbed at all during the night.
- Organic amenities:We use imported two-in-one bath products carrying dual EU organic certification; the bottles are recyclable rather than refilled, and the downward-facing spout is clean and hygienic.
But honestly, as a member of staff, what I admire most is the fastidious attention to detail in the way we inspect rooms. We really do sit beside the toilet to check it and get down on the floor to see whether the base has been properly cleaned, whether there are water marks on the mirror or dust under the bed; every corner, every surface and the floor all have to be checked. Everything really must be spotless before it passes. I used to think of all this as simply a work procedure, but only after staying here myself did I realise that these details are what make a stay feel reassuring.
The secret base I had overlooked: the eighth-floor reading room and the sky garden
To be honest, I had never had a chance to spend that long in the reading room before. At work I only ever pass through it. Staying here properly this time, I discovered how quiet and how fragrant the eighth floor is. The space is filled with a faint scent of cypress, very clean and comfortable, and the way the sunlight comes in feels especially good — you slow down the moment you walk in.
Besides reading, this space also suits all kinds of events, for example:
- Craft classes
- Small meetings
- A baby’s zhuazhou ceremony
The space is spacious enough and the atmosphere peaceful; the scent of cypress together with natural light really is healing. If you need it, the hotel does in fact rent the space out — you can simply ask at the front desk.
What I like best, though, is still that sky garden outside the reading room. Having such greenery in the middle of the city really is rare. A large hammock hangs in a sunlit corner, and sitting there in the evening with a beer, feeling the breeze and watching the plants sway, you really do get the peaceful sense that “I don’t seem to be in the city centre at all”.
One last thing: come to Tainan and feel the recommendation we give from the heart
As an employee of 3 Door, I know how every procedure in the hotel came about and how every item was chosen, but I had never “felt” it as deeply as I did that night.
In 2025, if you are thinking of coming to Tainan and you do not want to make do with somewhere ordinary but would like a little of the feeling of home while travelling, I really would like to recommend that you try staying at 3 Door. We are not perfect, but a great many details really are done with care.
From the mattress, the amenities, the windows, the lighting, the black tea and the snacks to the service procedures… none of this is for the sake of looking good in marketing, but so that the people who come can truly relax and feel looked after. So this piece is not showing off; it is just one staff member’s small record.
Sometimes, when you work in one place every day, you forget what it originally looked like. Staying at 3 Door this time, I feel as though I have come to know this place again, and have come to like it again too.
