I wished I had booked Shante Hotel for two nights because of the sights in this vicinity. I had stayed somewhere else in Chiayi and then Sun Moon Lake and then here but my first visit was to the Zhushan Sky Ladder. Should have known it is next to Xitou Recreational Forest as well as the Sun Link Sea Recreational Forest. Both of which are at close driving proximity to Shante Hotel
The room itself is excellent. Huge room size, amazing views of the Xitou Forest. Clear unpolluted sky for star gazing at night from the balcony. However, getting a room here for consecutive nights might be a challenge unless you book early. When I was here, tour groups arrived and booked for a night's stay.
The hot pot provided by the restaurant is a little pricey but it is OK judging from the limited dining options around. We are in the middle of a forest after all. For nearby entertainment as mentioned above, there are the forest recreational areas as well as the Monster Village just outside of Xitou Recreational Forest.
All in all, I would stay here rather than elsewhere if the objective is to visit this beautiful area of Nantou.