Alishan

Hotel Indigo Alishan Guide: Infinity Pool & Stargazing Deck

Updated 2026-08-02・About 27 min read・GO TAIWAN Editorial

White loungers and parasols on the rooftop pool terrace at Hotel Indigo Alishan, with ridge after ridge of mountains and a sea of clouds beyond

Accommodation on Alishan has always meant long-established mountain lodges and guesthouses — until Hotel Indigo Alishan opened up in the hills and gave the mountain an international design hotel of its own. Here’s the full walkthrough, in photos: what the rooms look like, the rooftop infinity leisure pool and stargazing deck, what’s on the two buffets, and the most practical question of all — how you get up there, and how to build an itinerary around a night here.

What Kind of Hotel Is This?

Indigo is IHG Hotels & Resorts’ design brand, and its whole premise is that every property draws on local culture rather than repeating a standard chain room. The Alishan property sits along Provincial Highway 18 (the Alishan Highway) in Fanlu Township, Chiayi County, and the boulder sign at the roadside — carved with “HOTEL INDIGO 英迪格酒店洲際酒店集團旗下阿里山” — is hard to miss on the way up.

The exterior of Hotel Indigo Alishan and the roadside boulder sign carved with the hotel's name — The hotel frontage and boulder sign on Highway 18 — easy to spot on the drive up.

The building itself leans heavily on timber louvres, washed-stone finishes and rough stonework, kept low and spread along the contour of the slope so it never competes with the view. The guest wings are one long run of orange-brown louvred balconies; seen from above they stack up in layers that sit surprisingly well against the ridgeline behind.

Looking down on the guest wing facade, a long run of timber-louvred balconies and stone columns — The louvred balcony facade of the guest wing

Looking down from the corridor onto the hotel courtyard's water feature and outdoor seating, with mountains beyond — The courtyard water feature, mountains right behind

Local references are tucked into every corner, very much the Indigo way: a whole canopy of colored bamboo tubes hangs from the lobby ceiling, the corridor carpets turn forest green, and a wire-woven Taiwan Blue Magpie stands at the turn of each guest floor. None of it is designed to make you gasp, but stay a day and you slowly notice the whole building is telling one story.

The colored bamboo-tube installation hanging from the lobby ceiling, with a rattan hanging chair and timber reception desk below — The colored bamboo tubes over the lobby

Room-number signage on a guest floor corridor beside a wire-woven Taiwan Blue Magpie sculpture — The Taiwan Blue Magpie sculpture at the corridor turn

The woven-bamboo cylindrical host stand at the entrance, with phalaenopsis orchids and a standing menu board — The host stand at the entrance — woven bamboo and phalaenopsis orchids.

The Rooms: Timber Louvres, a Window Sofa and a Wall of Glass

Rooms run to a warm timber palette: a louvred timber headboard wall, geometric-patterned fabrics, blue cushions, and one full wall of floor-to-ceiling glass. The sofa and round timber table by the window are the best seats in the room, with a welcome fruit basket waiting on them; there’s also a green mini bar with high stools, and some room types add a private balcony with a woven armchair to sit out in. Which way a room faces depends on the room type (the one we photographed looks onto the garden), so if you want a particular outlook, check directly with the hotel when you book.

Full view of a guest room at Hotel Indigo Alishan: the bed, the seating area by the window and the green mini bar — The full room: bed, window seating and the mini bar.

The sofa and round timber table by the guest room window, with a welcome fruit basket on the table — The window seating area and the welcome fruit

A lit bird-shaped table lamp in the guest room, set against a wood-grain wall — The bird-shaped lamp in the room

The bathroom is the other thing this room gets right: a round freestanding stone tub against a marble wall in a woven geometric pattern, and if you pull the blind back the light comes straight in off the floor-to-ceiling glass while you soak. Nights are cool up here, so bath first and rooftop afterwards is the comfortable order — do it the other way round and you’ll feel the chill.

The round freestanding stone bathtub and geometric woven-pattern marble wall in the guest bathroom — The round freestanding tub

The private balcony off the guest room, with a white woven armchair, bright blue seat cushion and a woven round stool — The private balcony some room types come with

The Rooftop Is the Main Event: Infinity Pool and Stargazing Deck

What people actually remember about this hotel is the rooftop. The signboard lists five things on one level: the 'aveoveoyu bar, the stargazing deck, the pool, the outdoor shower and the jacuzzi — all close enough together that a bathrobe is all you need to do the round.

The rooftop facilities signboard listing the bar, stargazing deck, leisure pool, outdoor shower and jacuzzi — All five rooftop facilities sit on the same level

Ridge after ridge of mountains and a sea of clouds seen from the hotel terrace, with green crops on the slopes and bamboo in the foreground — The ridges and sea of clouds from the terrace

The leisure pool is an infinity design, its floor tiled in blue-and-red geometric mosaic, the water running over the edge to meet the valley and the clouds beyond. Loungers and white domed parasols line one side. Per the water-quality notice board on site, it’s open 06:00–22:00 with a water temperature of around 30°C — up here the temperature swings between day and night, and 30°C turns out to be exactly right. Check the notices posted during your own stay.

The blue-and-red mosaic floor of the infinity leisure pool, its water spilling over the edge toward the valley and sea of clouds — The infinity pool, its water seemingly running straight off into the valley.

That six-in-the-morning opening is worth writing down: at dawn there’s almost nobody at the pool, the mountain mist hasn’t lifted yet, and it’s the quietest stretch of the whole day. It’s the best window for photos too — no towels left on the loungers, not a ripple on the water.

A wide view of the pool, clear water with white loungers and domed parasols, sunlight flaring across the frame — The poolside by day, luminous against the light

A close view of the infinity pool, its blue-and-red geometric mosaic floor and stainless steel handrail — The geometric mosaic on the pool floor

The service counter by the pool keeps folded towels and bathrobes and bottled water printed with the hotel’s name, so there’s no trudging back to the room for any of it. Beside it stands the water-quality notice board, with temperature, residual chlorine, pH and test date all spelled out — worth a glance before the kids get in.

The red service counter by the pool, stocked with hotel-branded bottled water, folded towels and bathrobes — Towels, robes and water waiting at the poolside

The water-quality notice board by the pool, listing opening hours, water temperature and residual chlorine readings — The water-quality notice board

After dark the rooftop turns into something else: red LED strips light the walkways and stairs, the red counter and long row of bar stools at the 'aveoveoyu bar take center stage, and small lamps glow over the loungers. The welcome drinks run 16:00–22:00, and alongside juices, sodas and coffee the tea list is all local — Alishan Jin Xuan, Alishan oolong, Alishan honey-scented black tea — with red and white wine and sparkling wine also on offer. The menu notes that these are redeemable against a welcome-drink voucher, so check at the desk on arrival whether your room type includes one.

The red counter and bottle shelves of the rooftop bar under a timber-louvre ceiling — The red counter at the rooftop bar

The welcome drinks menu card on the bar, listing juices, soft drinks, coffee and Alishan teas — The welcome drinks menu — the tea list is all Alishan

The rooftop walkway at night, red LED strips running along a timber-louvred colonnade — The red-lit walkway after dark

Two glasses of wine on the terrace's red quartz counter, beside a leather menu folder printed with the hotel's name — A drink on the terrace, the valley behind

The bar head-on at night, its illuminated name sign, red-lit counter and long row of stools — The bar after dark

The illuminated hotel sign and rooftop pool area after dark, with a red-lit walkway in the foreground — The sign after dark

Loungers and parasols on the rooftop terrace at night under red lighting, with the silhouette of the mountains beyond — The rooftop terrace at night, small lamps glowing over the loungers.

Dinner Buffet: Cold Seafood and Sashimi

There’s almost nowhere else to eat dinner up here — once it’s dark, eating out along this stretch isn’t practical, and most people simply stay in. Happily the restaurant takes it seriously: on the buffet, four big platters of oysters, crab, clams and blanched prawns sit on bamboo mats, backed by a full row of the hotel’s own-label wine.

The cold seafood station at the buffet: oysters, crab, clams and blanched prawns, with the hotel's own-label wine behind — The cold seafood station, with the hotel's own-label bottles lined up behind.

The sashimi station’s name cards read Norwegian salmon, Donggang tuna and Japanese amberjack, with a red food-safety card alongside reminding you to keep raw and cooked on separate plates. Seafood goes out fast and gets cleared just as fast — if oysters are what you came for, get in early.

Four platters at the buffet sashimi station with bilingual Chinese-English name cards — The sashimi station, name cards in Chinese and English

Three oysters on a blue-and-white platter dressed with red sauce, beside glasses of sparkling and red wine — Oysters with a glass of sparkling

Beyond the cold platters, the salad bar serves its leaves from deep blue cast-iron pots, the dressing cards read Thousand Island, wholegrain-mustard Japanese and sesame, and the toppings — wasabi peas, peanuts, dried cranberries — come in stone mortars. At the bread station, baguettes stand upright in white cloth and country loaves are cut to order, with the hot clay pots right alongside.

The dinner salad bar with leaves in deep blue cast-iron pots, toppings in stone mortars and bilingual dressing cards — The salad bar and its three dressings

The bread station at the buffet, baguettes and country loaves set out in wooden bowls and on boards — The bread station and freshly cut country loaves

The dining room is worth a look in its own right: a wood-grain ceiling hung with gold globe pendants, blue velvet banquettes paired with red chairs, and screens of slim green-to-yellow gradient rods dividing the space into sections — sit in a different one and the room feels different too.

The restaurant dining area with gold globe pendant lights, blue velvet banquettes and red chairs — The dining area

A row of wines bearing the hotel's own labels on a wooden wine trolley — The own-label bottles on the wine trolley

Breakfast: Alishan’s Own Handmade Breads

Breakfast is a buffet too, and the thing that sticks is the blackboard at the bread station, written up as “Alishan specialty handmade breads” with the day’s items: a honey-scented black tea pineapple bun, a wasabi salted croissant, and a makauy (mountain pepper) millet-wine shokupan — three names that each fold in a local ingredient, the kind of breakfast you only get at a mountain hotel. The line-up changes daily, so read the board before you decide what to take.

The handwritten blackboard at the breakfast bread station listing Alishan specialty handmade breads and the day's items, with loaves on wooden shelves behind — The Alishan handmade breads on the blackboard.

The Taiwanese side is no afterthought either: the hot counter runs youtiao, braised meats, roast sweet potato and trays of mushrooms, while the congee station lines up little clay pots of pork floss, shredded bamboo shoot, pickled mustard greens and fermented beancurd, with soy milk made fresh. At the made-to-order counter you can ask for blanched greens, minced-pork noodles or minced-pork rice — mornings are cold up here, and nothing beats something hot.

The breakfast hot counter with youtiao, a white sauce pot, braised meat, roast sweet potato and trays of mushrooms in a row — The hot counter

Small clay pots at the congee station holding pork floss, shredded bamboo shoot, pickled greens and fermented beancurd — Congee sides in little clay pots

The cold and fruit stations are the best-looking corner of the room: Greek salad and dressed kombu and mushrooms next to a full line of oil and vinegar bottles; in the chilled cabinet, cut dragon fruit, cantaloupe and grapes are shelved above the juices. Take a plate to the window and the mountains are right there.

The breakfast cold station with Greek salad, dressed vegetables and an assortment of oil and vinegar bottles — The breakfast cold dishes and salad station

The chilled drinks and fruit cabinet, shelves of juices, canned drinks and cut dragon fruit, cantaloupe and grapes — The fruit and drinks cabinet

Eat your fill, then walk out to the lobby, where morning light through the wall of glass and those colored chairs make about the nicest start to a day you could ask for. It’s also a good spot to wait for the shuttle or for your driver.

The curved communal table and colorful chairs in the hotel lobby lounge, morning light pouring through a wall of glass — The lobby lounge, at its best in morning light.

Getting Up the Mountain: Driving and Shuttles

The hotel sits along Provincial Highway 18 (the Alishan Highway), a little over an hour’s drive up from Chiayi HSR Station or downtown Chiayi (depending on traffic and season). The road has plenty of bends, narrows in places, and often meets mountain mist or an afternoon fog bank — genuinely tiring for anyone who doesn’t know mountain roads. Add a push further up to the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area on the same day and it’s a long one.

How the three ways up compare:

Option	Who it suits	What to watch for
Driving yourself	Confident on mountain roads, wants total freedom	Endless bends and quick fog; the run back down is the tiring part
Hotel shuttle	Only going to the forest recreation area or Fenqihu, flexible on time	Book at the desk and ride the posted departure slots
Private charter	Traveling with grandparents or kids, linking several sights and hotels	Needs arranging ahead; route and time at each stop are yours to set

The hotel runs a sightseeing shuttle to the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area and Fenqihu, bookable at the lobby desk (departure times are as posted during your stay). You ride whichever departure slots the desk has posted, which suits travelers with a simple plan and flexible timing.

If you’re bringing grandparents or kids, or want to string downtown Chiayi, Fenqihu, the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area and Sun Moon Lake together, a private charter saves a great deal of effort: the driver handles all the mountain road, your luggage goes straight into the hotel, and lingering longer at any stop doesn’t mean missing a shuttle. Several GO TAIWAN itineraries pass through this area — the Cingjing, Sun Moon Lake & Alishan Unwind 3-Day Tour and the Taichung, Sun Moon Lake & Alishan Family 3-Day Tour, while the 7-Day Natural Wonders Round-Island Tour finishes on Alishan too. Coming up from the south, you can also extend a Kaohsiung charter into the mountains.

How to Build an Itinerary Around a Night Here

Arrival day: check in during the afternoon and head straight up to the roof — the pool, a welcome drink and the mountain view; after dark, move over to the stargazing deck and the bar.
Next morning: for sunrise you need to continue up to the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area for the sunrise train (worth preparing for the night before). Skip it and there’s a different pleasure in a six o’clock poolside with nobody else on it.
Daytime: the giant trees and forest train in the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area, and Fenqihu Old Street with its railway bento, are the two most common pairings.
Coming down: it’s an easy detour to downtown Chiayi for turkey rice and the Hinoki Village before catching the HSR or moving on.

For more on how Taiwan routes fit together, the 6-day and 7-day comparison in How Many Days Do You Need to Circle Taiwan is a good next read.

A Few Practical Notes

Temperature swings: mornings and evenings are cool up here, so bring a light jacket even in summer — especially noticeable straight after the pool.
Booking: weekends, long holidays and the firefly and cherry blossom seasons tend to fill up, so book early; rates and room types are as published through official booking channels.
Motion sickness: if you’re prone to it, eat lightly before heading up, bring medication, and take the front seat if you can.
Both meals at the hotel: eating out along this stretch after dark isn’t practical, so add dinner when you book, or at least confirm the serving times.
Facilities and menus: styling and menus change with the season — go by what you find on site.

Want to fit Hotel Indigo Alishan into a Taiwan trip without driving the mountain road yourself? Tell a GO TAIWAN travel consultant your party size, dates and the places you’d like to see, and we’ll connect the hotels with each day’s driving. The five themed tour collections on the homepage are a good place to start if you’re still deciding on a pace.

FAQ

Where is Hotel Indigo Alishan, and how long is the drive?

The hotel sits along Provincial Highway 18 (the Alishan Highway) in Fanlu Township, Chiayi County — right on the way up to Alishan. From Chiayi HSR Station or downtown Chiayi it's a drive of a little over an hour, on a road with plenty of tight bends, so it's best left to a driver who knows it. Actual driving time varies with traffic and season.

When can you use the rooftop infinity pool?

According to the hotel's own water-quality notice board, the leisure pool is open 06:00–22:00 with a water temperature of around 30°C. The same rooftop level also has the stargazing deck, a jacuzzi and a shower area. Check the notices posted during your stay for current hours.

Can you see the sunrise and the sea of clouds from Hotel Indigo Alishan?

From the rooftop terrace you look out over ridge after ridge and a sea of clouds (ours was a daytime one). Views from the rooms vary by room type, so it's worth checking with the hotel when you book. For Alishan's classic Zhushan sunrise you still need to head further up to the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area and take the sunrise train — an early start, and transport worth arranging in advance.

What if you're not driving yourself?

The hotel runs a sightseeing shuttle to the Alishan National Forest Recreation Area and Fenqihu; book it at the lobby desk (departure times as posted during your stay). If you're traveling with grandparents or kids, or want to link Chiayi, Alishan and Fenqihu into one clean route, a private charter is by far the easiest way to do it — your driver plans each day's pickups around where you're staying.

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