Hotel Royal Group Presents 2026 “Royal Explorer”
With the New Theme “Resonance Of the Island”
Go Backstage at the Opera House, Trace the Era of Underground Dance Halls, and Experience Folk Song Recording
Responding to contemporary travelers’ desire for deeper cultural experiences, Hotel Royal Group has presented “Royal Explorer” since 2022. Through a curatorial view of the city, the annual project introduces travel themes shaped by local culture and observations of everyday life, offering journeys that go beyond surface-level sightseeing. This year, “Royal Explorer” presents “Resonance Of the Island,” using music as a lens through which to discover the city. Across three themes—“Contemporary Waves,” “Taiwanese Classics,” and “Origins in Sound”—nine in-depth routes unfold. Highlights include The Place Taichung’s exploration of the architecture and backstage spaces of National Taichung Theater; Royal Inn’s journey through the history of underground dance halls and a daytime vinyl party; Hotel Royal Chiaohsi’s encounter with Beiguan music and a century of living faith; The Place Taipei’s visit to Yucheng Cinema for a folk song recording experience; and Hotel Royal Chihpen’s journey into Puyuma communities to hear traditional songs passed down through generations. From now until October 31, “Royal Explorer” packages are available exclusively on the official website, starting from NT$3,599 per night for two guests. Please visit the hotel’s official website for details.
Contemporary Waves
The “Contemporary Waves” routes explore the many expressions of contemporary music, performance spaces, and popular culture through journeys at The Place Taichung, Royal Inn, The Place Taipei, and Hotel Royal Hsinchu. The Place Taichung partners with National Taichung Theater to present “Just Before the Curtain,” beginning with an architectural sound tour before leading travelers into the auditorium, backstage areas, and technical spaces rarely seen by the public, offering new ways to imagine the relationship between sound and space. The journey continues at Li-Yun SAKE LA VIE, where Japanese sake is paired with the sound of live trombone, bringing taste and music into the same experience. The package starts from NT$5,600 per night for two, including breakfast and a guided tour. Royal Inn turns to Taipei’s DJ party culture, with DJs from different generations tracing the history of dance halls around Linsen North Road and Qingguang Commercial District. The walk revisits the rise of jazz in the 1950s, the Disco boom of the 1970s, and the lifting of the dance ban. A daytime DJ talk and party follows at Razzle Dazzle, before travelers head to “Sounds Good” to listen to classic vinyl, encounter music formats from different eras, and create a custom lathe-cut record. Packages start from NT$3,599 per night for two, including breakfast and a guided tour.
From theater backstage to underground dance halls, sound carries traces of city life from different eras.
The Place Taipei takes campus folk songs as its starting point, bringing travelers to Taipei Music Center to visit “MUSIC, ISLAND, STORIES: Pop Music in Taiwan,” before entering the recording studio at Yucheng Cinema, a former theater. There, the founder shares the secrets behind the space’s acoustics as travelers record their own folk song melody. Packages start from NT$4,500 per night for two, including the tour and breakfast. Hotel Royal Hsinchu turns to rock music, revealing another side of the Windy City beyond its technology industry. Travelers first hear singer-songwriters share their journey from rehearsal rooms to the stage, then visit Minfeng Yuefu, a long-established music shop with more than forty years of history, to discover the instruments of rock. The journey continues at 6WOODS with a music session and recording experience. A one-night stay with two meals and the experience starts from NT$6,680 per night for two.
Taiwanese Classics
The “Taiwanese Classics” routes revisit songs, traditional performing arts, and memories rooted in everyday local life. Hotel Royal Chiaohsi explores Beiguan music and a century of living faith; The Place Tainan follows the enduring appeal of classic Taiwanese-language songs; Hotel Royal-Nikko Taipei traces the golden age of popular music in Dadaocheng; and Hotel Royal Beitou revisits memories of Nakashi music and moon lute performances in the hot spring town. Hotel Royal Chiaohsi visits Linghui Temple, dedicated to Kaizhang Shengwang, to learn about the deep ties between traditional music societies and temple culture. Artisans from Fulan Society personally introduce travelers to Beiguan instruments and melodies, followed by a visit to Li Shisan’s instrument-making workshop to observe the handcrafting of erhu instruments, and a tasting of traditional pastries at Baie Shanjiao. A one-night stay with two meals and a guided tour starts from NT$11,900 per night for two, plus a 10% service charge. In conjunction with the Yilan Mazu Cultural Festival, Hotel Royal Chiaohsi also presents special procession departures on October 2 and 3. Travelers join the procession alongside a Beiguan music experience, learning about deity generals, traditional procession troupes, and local beliefs while experiencing a century of music and the cultural traditions of Yilan up close.
Led by an experienced cultural history guide, The Place Tainan takes travelers on a walking journey through Taiwanese-language songs, following their stories to Wu Garden, Datiandi Temple, the Hsu Shih Former Residence, Baomei Building, and other sites across the city. In the evening, travelers visit the historic-house bar Wanchang Uprising for a limited-edition cocktail inspired by classic Taiwanese songs. Packages start from NT$5,750 per night for two, including breakfast and a guided tour. The Place Tainan also presents a special “Island Soundscape” music salon. On August 22, Golden Melody Award-winning Best Taiwanese Male Singer Hsieh Ming-Yu joins The Bakery Band at The Place Tainan for “A Journey Through Tainan’s Taiwanese Music,” revisiting classic works by five iconic figures of Tainan’s Taiwanese music history. Familiar melodies bring listeners closer to Taiwanese-language culture and stories rooted in the land. Admission is free with advance reservation, subject to availability.
Hotel Royal-Nikko Taipei brings travelers into the historic Li Linqiu Former Residence for an intimate private concert, followed by a walk through the former site of Yongle Theater to revisit the golden age of popular music in Dadaocheng. The journey continues at SIDOLI RADIO, where cassette tapes and radio evoke the atmosphere of another era. Packages start from NT$6,280 per night for two, including breakfast and a guided tour. Hotel Royal Beitou begins with a welcoming moon lute performance. Wearing wireless audio guides, travelers follow a Beitou storyteller through a radio-drama-style walking tour of former hot spring inns and Nakashi venues, before arriving at Zhongxin Village for a moon lute singing and playing session led by instructors from the Taiwan Yueqin Folk Song Association. Packages start from NT$8,340 per night for two, including breakfast, the storyteller-led walking tour, and the moon lute experience.
A melody travels from campus to an old theater, returning from memory to the city once more.
Origins in Sound
The “Origins in Sound” route returns to the earliest sounds of the land and the living traditions of its Indigenous communities. Hotel Royal Chihpen takes travelers into Kasavakan and Likavung communities to hear traditional Puyuma songs sung in chorus and encounter melodies once woven naturally into rituals, farming, hunting, and everyday life. The journey also includes an Indigenous-inspired meal before returning to the hotel for the limited “Voice of Puyuma: Chihpen Starlight Concert,” presented in celebration of the hotel’s reopening following renovation and featuring special performances by Kao Wei-Hsun and Guaifu Band. A one-night stay with two meals and a guided tour starts from NT$12,000 per night for two.
