Sun Moon Lake Stay | Doris Home | Pet-Friendly B&B | Cozy Cat-Themed Guesthouse | Nantou Accommodation Recommendation | A Must-Stay for Cat Lovers
Doris Home is located at Sun Moon Lake in Nantou, not far from Shuishe Pier and about a 5-minute walk from the bus station. For this Sun Moon Lake trip, when I first startedsearching for accommodation, since we weren't driving and had to rely on public transport, I focused on places near Shuishe Pier. Plenty of the guesthouses I looked at seemed pretty good, and then by chance I came across this cat-themed guesthouse. With the idea of playing with cats in mind, we decided to give it a try on this trip.
📜 Information
- Stay date: 2020-12-26 (double room, one Saturday night)
- Room type: Doris Signature Double Room (breakfast for two included)
- Price: NT$ 4,500
- Payment: Credit cards accepted; company tax ID invoices available
- Address: No. 20, Lane 146, Zhongshan Rd., Yuchi Township, Nantou County 555
- Phone: +886492855221
- Official website: http://www.dorishome.com.tw/
- Booking site: https://www.booking.com/hotel/tw/duo-li-si-de-jia.xt.html?aid=8003516
Doris Home is a cat-friendly guesthouse. Besides the affectionate resident cats, guests are also welcome to bring their own cats and small dogs along.
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| Cute cat decorations can be found all over the guesthouse |
📍 Location
The guesthouse sits in a small lane near Shuishe Pier, right next to Mingtan Junior High/Elementary School. It's a 5-minute walk to the Shuishe Visitor Center and a 10-minute walk to Shuishe Pier. Because it's tucked into a lane rather than on the main lakeside road, it's very quiet both day and night.
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| When you spot cats by the roadside, you've arrived! |
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| The guesthouse is inside this little lane |
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| The sign in front of the garden features Doris Home's signature cat illustration |
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| There's plenty of parking, and if it's full you can still park along the road outside |
🏢 The Guesthouse
Stepping into Doris Home, you're greeted by light-toned decor — pale wooden furniture paired with teal-green chairs, giving off a warm and relaxed feel. The first floor houses the lobby and dining area, which is also the cats' main hangout. The rooms are on the second floor and above; guests bringing pets are generally placed on the second floor, while the third floor and up are regular rooms.
Check-in happens in this same space, where the owner gives a detailed rundown of nearby attractions and even recommended a spot to catch the sunrise in the morning (though we couldn't drag ourselves out of bed and never made it 😂).
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| The little bar on the first floor, with tea bags and coffee free to help yourself to |
The first floor also has a cozy little lounge area with a small sofa — perfect for grabbing a book and a cup of Sun Moon Lake black tea and whiling away the day or evening. Sometimes the cats come over to the sofa area to rest, and during the day you can watch them playing in the garden from here!
One corner of the lobby is a display zone and the cats' own territory — cat figurines line the shelves above, there are plenty of cat toys and supplies, and the eye-catching highlight is a double bed just for the cats!
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| All three cats squeezing in tells you just how much they love it |
Another handy thing about Doris Home is the elevator — no lugging suitcases up and down the stairs.
Heading up to the second floor, the natural light makes the space feel bright and airy, and the overall sense of space is very comfortable. Now and then you'll spot the cats using the stairs to move between floors.
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| The natural-light design is genuinely lovely |
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| A corner of the second floor has litter boxes ready for the cats |
🛏 The Room
We stayed in the "Doris Signature Double Room" on the second floor. The room is spacious, done in a simple, cozy style and filled with all sorts of cat-themed touches 😺.
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| A comfy little nook by the window |
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| A great spot for a cup of tea and a book |
The room's small minibar area comes with two bottles of water and two bottles of sparkling water, plus a kettle — though if you want to brew tea you can also head down to the first floor and use the hot water dispenser. Every amenity and design detail in the room features a cat somewhere; it's like staying in a space surrounded by cats, which is fun and something I really liked.
The bathroom isn't small either — a long space also done in a minimalist grey palette, with a fairly large sink up front and the toilet and shower behind, with wet and dry areas separated. Importantly, the shower has strong water pressure and the hot water is plenty hot and stable.
As for toiletries, it depends on whether you choose the eco-friendly option or the standard one at booking. We picked the eco option but didn't realize that meant no body wash or shampoo either (our own fault for not reading carefully 😅). The owner quickly brought us large bottles of body wash and shampoo though — much appreciated!
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| The stars of the calendar are the guesthouse's own cats! |
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| An adorable cat-shaped soap dish |
🍽 Breakfast
Breakfast is served in the first-floor lobby of Doris Home. At check-in the owner asks what time you'd like to eat; there are three seatings — 8, 9 and 10 o'clock — to stagger guests. 9am is usually the most popular, so pick whatever suits your itinerary.
Breakfast is made to order, so it takes a little while, and it's served as a set. The main item is a thick slice of French toast, along with salad, fruit and a few cooked sides. The portion isn't huge, but if it's not enough you can ask for extra toast, so big eaters needn't worry. For drinks there's soy milk, milk, coffee, black tea and more to choose from.
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| Even the forks are cats! |
🐈 The Resident Cats
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| We arrived at Sun Moon Lake in the afternoon — prime cat nap time |
Xiaomi
Xiaomi often gave us a grumpy face 😅. The owner said she used to be a stray, so she still doesn't fully trust humans (if I remember right). Her temperament is a bit unpredictable — one moment she's snuggling up to you, the next she might turn around and bite.
Gougou (Doggy)
Hands down the friendliest cat during our stay — grab a twig and you can play with him for ages. He also wanders up to the higher floors sometimes. As I recall he wasn't even a year old yet, still a very energetic kitten.
Xuexue (Boots)
Another orange cat about the same size as Gougou. During our stay we mostly spotted him outdoors — he loves playing in the yard, and we'd often see him doing who-knows-what under someone's car or dashing around the garden. He loves playing with twigs too. When I got home and went looking for photos, I realized I'd barely taken any of him... just this one slightly blurry shot 😅
Mimi
At check-in the owner mentioned there was one cat who never comes home — only occasionally returning to eat when hungry, and otherwise off wandering who knows where. Sure enough, we never met him during our two-day stay! But then on a later trip back to Sun Moon Lake, we unexpectedly bumped into him at the school next door 😂
The last one is a kitten only a few months old. Since he tends to run off, he's kept in an enclosure much of the time, so we saw less of him. We visited in December 2020, though, so by now he's probably grown quite a bit.
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| Every mug is adorable |
If you love cats and happen to be visiting Sun Moon Lake, consider this pet-friendly guesthouse, "Doris Home."
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