dtsm

I'm not familiar with the rack rates for Les Suites as I get a discount or upgraded room for being long term patron.

For first time visitor, as much as I personally don't like the GH that would be my recommendation for location and convenience purposes. YMMV.

PsiFighter37

Appreciate all the tips. To be honest, I am starting with lodging because I know where I can get discounted corporate rates on hotels that I would not usually book at full price. To give you a ballpark figure, I can get a basic room at SL for the same price as the going rate at Les Suites. I don't think we will be spending all that much time in the hotel, but at the same time, for the time we will be resting/relaxing in the room, I want as luxurious an experience as I can get (for that price). I am cognizant about location - am well aware that neither MO nor SL appear to be as conveniently located - but is the difference in quality worth it to be slightly out of the way?

I agree on the food point; I am sure we might grab a bite at the hotel, but both of us are partially visiting Taiwan to binge on the food (multiple trips to Din Tai Fung are a certainty), so I anticipate we will be exploring the local food scene as much as our stomachs let us.

We will certainly need to do more research to figure out what we want to see and do. Perhaps as we do that over the next couple of months, that will help us get a better sense of where we should aim to stay.

ProleOnParole

It's not really that MO or SL are out of the way. Each is of them is in a centrally-located upscale area, and has access to 2 MRT lines. A bit out of the way would be something like the Marriott in Dazhi (MRT Jiannan Rd) or the Courtyard above the Nangang train station (MRT Nangang). It still wouldn't be much of a problem though, as within central Taipei public transport is excellent. Beyond the MRT there is also a well-developed bus system, which actually works better than the trains for shorter trips and can be used without much hassle as it accepts the same stored-value cards.

The caveat with the buses has always been that there is a myriad of routes and it's not always clear which one to take, unless you are very familiar with them, especially if your trip involves a transfer. Also, route maps are mostly in Chinese only, although once you're on a bus, individual stops are announced in English. However, things have become easier now as Google Maps can be used for trip-planning: it has all the routes and schedules and apparently even keeps updating in real time. I suggest you get a pre-paid SIM card with unlimited data while at the airport, which comes at around 100 TWD per day, and you're good to use buses as well; just not with a lot of luggage, which brings me to my next point:

One important consideration is the airport transfer, if you want to do it on public transport: for MO, you just take the Airport MRT to the last stop at Taipei Main Stn, transfer to the green MRT line towards Songshan at Beimen, and get off a couple of stops later to arrive at the hotel after a short walk. Alternatively, one of the airport bus lines stops directly in front of the entrance. For GH, you'd take the green line in the other direction towards Xindian or Taipower Bldg, and then transfer to the red line towards Xiangshan or Daan at CKS Mem Hall: the extra transfer is only a walk to the opposite side of the platform where the other train is waiting, as they're both synchronized, not really a problem at all, even with the luggage, although the trip would be a little longer.

Reaching SL on the MRT however is comparatively cumbersome because it involves travelling on the brown line, which is the oldest and uses completely different rolling stock than the other lines. Being driverless and going mostly above the surface except for a very short section, it offers excellent views for tourists but the cars have much lower capacity and are permanently overcrowded during the day. This, and the fact that getting in and out of the stations involves relatively more walking up and down the stairs, makes it not really a great choice for anyone with more than carry-on luggage. Every station has some escalators and at least a single lift for the disabled but in practice it will not be a pleasant journey in the summer heat. Plus, you'd still have to walk to the hotel from the Tech Bldg station. Thus, if you go for SL, I suggest you arrange for the hotel to pick you up from the airport or take a taxi. Once you don't have to carry the luggage anymore though, moving around won't be much of an issue, either on the MRT or buses.

Bear4Asian

PsiFighter37

For me, then, it boils down to 2 questions:

1) if I land at TPE on a weekday afternoon, will there be a lot of traffic taking a cab / other automobile transportation to the SL?

2) is getting to anywhere of interest (for a first-time tourist like we will be) a PITA from the SL?

Of the ones suggested, I am partial towards SL, but if it means a lot of transportation time to get anywhere, I'd rather go for something like the GH, even if I am sacrificing some level of quality (if I am?)...

akalra1187

I'm also heading to Taipei for the first time in 15 years in April.
Ive booked the W.
The Mandarin looks quite good, but I have SPG status so thought the W would be a better choice.

Im planning to go to the Kavalan distillery for a day, I've booked a car with driver but haven't had any luck as yet getting a reply from the distillery for an English tour and some good lunch nearby. Any recommendations?
Also the 24 hour breakfast places sound good, does anybody know of any near the W Hotel?
I also want to have a good Wagyu dinner, some Taiwan Mongolian BBQ, good Siu Long Bao.
I was also considering a hot spring but I want it to be private and luxurious, also not too far from my hotel and I don't want to stay overnight, would there be anywhere?
Im really miffed that Uber has stopped working in Taipei. Does anyone know of an English language taxi app for Taipei? I don't speak a word of Mandarin.

ProleOnParole

1. There is always a lot of traffic (except at night) but the infrastructure copes with it reasonably well. A drive to SL takes about 45 mins with 15-30 min more if there's a traffic jam. For MO the time would actually be very similar as the bottleneck is in the same place (exit from Fwy 1 to Jianguo Expy). Driving to SL you also have the option of taking the elevated section of Fwy 1 and Tiding Blvd, which ends up being 3-4 km longer but might let you skip some of the congestion. At least one of those two options should work out well and real-time traffic updates such as from Google Maps can tell you (or your driver) which one to choose.

2. It's not going to be a PITA. You have bus 235 to CKS Mem Hall and Ximending, and bus 284 to Taipei 101 area, both very frequent. If you take bus you end up seeing more, while travel time within central Taipei is comparable if you factor in the need to walk in and out of the MRT stations. The walk from SL to MRT Tech Bldg is not that bad either, just don't do it with luggage, and no matter where you stay I recommend you take the brown line between Taipei Zoo and, say, Jiannan Rd, as it's a great way of quickly seeing a lot of the city (except for a short section it's all above the surface, and you can sit in the front, as there is no driver).

If I were you I'd also look more into what kind of room you'd be getting in each of the hotels. Unfortunately I can't really help you with that but as far as the transport options go, SL will be fine.

ProleOnParole

You might want to see this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...er-thread.html

I remember some people were complaining that the hotel was letting in large groups of people hold loud parties going all night long, with noise spilling into adjacent rooms, and some other people reported that the rooms (suites?) they got were not really cleaned up well after such parties. I'm not sure if it's actually an ongoing problem or just a couple of isolated incidents but it might be good to know there were such reports.

Not sure there's a guided tour. You can just show up and see everything yourself. Most of the labels are bilingual. As for the food options nearby, I liked a place called Artemis Garden (Facebook, Google Maps) with the caveat that the experience depends a lot on how crowded the place is (it was nearly empty when I went there). There is also a coffee shop upstairs from the visitor hall at the distillery with some basic lunch options and decent seats. Neither of the two is local food though, if that's what you after.

Search for places called Yonghe Doujiang (copy these characters and paste into Google Maps: "永和豆漿"). Your best bet is somewhere north of Zhongxiao E Rd, as the immediate area the hotel is in is too upscale for this kind of shop. The nearest one I think is at #152 Songxin Rd (Google Maps).

The nearest hot springs are in Xinbeitou, which is a not-so-short ride up north on the red line (transfer at Beitou). Otherwise, there are hot springs in Yilan, so you might want to incorporate hot springs into your distillery trip.

akalra1187

Thank you for the recommendations.

For lunch in Yilan I was looking for something more high end, as I've booked a car with driver it doesn't matter if it's a bit out of the way. Would you know of anywhere?
Local food would be good I also don't mind French or Japanese.

Taipei

[QUOTE=ProleOnParole;27963260]You might want to see this thread: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/starw...er-thread.html

I remember some people were complaining that the hotel was letting in large groups of people hold loud parties going all night long, with noise spilling into adjacent rooms, and some other people reported that the rooms (suites?) they got were not really cleaned up well after such parties. I'm not sure if it's actually an ongoing problem or just a couple of isolated incidents but it might be good to know there were such reports.

Yes, W has parties, and recently some bad news, girl died at one from drug OD/or worse. I like Marriott/CY better. For hot springs in Ilan , there is nice one at Royal Hotel.

akalra1187

[QUOTE=Taipei;27964911]Can one use the hot springs at Royal Hotel without staying there? Are they private?

ProleOnParole

Sorry, I'm not really that familiar with the area. The place I mentioned I know specifically because I was in a similar situation myself, i.e. looking for somewhere to eat nearby after a visit to the distillery, and that was what I went for. As a general suggestion, Google Maps listings are fairly complete with lots of photos and reviews, and it's a good way to compare the options if you don't have any personal recommendations to depend on. Just be aware that many (most?) restaurants are closed between 14:30 and 17:30. Also note that the fastest way to drive from Taipei to the distillery is not through Yilan City, only some rural areas, so tell your driver specifically you want to go to the city as well if that's the case.

PsiFighter37

Just got back on Sunday...my thoughts:

-Absolutely loved Taipei. The contrast to mainland China, particularly when it comes to manners and general attitude, is stark.
-MRT is very easy to use and get around, although there are definitely pockets that will mean you are hiking a bit from the MRT stops.
-I took the HLC limo service from the taxi service center in T2. I have never been in a car that had WiFi built in, a La-Z-Boy setup in the back seat, and so many personalized controls for AC, etc...and for equivalent of US $40! What a treat that was.
-Stayed at the Shangri-La and did not regret it a bit. Great service at the front desk, fabulous room and amenities. That said, I would stay away from Ibuki (the in-house Japanese restaurant - overrated with poor service). The lounge (Li Bai) was a bit better - good cocktails, if not 100% live music (the piano player used a backing track and made a few noticeable errors when playing).
-Only went to one night market (Shilin) as we had basically had our fill of rich Chinese food by this point. I was surprised to see that there was less food than I had expected/anticipated at Shilin. Loved the popcorn chicken and black pepper buns; the oyster pancake/crepe was an interesting item - let's leave it at that.
-Restaurants: Yen at W Taipei was fabulous. Ay Chung Noodles were delicious ($2 for a big bowl of rice noodles delicious beef broth). RAW is a newer modern restaurant that looks fabulous but fails to execute on many of its concepts. Good cocktails, though.
-Treats: pineapple cakes! Chiate is a classic (and the lines are impressively long, even when it is pouring rain), but Sunnyhills was quite good as well.
-Tourist things: lucky that we did Maokong Gondola our first day (it was closed the rest of our time in town due to stormy weather) - very enjoyable and peaceful. Don't wait in line for the glass-bottomed gondolas. Visited the CKS Memorial Hall (impressive from the outside; the exhibits inside were disappointing and not very illuminating). The National Palace Museum is a bit out of the way but was far more illuminating than museums in China that I have been to when it comes to explaining artifacts and their history / meaning. That said, very heavy on Qing Dynasty materials and less on other eras.

ProleOnParole

Good to know the choice worked out for you well.

Shilin Night Market has undergone a lot of redevelopment and gentrification recently. Parts of it have essentially become a shopping arcade, and the experience is very different from what a "traditional" night market is supposed to be like. Still, there should be some choice of things to eat but most of it was moved to an underground food court on the outskirts (off Jihe Rd).

The best part of that exhibition are some of the descriptions. I remember in one place it used to say something like: "Due to the failure of American-led negotiations, the cease-fire agreement collapsed and the government was forced to temporarily relocate to Taiwan." (This being a reference to the Nationalists' defeat in the Civil War and the establishment of the People's Republic.)

They have lots of other items stashed at a "secret" location in the mountains nearby. The museum's building can only accomodate as little as 1% of the whole collection, so exhibitions change often. Next time you have a chance to visit, it will be something completely different altogether.

Also, some of the artefacts are loaned to Academia Sinica History Museum (http://museum.sinica.edu.tw/) in Nangang, which is also worth the trip if you have the time.

dsquared37

We just got back from a trip to Taiwan and agree fully on this point.


We went to Ningxia market one evening, lasted 10 min, walked less than 25m, ate nothing and said enough and bailed. Carts were facing each other, <2m apart and insane crowds.

We did get nightmarket fare in the south that was quite tasty. Oyster pancakes can be delicious if they're not soaked through with cooking oil.

The museum was great and buses to/from Shilin MRT were plentiful. I didn't notice an overabundance of Qing Dynasty materials but I'm not that well versed on the artifacts.

My main criticism is the overabundance of tours run by unaffiliated tour guides. It was an absolute madhouse in there at times with mainland tours pushing and shoving anyone and everyone.

Thought I saw they had also opened a new museum in another city.