The Sheraton Grand Taipei

I took the Taoyuan MRT from TPE to Taipei Main Station via the express train. For readers, there is a commuter train (which takes almost 20 minutes longer) and an express train (which only stops at 4 stations instead of 10+). I waited an extra 7 minutes for the express train to come but showed up 10 minutes earlier. The cost is just $150 NTD (about $5 USD) with a transit card (I have one so not sure if you can buy a single ticket).

I booked the Sheraton Grand Taipei with cash (the horror). Like mentioned, the holiday period is an insane time in Taipei, especially with expatriates returning home to family for the first time since the pandemic. My parents and I stay at my mom's apartment, however that was being renovated and my parents were staying with family... and while Taipei is nowhere as near as bad as Hong Kong, space is still at a premium so we decided better for me to just get a hotel.

The Sheraton used to be a Shangri-La (the Lai Lai Shangri-La) before management was turned over to Marriott. While I don't know the details, the hotel has a certain air of grandeur and prestige due to its location directly next to the Executive Yuan - the executive branch of the federal government. The suite categories exemplify this... Executive Director, Executive Diplomatic, Ambassador.

Taipei has had a few great points options spring up over the past couple of years, but the Hilton Sinban was too far, Hotel Resonance didn't have a proper restaurant, Doubletree Zhongshan absurdly priced, Aloft Zhongshan uninspiring. Grand Hyatt, W, and Le Meridien are great for tourists but far from my family. I've stayed at the Sheraton before and while not the newest or ritziest (I would say the Mandarin Oriental for that), the service has always been well-meaning and it has everything I'm looking for - a club lounge, decent buffet breakfast, a 10 minute walk to family, decent gym as far as Asian gyms go, sauna, fantastic location to the MRT, and access to Taipei Main Station for the Taoyuan MRT for easy airport transfers. Oh, and next to Fuhang Soy Milk if you like Michelin-recommended street food.

Next time I'd love to try the Palais de Chine or the Gloria Residence (very nice looking aparthotel with reasonable rates).

The Sheraton also typically treats me well as an Ambassador member. Typically I get a suite here but it's always a toss-up when you arrive from North America first thing in the morning. This time I was upgraded just one level above the base, to a Premier room (slightly bigger is what I'm told, but makes little difference when I'm on my own).

I had submitted a Your24 request for an 8am check-in... and the Sheraton is always gracious enough to ignore the 8am check-out and give me a 4pm instead.

The front desk checked me in (yes I booked a twin room because that's all that was available) and I was happy to just be able to have a room. The nice thing about checking in this early at the Sheraton is they also welcome you to use the club lounge for breakfast which I picked at.


Taoyuan MRT express train


Welcome popcorn - the corn soup popcorn was excellent!













The Sheraton is quite popular with locals - it seemed most guests were actually Taiwanese, and breakfast in the mornings was absolutely slammed. Breakfast vouchers are given for Saturday and Sunday (the busiest times), with you needing to select a "shift" (2 slots on Saturday, 3 slots on Sunday) in which to dine.

The breakfast is typical 5-star Asian - a huge quantity. Again, it's not the most "glamorous" per se (it's more akin to a zoo), everything you could ever want is here... bread bar (with pancakes and french toast), Japanese selections, salad and fruit, yogurt and cereals, vegetarian section, noodle bar, omelet station, western section, some Taiwanes classics (e.g., braised pork rice). Like the rest of the property, it's not the most upscale experience and it gets quite busy, but it gets the job done. If you have a chance to stay at The Regent up the street, I recall that as my favorite breakfast buffet in Taipei so far - you get a window seat overlooking the park and the affair is a bit more sophisticated and quiet.

While it's great to sample everything, I typically default to maximizing for vegetables given salads are hard to find in Asia. Obviously you have to treat yourself with tater tots - we're not crazy.


It's all about finding that balance








No pictures of the club lounge unfortunately, though it serves:

• Breakfast -- smaller affair than downstairs (i.e., much quieter) but still with an egg station and select hot dishes; it should be enough to satisfy most
• Afternoon tea -- didn't look appetizing, was just some small pastries and packaged cookies / crackers
• Happy hour -- hosted alcohol and hot dishes; I did not try as never felt the need to given the incredible amount of tasty, affordable food in Taiwan

The happy hour also required reservations via a Google form (lol) which did not open every day until 3:00pm... Way too much hassle for a glass of $5 wine. No thanks. For readers - hotel offerings are great and you should definitely try them, but please go out and try the local food - you owe it to yourself when in a place like Taipei! There is way too much good stuff to eat to spend it on lounge offerings. If cost is an issue - eat at the markets or at food carts. Levels of sanitation and hygiene are quite high in Taiwan and I, at least, have never had stomach issues.

After a quick shower and a sit, I went out to take care of a couple of things with family before dinner.

Next, a few days in Taipei - including a king crab dinner and a night market.