TOMFORD

The few international hotels Taipei has are overpriced and mostly in less than desirable locations. Don't limit yourself to those hotels. Look at non-chains and AirBnB. Pick a location first - I stay at Ximen station and love it there.

glennaa11

I second that. I've been to Taipei a couple of times. First visit I stayed at the Grand Hyatt which is quite nice and I like the neighborhood.

Last time I was there I booked an apartment which was on a quiet-ish street in the middle of town near the Zhongxiao Fuxing MRT. I think I paid something like US$70/night. It was a two level space. Not luxurious by any means but considering that I was out and about most of the day it was perfectly fine. Besides AirBnB there are other apartment booking services out there. You're likely to get more space for your money booking an apartment. Plus you get a small kitchen which can save you some money. And you feel a bit more like part of the city than you do in a hotel.

ProleOnParole

Eating out is actually very affordable in Taipei, although cooking at home can be more healthy. For shorter stays, own kitchen would be most useful for the breakfast.

I agree with all the other points.

Daawgon

I refuse to pay the price of good hotels in Taipei, and have booked a condo with Airbnb instead. I'm also going to Tainan and booked the Kindness Hotel with booking.com.

glennaa11

I stayed at the Shangri-la Far Eastern in Tainan. It was surprisingly inexpensive (to me anyway). Great hotel. Location by the train station was nice as well. I enjoyed my time in Tainan.

That apartment looks like a great deal

Virginia Emery

Just came back with 5 nights stay there. HSR station worked great, plane was late but station let us take next HSR train without issues. Transfer both TO and FROM airport worked without a hitch

While Nangang is considered "far" from the center of town, I've found it was a great advantage to have the hotel on top of HSR/TRA/Metro stations. TRA local trans was great for both the Keelung and Songsang (Raohe Street) night markets, and being on the Blue Metro (line 5) we were able to connect well to all the sites, except for Taipei 101 in which case it was easier to walk from the Taipei City Hall station (3-4 stops away) through the pedestrian walkway/mall instead of trying to connect

Overall I recommend the Courtyard, cost me 100K Marriott Points for 5 nights

orbitmic

Sorry to bump this thread. Off to Taipei for the first time for only two nights in January.

I booked us at the Grand Hotel and basically want to know if you think that it is a terrible mistake! I've seen that many of the (fairly severe) criticisms that I could read about the hotel seemed to pertain to the windowless rooms and outdated ones. I booked us in Prestige club rooms with view hoping that this would avoid both issues but would still like some reassurance. I know the other issue is that it is a bit out of the way but the idea would be that on our full day, we'd take a taxi to the city centre to enjoy the day there.

For better or worse, I guess I was attracted by the fact that the place seems frankly unique and to say something about how Taiwan originally tried to represent the "true spirit of China" whilst the mainland was going through what we know and I am tempted to just see what it is like (I don't know if it is a good comparison, but for instance we really enjoyed staying at the Fujiya, which is by no means the most modern/luxurious hotel in Hakone but has a very unique character).

In a similar price range on our date, I could have chosen something like the Palais de Chine, the Eclat, or the San Want Residences, all of which seem to be quite highly rated. So as I said, am I making a huge mistake? Any additional tip and recommendation much appreciated. Many thanks!

dtsm

Maybe worth a flyover for pictures but please don't stay there...it's old, facilities out-dated and in need of a serious renovation, away from sights, food, shopping, etc.

Plus many rooms are haunted....

lin821

Have you seen Fresh Off the Boat Season 3 Episode 1 yet?

If not, please check it out so you can decide for yourself. The wedding scene was shot at the Grand Hotel this August and they also include some famous tourist spots in Taipei the same episode. You definitely will get a good laugh out of it while learning about Taipei & Taiwanese culture.

January can be a good month to visit Taipei, especially without the summer heat & humility. Transportation-wise, Taipei MRT is so very convenient that you probably don't even need a cab to enjoy the city. Whichever hotel you choose, just pick the one nearby MRT stations then you're golden.

orbitmic

I need to find this! I don't know the series (I don't think we get it in Europe) but will try to find it somewhere on the net! And glad it's a good choice of season. To be honest, I have wanted to go to Taiwan for years and never made it. This will be way too short but I thought I'd grab the opportunity even if it is for a mere two days!

dtsm, you are scaring me!!

Thank you both for the tips and advice!

dtsm

To visit, view the architecture, tour the lobby, etc for pictures = ok
To stay overnight =

Come back in January and luv to get your impressions - safe journey

By the way, Mrs. and I stayed there a few times before getting married back in mid 70's.....the facilities haven't been refurbished since then. Everytime we drive by it to/from airport, we see the vestiges of a grand hotel.

runningonfumes

I saw this thread. I have two hotels that my company will allow me to stay at. The Grand Hyatt or the Palais de Chine. Cost is about the same for each. Offices are in TP101 but that is not relevant as I can take a taxi if need be in the morning for meetings. Will be there for two nights but only about 2 hours of work one morning. I have no other choices for hotel unless I am to pay for it myself.

glennaa11

GH is literally right next door to Taipei 101. I am unfamiliar with the other but I see it is near the main train station. I would probably choose the GH based on location. I liked the GH's neighborhood. Getting around is easy on MRT with either. They renovated all of the rooms at the GH a couple of years ago. I thought the service was very good.

IluvSQ

While I have never stayed at Palais de Chine, it has been highly recommended to me by friends living in Taipei.

ProleOnParole

In terms of location, GH is within short walking distance to Taipei 101, while PdCh is near Taipei Main Station, about half an hour trip away on the MRT, and driving (or taxi) won't really be much faster, especially in the morning.

Although the Main Station area has improved considerably in the recent years, the vicinity of Taipei 101 (Xinyi Planned District) is a much nicer place to stay in.

PdC would be worth considering if you had a lot of luggage but for some reason still wanted to take the train (not taxi) to and from the airport as this is where you'd end up anyway, and is also more convenient for in-town check-in (assuming you wanted to take advantage of it and are eligible) but otherwise GH seems like the obvious choice.