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Luxury Hotels in Taipei

Luxury Hotels in Taipei

Old May 7, 2012, 5:30 pm
  #76  
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Originally Posted by MikeFromTokyo
I have no personal experience, but according to several of my Taiwanese friends, the W is by far the best choice in Taipei.

It certainly seems to be the most modern hotel in the city, and to have the best room/suite product.
Thanks Mike. Upon careful consideration, I ended up booking the GH. I signed up for their Platinum promo...and I need the night now! The W looks superior from the photos...but going to let points prevail for a one night stay! Fingers crossed.
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Old May 8, 2012, 5:13 am
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Originally Posted by NYBanker
Thanks Mike. Upon careful consideration, I ended up booking the GH. I signed up for their Platinum promo...and I need the night now! The W looks superior from the photos...but going to let points prevail for a one night stay! Fingers crossed.
I think you will be fine at the GH, it is a well regarded property, and according to instyleprincess it has the best location. While the W may be the best hotel in Taipei, it still does not seem to get rave reviews, especially in terms of service.

Last edited by MikeFromTokyo; May 8, 2012 at 5:22 am
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Old May 8, 2012, 1:56 pm
  #78  
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I am going to lock this thread for Moderator review. Once review is completed, I will re-open the thread.

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Old May 28, 2012, 11:40 am
  #79  
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Thread has been cleaned up and now is re-open. Apologies for the delay.
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Old May 31, 2012, 5:20 am
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GH Taipei - so so

I ended up staying at the GH Taipei. It was solidly OK. Certainly not on par with the vast majority of properties discussed here - though noting the limited options in Taipei.

Next time I return to Taipei, I will likely try the W.

Overview: A quality (if aged) western business hotel in the heart of the CBD
Strengths: Service, breakfast restaurant, location
Weaknesses: Rooms are getting old

Full review here.







Apparently the hotel's location was a Japanese military location many years ago. Rumors swirl about what happened - but indeed some suggest the hotel is haunted. I did not see any ghosts or other paranormal activities.
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Old May 31, 2012, 7:01 am
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Any updates on new hotel openings? I understand the MO is due to open.
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Old May 31, 2012, 7:08 am
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Originally Posted by NYBanker
Apparently the hotel's location was a Japanese military location many years ago. Rumors swirl about what happened - but indeed some suggest the hotel is haunted. I did not see any ghosts or other paranormal activities.
It was the site of an execution grounds & graveyard. But the Hyatt put up ghost-busting steles when they built it. ...Lady Gaga stayed at the W when she was here a week or so ago.
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Old May 31, 2012, 7:15 am
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That's reason enough not to stay at The W.
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Old May 31, 2012, 9:27 am
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Lady Gaga and I happened to stay at the Sydney Four Seasons together last year. Well, not exactly together...but at the same time as it turned out. Wouldn't even have known but the for the 100s of fans greeting us every time we exited the building.

Sorry I haven't been by the MO (Taipei) building site in a while.

Last edited by taipeipeter; Jun 1, 2012 at 2:12 am
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Old Jul 17, 2013, 4:41 am
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some observations

Here are some observations on 3 hotels. I didnt stay overnight at these hotels, but got a good look at them and their rooms--roughly one level above entrance-level rooms. My husbands mother has been coming to Taipei for medical treatments, and they been staying overnight at these hotels.

I also have a comment on the hotel restaurants, which are generally a serious part of the restaurant scene in Taipei, though you would never want to limit yourself to them.

W
good:
-101 views
-bar-pool area (but weather dependent)
-gym decent; pool decent but weird to swim laps when surrounded by the cocktailing masses

bad:
-generally cheap furnishings; OK for now but already beginning to wear out and will collapse in a couple of years (carpets, desks, chairs)
-toiletries: perhaps a one-off, but stiff and evidently expired toothpaste and shampoo.
-room air-con seems to turn off when you leaveroom stuffy every time we returned

restaurant:
possibly the worst in Taipei. expected high prices and small portions and not disappointed, in fact the approach of getting a little for a lot is raised to new heights here. With Cantonese, I also expect heavy flavorsbut here sauced to beyond what any normal taste buds could handle. Really awful at any price. Something as simple as sliced roast duck turns out liverish, and I wont even go into the most awful dishes. Also, service was slow (which could have been the kitchens fault) and unprofessional.

in sum: if you want to try W Taipei, go soon and eat out

Le Meridien
good:
-room furnishing up to basic luxury standards, sense of roominess
-bathroom solid, tub tv
-big gym; and pool pretty good

bad:
-lobby is cold marble which also makes it very loud. more like a fancy office building than a hotel where you might want to sit and wait for someone.
few if any rooms have views
-gym (not just pool) closes at 11. This idiocy is just unacceptable to international travelers, and was also bad for my husband in this specific instance.

restaurant:
really not bad at all. some mildly innovative dishes and solid if loosely-defined Cantonese dishes. Returning to Taipei after several nights of banqueting in Hong Kong, I still enjoyed it.

in sum
nothing to swan about but distinctly OK; I preferred it to W.


Shangri-la Far Eastern
good:
-ambience: well, nothing could be more subjective, but the lobby feels like a real hotel lobbyof course, because this is a much older hotel. It has comfortable places to sit to wait for your business associate, date, or grandmother, or vice versa, plus a quiet place for a drink. The olde oak style extends to the rooms, which has a calming effect, at least on me.
-older but very clean
-high ceilings
-views are east toward 101 and north up Dunhua Avenue, both nice enough

neutral:
-gym was quite good: not huge, but a sufficiency of machines and weights; marimba musak a bit annoying. alsostill closes at 11. changing room (mens) was too, too cramped-making (sorry, Ive been reading Waugh)

bad:
-instant coffee; no nespresso/nespresso-like machine in the room
-pool: 7th floor pool is small, round, and full of childrenlap swimming isnt very practical, even when there wouldnt be children around. I was told that the roof-top pool, now closed for refurbishing, is the same size and style.
-not exactly the most happening neighborhood

very bad:
-curtains couldnt close the whole way, letting in morning light. They did fix it the next day and offered a late check-out.

restaurant: only had breakfasts here; quite a decent spread, though nothing really outstanding, American/ Continental/ Chinese

In sum, if the location works for you & you don't need to swim laps, I would seriously consider


Note on the not-yet-open Mandarin Oriental
From the outside, it could be a slightly Italianate Victorian public building found in any European city in the 19th century. The architect C.Y. Lee, who has done so much to uglify Taipei and other cities and campuses throughout Taiwan, has kitsched it up again. Usually, he adds some painfully obvious and superfluous Chinese style (or 2 or 3 such elements) on top of an otherwise unremarkable but invariably ponderous building. This time he seems to have been content with incredibly busy lines to create a vision of fussiness amid the boring office towers of this (admittedly convenient) neighborhood.

Do I fulminate? Well, then, I fulminate. Couldnt the MO have found one of Taiwans several younger architects who actually possess a sense of style? Lees other talent is to build cavernous and cold lobbies in which no one wishes to linger. Perhaps the MOs insides will be more comfortable.


Conclusion:
Probably the best bet for most people remains the Grand Hyatt, after it reopens 22 August, but the hotels above do have their points even if all are flawed
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Old Jul 17, 2013, 7:53 am
  #86  
 
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Originally Posted by taipeipeter
Here are some observations on 3 hotels. I didnt stay overnight at these hotels, but got a good look at them and their rooms--roughly one level above entrance-level rooms. My husbands mother has been coming to Taipei for medical treatments, and they been staying overnight at these hotels.

I also have a comment on the hotel restaurants, which are generally a serious part of the restaurant scene in Taipei, though you would never want to limit yourself to them.

W
good:
-101 views
-bar-pool area (but weather dependent)
-gym decent; pool decent but weird to swim laps when surrounded by the cocktailing masses

bad:
-generally cheap furnishings; OK for now but already beginning to wear out and will collapse in a couple of years (carpets, desks, chairs)
-toiletries: perhaps a one-off, but stiff and evidently expired toothpaste and shampoo.
-room air-con seems to turn off when you leaveroom stuffy every time we returned

restaurant:
possibly the worst in Taipei. expected high prices and small portions and not disappointed, in fact the approach of getting a little for a lot is raised to new heights here. With Cantonese, I also expect heavy flavorsbut here sauced to beyond what any normal taste buds could handle. Really awful at any price. Something as simple as sliced roast duck turns out liverish, and I wont even go into the most awful dishes. Also, service was slow (which could have been the kitchens fault) and unprofessional.

in sum: if you want to try W Taipei, go soon and eat out

Le Meridien
good:
-room furnishing up to basic luxury standards, sense of roominess
-bathroom solid, tub tv
-big gym; and pool pretty good

bad:
-lobby is cold marble which also makes it very loud. more like a fancy office building than a hotel where you might want to sit and wait for someone.
few if any rooms have views
-gym (not just pool) closes at 11. This idiocy is just unacceptable to international travelers, and was also bad for my husband in this specific instance.

restaurant:
really not bad at all. some mildly innovative dishes and solid if loosely-defined Cantonese dishes. Returning to Taipei after several nights of banqueting in Hong Kong, I still enjoyed it.

in sum
nothing to swan about but distinctly OK; I preferred it to W.


Shangri-la Far Eastern
good:
-ambience: well, nothing could be more subjective, but the lobby feels like a real hotel lobbyof course, because this is a much older hotel. It has comfortable places to sit to wait for your business associate, date, or grandmother, or vice versa, plus a quiet place for a drink. The olde oak style extends to the rooms, which has a calming effect, at least on me.
-older but very clean
-high ceilings
-views are east toward 101 and north up Dunhua Avenue, both nice enough

neutral:
-gym was quite good: not huge, but a sufficiency of machines and weights; marimba musak a bit annoying. alsostill closes at 11. changing room (mens) was too, too cramped-making (sorry, Ive been reading Waugh)

bad:
-instant coffee; no nespresso/nespresso-like machine in the room
-pool: 7th floor pool is small, round, and full of childrenlap swimming isnt very practical, even when there wouldnt be children around. I was told that the roof-top pool, now closed for refurbishing, is the same size and style.
-not exactly the most happening neighborhood

very bad:
-curtains couldnt close the whole way, letting in morning light. They did fix it the next day and offered a late check-out.

restaurant: only had breakfasts here; quite a decent spread, though nothing really outstanding, American/ Continental/ Chinese

In sum, if the location works for you & you don't need to swim laps, I would seriously consider


Note on the not-yet-open Mandarin Oriental
From the outside, it could be a slightly Italianate Victorian public building found in any European city in the 19th century. The architect C.Y. Lee, who has done so much to uglify Taipei and other cities and campuses throughout Taiwan, has kitsched it up again. Usually, he adds some painfully obvious and superfluous Chinese style (or 2 or 3 such elements) on top of an otherwise unremarkable but invariably ponderous building. This time he seems to have been content with incredibly busy lines to create a vision of fussiness amid the boring office towers of this (admittedly convenient) neighborhood.

Do I fulminate? Well, then, I fulminate. Couldnt the MO have found one of Taiwans several younger architects who actually possess a sense of style? Lees other talent is to build cavernous and cold lobbies in which no one wishes to linger. Perhaps the MOs insides will be more comfortable.


Conclusion:
Probably the best bet for most people remains the Grand Hyatt, after it reopens 22 August, but the hotels above do have their points even if all are flawed
I have pretty much landed on the Meridien, at least until I can see what the MO would be like. I agree with some of the comments here about the cavernous atmosphere, but on balance, I like the restaurants for business and the service in my experience has been excellent. The rooms are also pretty spacious. I avoid Ws.
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Old Feb 5, 2014, 9:50 pm
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Does anyone know when the MO Taipei will open, considering it for NY in Taipei...says 2014 2Q, but is that still accurate?
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Old Feb 6, 2014, 6:09 pm
  #88  
 
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Originally Posted by patchan8984
Does anyone know when the MO Taipei will open, considering it for NY in Taipei...says 2014 2Q, but is that still accurate?
A recent news article states it will officially open on 20th April. It also says the hotel website will start to accept online reservations at the end of February for stays after 1st June. I suggest you contact the hotel directly for reservations.

Last edited by KrazeeJoe; Feb 6, 2014 at 6:16 pm
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Old Feb 19, 2014, 1:12 pm
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It appears as though the Mandarin is now accepting reservations for July 2014. Rates start at TWD16,500++ for rooms and TWD33,000++ for suites.
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Old Feb 19, 2014, 8:24 pm
  #90  
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I'm glad the MO's setting up shop there. I've been meaning to go to Taipei/Taiwan but with the funky/whacky W...I'd like some other options
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