l380

I stayed there back in July for 3 nights. I would describe this hotel as basic... Will upload some photos when I get a chance!

• Room: Small but functional. Didn't get upgraded as a PLT
• Breakfast: Limited options/nothing special... But since you are in Taiwan, food is dirt cheap and you can just eat out.
• Service: Efficient, staff did note that I am a PLT guest at check-in and they left a signed note and some Taiwanese pineapple pastry in the room.
• Facilities: There is a small (plunge?) pool on the top floor but it was closed during my visit.
• Location: A small street market (about 2 blocks long) is next to the hotel serving the typical Taiwanese street food. Didn't take the subway since Uber is cheap. But the station is within walking distance anyways.

Hope this helps!

Room Photos -


Breakfast Photos -




View from room/Street market -

helvetic

Stayed here the other day:

No idea if I was upgraded here or not; the room felt like a base room. It's an Aloft so I wasn't expecting much. My low expectations were pretty much met. Only reason to stay here is that it's cheap with a decent location—but as usual in Taipei, the service sucks and you won't be impressed… Doesn't matter much; just needed a cheap place to crash. Platinum recognition is poor.

Location is convenient for getting around. It's pretty central and right on top of an MRT station. (Orange line)

FlyingNone

HI,
I may want to stay at this hotel in early February 2018 however I am confused about the bathrooms -- is there a difference between the Aloft room and the "Breezy" room bathrooms? - Some photos (TripAdvisor) appear to have bathrooms with a narrow wall separation from the main room and the sink area does not really appear 100% private -- whereas other rooms show a private bathroom (sink, shower, tub, toilet) with a door. Though we are two ladies traveling, we prefer complete bathroom privacy. Does anyone know if the cheaper (Aloft) room has a different bathroom setup than the Breezy room ? Thanks for any information.

ftrichard

I stayed here last weekend. I booked and received an Aloft room. The bathroom is open to the bedroom as shown in the picture. I had a good room on a high floor facing the back with a large window but it was still open. The placement of the wardrobe means the toilet and showers do not open directly into the bedroom but the sink is there and there would not be much soundproofing from the loo.

keepclimbing

It was only after a couple of stays that I realised the whole wooden panel (with the picture on it) acts as a sliding door.

Chihster

yes, there are sliding wood doors that can enclose the whole bath/toilet area.

ftrichard

Haha. Seriously, really? That's quite concealed. I didn't find that. It's not obvious. Well, that should resolve the question positively.

barracuda93

That's not about SPG as such or Aloft, it's about Taipei. Hotels are weirdly overpriced here. Say, much better located and having good rating Aloft Kuala Lumpur is just 3000–4000 points a night.

Unfortunately, Taipei IHG properties are located in the middle of nowhere. Cheap on points though, MUCH better value.

CXYYZ

Stayed here recently in a Breezy room. As a Platinum, I received the room category I booked on a lowish floor but was given a card for free "specialty drinks" (think Nespresso-quality coffees) at the bar - alcoholic drinks were not included. I selected breakfast as my amenity.

The bed was comfortable and the sofa was functional rather than luxurious. The TV offered HDTV channels including standard (for Taiwan) English movie & entertainment channels. I was a bit surprised to find the mini-fridge was empty whereas bottled water is free for SPG Platinums at the W, soft drinks and beer are free at Le Meridien and everything is free at the Four Points or Design Hotels properties. The breakfast offering was a strange blend of miscellaneous breakfast and non-breakfast foods but the quality wasn't bad and the service was attentive.

The location is decent enough for tourists but prime sightseeing locations require an MRT ride. With that said, I liked the Family Mart across from the hotel, night market, bars, etc nearby.

Bottom line:
I would rate this highly as a budget-oriented international chain hotel and would recommend it as the best value-for-money SPG hotel in Taipei. But, in Taipei, I think you can find even better value outside the international chains.

ftrichard

Agreed. As somebody else has noted, hotels in Taipei are weirdly over-priced compared to other cities in Asia given the relative cost of taxis, food and drink. While I'll happily stay at Le Meridiens, Sheratons, Westins and even Ws on occasion elsewhere in Asia I find the Taipei prices had to justify for a weekend break so this Aloft is very welcome. You make an interesting though point and if I'm not chasing eligible nights then a nice room with breakfast included can undoubtedly be found elsewhere for less.

CommentatusMaximus

Just stayed there last week with two rooms. The difference between the Aloft and Breezy bathrooms is that the latter has a bathtub. In both cases the toilet is in its own private stall with door.

I actually liked the property and left a positive review on their site. Excellent amenities, comfortable bed, free parking, metro stop one block away east, and a popular night market a block away to the north. They treat platinums well there too for a more limited service hotel.

Xu Guan

I will second that the only difference in the rooms are the bathtub. I have stayed here quite a few times and the staff is more than helpful and if there are any needs or occasions. The best thing to do is to just contact the hotel ahead of time. One thing to keep in mind about the Aloft and upgrades is that room upgrades are not part of Aloft or Element hotels and one should not come in with the expectation that an upgrade will occur.

hclee01

Hi

I have an upcoming 4 nights stay in Taipei and deciding to go with either Sheraton or Aloft Zhongshan. My last stay in Sheraton Taipei was years back when it was under "Lai Lai Sheraton" and I stayed in Aloft Zhongshan 1.5 years back.

Which hotel will be better in terms of breakfast offering and quality of room stay (e.g. cleanliness, etc).

I am SPG Gold member and will probably make no difference in terms of the "perks" offered in both hotels.

Thanks in advance for sharing your thoughts on this.

l380

Sheraton, hands down. Extension breakfast selection, decent size room, good location, good facilities.
The breakfast at Aloft is very limited and the rooms are small. You can refer to my previous post.

Fly Me To The Moon

The only thing I do not like about the Aloft Zhongshan is that it does not have a gym. Otherwise, works for me for a short stay in Taipei. The Aloft in Beitou DOES have a gym, but a bit out of the way for me.