Kindness Hotel (Tainan Chihkan Tower)

No. 97, Section 2

Minquan Road, Tainan

Tel: +886 (06) 225-3377

http://www.kindness-hotel.com.tw                                                 Time of stay：May 2017  

We stayed at this hotel because of good online reviews.  It has an excellent location, close to the Tainan Train Station and several major tourist attractions.  It also provides free bicycles for guests to ride around town.  What’s more, guests enjoy free breakfast buffet and late supper buffet, along with a constant supply of free cakes, ice cream and drinks.

It took us 15 minutes to walk there (with our luggage) from the train station.  We were amazed by the display of bicycles on the front wall.  As in Taipei, we were upgraded to a better room.  This trip was really full of pleasant surprises!  First in Taipei, now another upgrade in Tainan.  We could only thank God for His grace.  We toured around the hotel upon arrival.  The dining room was spacious, and we also liked the computer room and laundry facilities.  Exhausted by the train ride, we were quickly rejuvenated by the free cakes & drinks.  The cakes were tasty but not too sweet.

K Hotels Tianjin

No. 22, Ln. 53, Sec. 1 

Zhongshan N. Road, Taipei

Tel: +886 (2) 2581-2222

www.khotel.com.tw                                                                       Time of stay：May 2017  

We stayed at one of the K Hotels a few years back and were not impressed.  Earlier this year, they offered discounts for a new branch, K Hotels Tianjin, so we decided to give it one more try.  We booked a room on its website and received a confirmation email.  Then we asked a question through email but did not get any response.  We left a message on their website and still got no reply.  Unfortunately, there was a change of schedule and we had to cancel one night’s booking.  I ended up calling them, and a clerk said on the phone that I had to cancel all nights because that’s how the system was set up.  In other words, if we still wanted to stay at their hotel, we had to rebook the other nights.  But the rate had gone up like NT$600 higher per night.  I asked to speak to his supervisor, and after a couple of phone calls and conversations the problem was finally resolved.

Taipei Citizen Hotel

No. 80, Section 1, Jinshang S. Road 

Tel: +886 (2) 2397-1377

http://www.taipei-citizen-hotel.com.tw                                  Time of Stay：May 2016  

There are many hotels in Taipei, but it is not easy to find one that fits our needs.  We want a good location as well as a good CP (Cost-Performance) ratio.  This May we decided to stay in a new district, just to explore Taipei a little bit. Taipei Citizen Hotel got positive reviews on travel websites, but when I tried to find more detailed information on the Internet, sponsored posts were all there was.  While supposedly written by different authors, these posts were in fact identical.  This prompted me to write a more in-depth review on Taipei Citizen after our stay.

Amba Hotel

57-1, Section 2, Zhongshan N. Road
Tel: +886 (2) 2565-2828

www.amba-hotels.com/en/zhongshan/                                 Time of Stay：May 2015  

Amba Taipei Zhongshan is a newly opened hotel in the Ambassador Hotel Group.  It opened its doors in the spring of 2015.  The name Amba is quite interesting, because it’s the first four letters of “Ambassador.”  Though not too many customer reviews were available on the internet, we decided to give it a try.  After all, Amba is part of a reputable hotel group.

Living Water Hotel

No. 29, Ren’ai Road, Jiaoxi Township, Yilan County

Tel: +886 (3) 988-3988

http://www.lwh.com.tw                                       
                                                                                      Time of stay：Jan. 2014  

This winter was cold, so we decided to visit the famous Jiaoxi hot spring in Yilan.  We chose the Living Water Hotel, because we preferred to enjoy the hot spring at the privacy of our own room.   

The bus drive took around 1 hour from Taipei City, and the hotel was not far from the bus stop.  Immediately after we got into the hotel, we heard Christian songs.  It turned out the hotel was owned by a Christian.  The room we booked was a standard double room.  Based on the online information, it was the smallest type, but actually it was super huge by Taiwan standards.  There were only 4 rooms on our floor.  We did not hear a sound from other rooms the whole time.

Via Loft

2F., No. 42, Sec. 1, Ming Sheng East Road, Taipei, Taiwan

Tel: +886 (2) 2311-2121

www.loft.via-hotel.com.tw                                                                Time of stay：Jan. 2014  

Via Loft is a newly opened hotel. The internet reviews were pretty good, and they offered promotions for the grand opening, so I decided to give it a try. Less than 3 minutes after I made the reservation, I received the confirmation phone call, which was quite amazing! The caller made arrangements to smooth things out for me, and promised to refund the difference. I appreciate the thoughtful gesture.

K Hotels Taipei I

No. 1 Lane 11, Zhong Shan N. Road Sec. 2, Taipei, Taiwan 
Tel: +886 (2) 2542-2222                  
www.khotel.com.tw                                                         Time of stay：Jan.  2013

K Hotels Taipei I is located in a quiet alley behind the Okura Prestige Taipei. It is close to Zhongshan MRT Station, department stores and well-known restaurants. The online booking requires not only a deposit, but the full payment, which is different from the common practice of the similar hotels. Before arriving, I received an email saying that the room would be reserved only till 6pm. I immediately sent a reply, reminding them that I already paid in full so the room should be mine no matter what. They then sent another email explaining that the misunderstanding was caused by their misuse of a standardized form, and since I had fully paid, they would keep my room for me. 

Dandy Hotel (Tianjin Branch)

No. 70, Tianjin St., Zhongshan District., Taipei, Taiwan
Tel: +886(2)2541-5788
www.dandyhotel.com.tw                                            Time of stay: Jan. 2013


We've been trying to book this hotel for some time, and finally there're rooms available. The hotel is conveniently located in Zhongshan District, with Zhongshan MRT Station, department stores and famous restaurants nearby. Before we arrived in Taipei, a welcome letter was sent via email. Upon checking-in, we were told that our room was upgraded. The whole building was smoke-free, but when we got into our room, there's a slight smell of cigarette smoke. We called the front desk and a clerk immediately came to our room to help us switch to another room, which was highly efficient!

Mai Hotel

No. 15, Lane 105, Section 1, Zhong Shan North Road, Taipei, Taiwan
Tel: +886 (2) 2542-9511                             
www.maihotel.com.tw                                                Time of stay：Jan. 2012

This hotel is in a famous alley, which was part of a prestigious residential area under Japanese occupation (1895-1945).  It’s only a walking distance to Zhongshan MRT Station, department stores, and well-known restaurants like AoBa (青葉), SHIN YEH (欣葉), etc. I booked the hotel through a travel agency, and based on the internet information, the hotel was famous for its unique design.

The front desk staff was competent and friendly. There were newspapers and two computers at the lobby. But the computers were often occupied for long hours. There was a restaurant behind the lobby, providing free breakfast buffet, including Taiwanese fruits.

Look Hotel

No. 8, Xiangyang Rd.,, Zhong Zheng  District, Taipei, Taiwan  
Tel: +886 (2) 2370-9988
www.lookhotel.com.tw                                       Time of stay：June  2011

We got off from the airport shuttle at Taipei Main Station. It felt like a long way with our luggage. But after we knew the directions, it was not that far after all. Look is located on the edge of the Taipei Station business circle, so it enjoys the convenience  yet without too much noise. If you take the MRT, the NTU Hospital Station is the closest. But getting off at the Taipei Main Station would take you through more fun along the way.

Forte Orange (Kaifong Branch)

No. 41, Sec. 1, Kaifong St. Taipei, Taiwan

Tel: +886 (2) 2388-1523
www.orangeone.forte-hotel.net                                   Time of stay: June 2010

I read a news report saying that Forte was run by the famous Howard Hotel team, but the rates were more affordable. If so, why don’t we give it a try?

The location of Forte Orange (Kaifong) is quite good, right next to the Taipei Main Station, with all the activities and bustling under its nose. But probably just because of its prime location, the room was extremely small. Once you entered the building, you could see the building was small, and the elevator was small. The building was perhaps rebuilt into a hotel, so all the facilities were not designed with a hotel in mind. The room felt smaller than it claimed. We went there in summer, and it should be quite comfy with the air-conditioning on. But when we went to bed it was a dilemma. The air directly came down toward the bed. It felt too cold to leave it on, but too hot to leave it off.

Royal Seasons Hotel (Taipei Branch)

No. 326 Nanjing West Road, Taipei
Tel: +886 (2) 2555-6488
www.royalseasons.com                                                Time of stay: June 2009 

This hotel was called Seasons Hotel (Classic Taipei) back in 2009, but it was renamed as Royal Seasons Hotel (Taipei Branch) for some reason. It took quite a hassle to get there. After entering the city limits, the airport bus gave some passengers heading for certain areas to an old city bus, and it took a while for the city bus to finally arrive. The hotel is actually close to the once bustling food market Taipei Circle, but a bit far from the Zhongshan MRT Station. Its website says it’s a 10 to 15 minute walk. For us, it’s about 12 minutes. Walking was not a problem, but walking through a quiet and relatively dark neighborhood was a problem. It was scary for a female to walk on those streets alone at night.

Shin Shih Hotel

No. 8, Min Sheng W. Rd., Taipei, Taiwan

Tel: +886 (2) 2562-7466

www.shin-shih.com.tw                                                Time of stay: March 2008 

Shin Shih is very close to the Shuanglian MRT Station, only a short walk after the exit. And there’s a market nearby, so you can pick up some fruits along the way. Walking along the Min Sheng West Road will take you to Sec. 2 of Zhong Shan North Road, a nice shopping area.

Taipei Wish Hotel

No.17-3, Lane 77, Sec. 2, Zhong Shan N. Rd., Taipei, Taiwan

Tel: +886 (2) 2563-3369

www.wishotel.com.tw                                 Time of stay: June 2007 & May 2015

Before we made the reservation, we researched to make sure this hotel received good reviews. People said it was not easy to find this hotel, because it’s hidden in a small alley. Good thing that we had enough information, so we knew we should first find the easier target – the Ambassador Hotel. Taipei Wish Hotel is located in an alley adjacent to the Ambassador, with a 7-11 at the corner. Although the address listed on their website is Jhong Shan N. Rd., it’s actually Zhong Shan N. Rd. They use the latter in the directions.

Many boutique hotels have sprung up in Taipei in recent years. Most of them are stylish but small, yet providing reasonable services. In 2007, we stayed in Standard Room and Deluxe Suite. The real size of the Standard Room was smaller than what the photos showed on their website. Fortunately we did not have much luggage, so we were fine. Everything in the bedroom and bathroom was clean and neat. But the TV on the wall was really small, especially if you want to lay back and watch it. Also, although we asked for a non-smoking room, there’s a tinge of cigarette smoke coming through the ventilation. The Deluxe Room was pretty much the same as the photos on the website. In 2015 when we stayed there again, the two types of rooms were of the same rate. Since the Deluxe Room was bigger and had either a Jacuzzi or a steam room, it’s a natural choice.

▲The view from the door.

▲The bathroom with a steam shower.

▲A glimpse of the bathroom.

In order to increase the number of rooms, quite a few new boutique hotels in Taipei have thin walls and therefore very poor soundproof effect.  So many times I could hear clearly what’s going on in the neighboring rooms or in the hallway. Sometimes the noise even disturbed my sleep. So, the soundproof rooms at Taipei Wish Hotel were especially appreciated.

The stay included a free breakfast in either Western or Chinese style, which was served in the restaurant in the basement. The stairs were a little steep, so be careful. Other than the restaurant, lounge and conference room were also in the basement, where magazines were provided. There were also free laundry facilities. The staff of the Taipei Wish Hotel was friendly and pleasant. They made our stays enjoyable.