Travel Guide: Taipei/ Hotel Review: W Taipei

Check In, Check Out

Hotel Review: W Taipei

Dan Levin

Room with a view at the year-old W Taipei.

By DAN LEVIN

Published: February 3, 2012

Related

• Travel Guide: Taipei

This fashionable perch from which to explore Taipei has enough amenities that you may wish to stay in. Doubles from $300; suites up to $13,000.

THE BASICS

Taiwan’s economy boomed in the 1980s, but the recent, rapid rise of China, its neighbor and historic enemy, has been a windfall for this island and its capital, Taipei. Wealthy mainlanders are now arriving in droves, and they need somewhere to drop off their shopping bags. With that in mind, the 405-room W Taipei opened last year in a gleaming stainless-steel tower adorned in scarlet neon lights.

LOCATION

In Taipei’s bustling central business district, right in the middle of the action, a few blocks from the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and Taipei 101, the world’s second-tallest building. Nearby subway stations mean you can be whisked to the city’s shopping districts and mountain hot springs.

THE ROOM

My 24th-floor “Wonderful” room took full advantage of Taipei’s urban landscape: floor-to-ceiling windows looked over the city and mountains beyond, though there was no view of Taipei 101 (those rooms cost more). The décor could be described as luxury Ikea: white lacquer, burnished wood, floral carpeting and whimsical elements, like three tubular tables topped by faux tree rings, by a comfortable chaise. The king bed was deliciously plush and faced a 42-inch plasma TV set over a long desk. Wi-Fi was 400 Taiwanese dollars for 24 hours ($14 at 30 Taiwanese dollars to the dollar), but access is limited to three devices, and a glitch required the concierge to reset it. The minibar included a carnival-size lollipop, a CD of chill-out remixes, Champagne flutes and a package of sexy pantyhose with the exhortation “be bad.”

THE BATHROOM

The marble floor in the entryway continued into the open bathroom (which can be closed off by sliding doors). A cramped cell enclosed the toilet, but its futuristic features will distract you from your claustrophobia: the lid opened automatically and a wall panel at seat level was full of buttons — labeled “cleanser,” “soft pressure,” “pulse” — that controlled the ablutions (as in a bidet). The rainfall shower and tub were separated from the sink area by a tinted-glass half-door. Bliss toiletries were in the shower and on the sink, though the shelf left little room for dopp kits.

AMENITIES

The front entrance, with its throbbing electronic soundtrack, seems like a party in full swing, but most of the action, including check-in, happens in the 10th floor lobby. There, guests gather by the front desk with their luggage or relax in a lounge filled with trampoline-size banquettes and lipstick-red leather couches, where you can snack on sugary confections by day and sip cocktails by night, when it turns into a packed club. A stunning 82-foot heated pool has an outdoor wet bar. There are two restaurants, the Kitchen Table, which serves a range of cuisines and a mediocre breakfast buffet, and Yen, a high-end Chinese restaurant.

ROOM SERVICE

After a night on the town, I returned to my room at 3 a.m. famished, so I ordered room service, which is available 24 hours a day (except the breakfast menu). My cheeseburger and a pastrami Reuben sandwich, which came with fries and a light salad, arrived in 30 minutes and really hit the spot.

BOTTOM LINE

Smack in the heart of a city that can be discombobulating for foreigners, the W Taipei provides familiar, luxurious comfort in flawless English. Strenuously hip if mildly pretentious, it strives to make you feel part of the in-crowd, but it doesn’t come cheap.

W Taipei, 10 Zhongxiao East Road Sec. 5, Xinyi District; (886-2) 7703-8888; wtaipei.com. DAN LEVIN