We know how hard it can be when choosing the right hotel. The pictures on a website might include a hotel level oasis complete with gentle candlelight and soft furnishings, but when you arrive it’s more like a cheap bed and breakfast, and you discover the photos are from when it first opened….10 years ago. Here are a few hotels and hostels in Taiwan’s Taipei.
#10 Happy Family
So our first hostel comes in at number ten and it’s the Happy Family Hostel. Happy Family offers rooms and beds by the month. The lowest price they have is NT$6500 per month for a dorm room, which averages at around NT$215 a night. Monthly rental for a single room starts at NT$8,500. This is an excellent price for its location. Dorm rooms start as low as NT$400 per night.
Happy Family Hostel is just outside of the Taipei Train Station, which gives you easy access to the rest of the city. The rooms are ok; they provide adequate facilities and are clean. Air conditioning is provided in all rooms.
#9 Taipei Key Mall Traveler
Hostel number nine won an Award for Excellence in 2010. The Taipei Key Mall Traveler, also known as Holo International Family Travel Hostel is a little pricier than other hostels, (The cheapest room is around NT$600 or $23USD per night), but your evening rate includes breakfast. Its location is on the blue line so you are right in the middle of all of the action. The rooms are good. If you’re in a dorm there are curtains you can slide across for more privacy. The social area is the best part of this hostel. It’s great for eating in and for meeting new faces from all over the world. The hostel is equipped with free Wi-fi.
#8 Taipei House International Youth Hostel (Xingtian MRT Station, Yellow Line)
Coming in at number eight is the Taipei House International Youth Hostel. Dorm rooms are available for as low as NT$490 during low season. Please note that night by night prices are only for the dorm rooms. Private rooms run on a monthly basis. This is a Christian owned organization with very friendly owners. The hostel is designed for a younger crowd, such as students or Taipei House VIP card holders. You’ll need either a Taipei House VIP card or a student card to stay here. Taipei House International Youth hostel offers a fun and young vibe. They are located just a few MRT stops away from the centre of downtown Taipei.
#7 Guest House Taiwanmex (Taipei Main Station)
Guest House Taiwanmex offers a more private and cozier environment than most. There is one 6-person dorm room; the rest are either 2 bed or 4 bed dorms. They also offer rooms with additional facilities, such as a washing machine. Rooms here are of excellent value, with the cheapest coming in at at NT$300. For NT$450+, you can get your own room with a queen-size bed and ensuite. As an added bonus they will even pick you up from the airport.
#6 Chocolate Box Backpackers (Guting MRT Station, Green Line)
The number six position is held by one of our favorite hostels in Taipei. You enter into a beautiful veranda which has lots of flora and a floating wicker egg chair to relax in during the day. The social area is quite inviting and the owner is a really friendly woman and tour guide. Stuck for something to do that day? Ask her, she knows all of the best things to go and see and do, whether it’s sightseeing or partying. Chocolate Box is located right in the heart of Taipei’s party district, but its set back far enough to ensure and quiet night’s rest. The rooms are to a decent standard and are cleaned every day, and the facilities are excellent, including a games console and DVD library. The cheapest price for a bed is NT$500.
#5 World Scholar House (Zhongxiao Xinsheng, Blue Line)
Sneaking in at number five is the World Scholar House. Dorm room rates start at NT$400, which is a great price for this hostel. You will enter into a welcoming reception with a great social area. The location is excellent. It’s right in the heart of Taipei.
#4 Taipei Backpackers Hostel (Taipei Main Station)
Taipei Backpackers Hostel is another one of our favorite hostels. They are consistently rated within the top 10 hostels in Taipei. Due to the comfortable surrounding (and the comfortable price) Taipei Backpackers has become very popular amongst teachers and visitors alike. The cheapest dorm room option will set you back about NT$250, so it’s actually one of our lowest priced hostels. When paired with the excellent job they have done at decorating the hostel, you’ll soon realize that this is a great bargain. With Taipei Backpackers, it can almost feel like you are in a hotel. Note that there are two Taipei Backpacker locations within easy reach of one another.
#3 EZ Stay Hostel (Ximending, Blue Line)
EZ stay Hostel is located right in the heart of Ximending, which is the youth centre of Taipei. If you’re young and hip, this might be a terrific option for you. The rooms offer great facilities, including mini fridges and flat screen TVs; and the price is extremely reasonable. Private rooms can be had for as little as NT$335. The hostel has recently been refurbished so the rooms are to a good standard in terms of décor and quality.
#2 Mango53 Inn (Longshan Temple, Blue Line)
In at number two we have Mango53 Inn. Another great location, located very close to Longshan Temple station meaning you have a temple nearby as well as night markets and restaurants. This hostel has an almost Nordic look to it with its exposed brick work and wood work that is apparent throughout the building. It boasts an amazing communal area with two outdoor balconies. The price is also reasonable for its location and facilities, the cheapest room coming in at NT$450.
#1 STAR Hostel (Taipei Main Station & Zhongshan MRT Red Line)
So in first place we have (drum roll, please) STAR hostel. It’s almost difficult to see this place as a hostel; it’s more like a high end modern living space complete with sleek designs and modern furnishings. The location of this place is excellent. It’s just an 8 minute walk away from Taipei Main station, so you are very close to the hustle and bustle of city life. The price is more towards the higher end of hostel living with the cheapest price being NT$600, but for the location and the amenities I would say that it is more than justified.
Canadian expat Carrie Kellenberger has kept a home base with her husband in Asia since 2003. A prolific traveler, Carrie has funded her travels primarily as a writer, editor, travel blogger and photographer, but she has also worked as an educator, voice over artist, model and nightclub singer. She draws upon her 15+ years of travel experience to write about travel-related issues and the countries she has visited on her award-winning web site, My Several Worlds.
Her photography and travel articles have appeared in both print and online publications around the world, including Travel and Leisure Asia, Unearthing Asia and Hip Compass Escapes.
