CityInn Hotel Taipei Station Branch I Review (新驛旅店台北車站一館) - A Damn Convenient Location to Explore the Rest of Taipei!

I can only point the finger at this term known as "travel fatigue" when i came to the realisation upon my return to Singapore that i didn't take that many pictures for our last accommodation in Taiwan; City Inn Hotel Taipei Station!

This came as a brutal shock to me because the stay was over five nights and i was extremely impressed with this particular hotel. I might not have travelled much but the level of service in this hotel would be one good reason why i would strongly recommend the 3-star CityInn to my friends! More on that later.

Room size was the smallest out of the four accommodations we had in Taiwan but it has almost everything you need in a basic hotel (including free wifi access) except for a mini fridge, which is negligible for us. And, there were a lot more; for example, power sockets in the room that are compatible with our three-pin plugs and availability of a torch light next to the bed in case there is a power shortage!

Little touch of surprises was everywhere! Not many hotels would provide complimentary bag of snacks for you to munch on when you are watching a damn exciting movie on cable! CityInn does!

Speaking of cable, the LCD featured a navigation panel similar to what we can find in full service airplanes and coaches. The main attraction is of course the blue-ray movies!

Pornographic addicts would be pleased with the "adult" category.

For young, innocent chaps like myself, i am happy watching a number of blockbusters that i have yet to catch. Frankly, i hate it when hotels provide too many programmes / movies on TVs as it often means i would compromise on my sleep to finish the show!

No complaint on the bathing amenities. As you can see, CityInn doesn't provide individual bottles of shampoo, bath-gel and small bars of soup. In their place are the dispensers which i personally thought is the ecological way to reduce wastage!

Another quirky feature i found was the above. The tabs we normally hang outside the room to "make up my room" and "do not disturb" now come in magnetic form!

No more having to place it over the door handle (which can be troublesome depending on the shape of the handle)! I even had a game with Alex; see who can throw it from a distance AND make it stick onto the door!

Each level has a technological theme; level seven is the icon of android (ironically, i am an Apple supporter when it comes to phones) whereas level two is YouTube.

Level five is Google Map. The theme is only limited to the corridor and not the rooms. I don't remember there's anything remotely 'android' about the room allocated to us.

Let's get down to level two. Did you notice there is no level four in this hotel? As usual, the curious me could not help asking and the answer given was that some of the buildings in Taiwan would jump the number given the Chinese pronunciation of four is almost identical to the word "death".

Those notices pasted in the lift can be really useful - the weather forecast would determine if you would need to borrow an umbrella from the reception and your dress code for the day!

Even though CityInn is located quite near to the HSR station, you may wish to consider the private airport shuttle should you have too much to carry! Those who need to buy local snacks as souvenirs for friends / relatives / colleagues can also order directly through the reception; delivery is directly to the hotel and you only need to pay a nominal transportation fee imposed by the snack companies (not the hotel).

Half of level two is designated as the common area for guests where you can read the local newspapers for the latest update of the country and the world.

There's even a pantry with a refrigerator, coffee machine, nescafe dispenser and microwave for you to use. I honestly don't like the idea of sharing the refrigerator with strangers but i am totally in love with the coffee machine! Get a cup before you get out of the hotel.

Seating on level two can be improved; the feeling i had when i was sitting on the seats was like i am waiting to see a doctor! Tsk, not exactly a fantastic thought when i am supposed to be holidaying.

Save on cleaning costs and do your own laundry! Washing power is provided free of charge and you may even do your own ironing (irons are available from the reception counter on level one).

Some of you might have heard that our luggage was severely overweight when we got to the airport; the actual count was twenty kilograms over the limit! I would have faced much lesser frustration if i had utilised the weighing machine in CityInn! :( 

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As i mentioned in the beginning of this post, the exemplary service displayed by the operation team would be key to my strong endorsement of CityInn Taipei Station Branch I; it in fact started well before I stepped into the hotel when the receptionist called me a few days and notified me on the check in timing. 

In the five nights we was there, they have been the recipient of our numerous, multi-tier questions yet maintained a friendly disposition that never failed to cheer us up! The final 'straw' came when i returned to my room on the last night to find the above lying on the bed. 

It's a handwritten card addressed personally to me and two egg puddings for supper! I was honestly very touched by this nice gesture as everyone has been so kind and helpful! 

A BIG THANK YOU to Michelle, Wayne, Seven, Lillian, Cindy, Raine, Anthony, Volka, Joyce and the housekeeping staff! All of you have indeed created unforgettably sweet memories and for that, we are extremely grateful. 

Location

No.7, Huaining St., Zhongzheng Dist., 

Taipei City 100, Taiwan

Map 

As above

Website (English version available)

http://www.cityinn.com.tw

Price

S$110.15 a night which includes taxes and fees; booked via hotels.com. I just checked the hotel website; the rates are cheaper!!! Sad...

Additional Information

Get the two maps as above! The first would help you to navigate around the hotel and the other would give you valuable information on major tourist spots along the subway stations; for example, you should exit Jiannan Road MRT station for the Miramar Ferris Wheel! 

For an overview of my 9 Days, 8 Nights Taiwan Trip [Cingjing (清境) - Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) - Taichung (臺中) - Taipei (臺 北)], click HERE.