Check Inn Express Taipei Yongkang

What made this stay so upsetting was the way the front desk responded after I raised a basic cleanliness concern. Around 8 PM, I calmly explained that I have dust allergies and expected a room that had been properly cleaned. I was met with indifference, and by 10 PM the only answer was to cancel our booking and send us away with our luggage, exhausted and late at night, without real help. It wasn't a language barrier. I felt ignored and treated like an inconvenience instead of a paying guest who'd traveled all day. Nobody took responsibility or seemed to understand that we just needed a clean, safe place to rest. Their replies made it feel as if we were being blamed for booking there and should accept the lack of cleanliness. The room was called “upgraded,” but it felt more like a storage room. Dust covered the windows in the room and bathroom, the floor was visibly dirty, and the carpet kicked up dust when we walked on it. Someone else's hair was still in the hair dryer. The walls were dirty and cracked, and wires from the TV and WiFi router hung messily below the wall-mounted TV. The air conditioner barely responded, taking hours to adjust the temperature. I know it's a budget hotel, but that doesn't excuse careless, unhygienic conditions or a dismissive response. This was the worst hotel experience I've had in Taiwan. It was frustrating, exhausting, and honestly upsetting. A hotel should at least try to care about its guests. Don't book this place.

The bed was comfortable, and there were plenty of wall sockets. The room had no windows, which was actually a plus with the busy roads outside. But it wasn't very clean: there was mold in the bathroom and dust, and I had allergic reactions. Hair dryer, body wash, shampoo, and conditioner were provided, but there was no food. Fine as a last resort.

I paid around us$45/night, which is reasonable, but the cleanliness has gotten worse over the years. The bathtub had mold and mildew, so I cleaned it myself. The staff may not have been trained properly, or perhaps they were short staffed. If management doesn't improve room cleanliness, I won't come back.

The location is good, near the subway, but the room felt cramped for the price, and the shower tap holder was too low to use comfortably. We also found what was clearly a blood stain on the bed sheet as soon as we entered. Staff changed the sheets quickly after we told them, but their explanations didn't match: one said the cleaner had accidentally hurt herself, while another called it a washing machine oil stain. That was concerning.