Chia Rong Hostel

The room and everything else are basic, but for the price you can't go wrong. We could hear the street below, though we were only here for visa errands and a place to sleep. We ended up staying a second night. The main Taipei Train Station is less than a five-minute walk away. The place is a little hidden, but the photos help you find it, almost like an Amazing Race challenge. There's a great local food place a couple of streets away; see the review below.

The location is really good, but there were bugs all over the place: in the bathroom and shower, by the bed, and even in the curtain. It was also cold because you couldn't control the AC, though they did provide extra blankets. For the price, I wasn't expecting much, but I hate bugs and won't come back.

The staff were nice and helpful, especially the son. The older staff couldn't speak English, so communicating with them was a little difficult. They also held our luggage before and after the check-in window. It's good value and within walking distance of Taipei main/bus station. The room had air conditioning and a private bathroom, though the bathroom could have been cleaner.

The only upside was being about five minutes from the main station, which made it easy to leave early in the morning. I paid around 850NT and regretted it. I booked on Christmas Eve because my original hotel cancelled and this was the only place available. It was gross: the bed and pillows had stains I couldn't identify, everything smelled weird and dusty, and there was no way to turn down the AC, so it was very cold. Staff told me to 'try cover it' with a blue piece of fabric. The bathroom was moldy, loose electrical wires hung in the room, and there were small insects, cracks, and dirt on the walls. I could go on.