Courtyard by Marriott Taipei

At night, the rooms, hallways, and elevators felt quite dim. The windows brought in plenty of daylight, but reading after dark was tricky unless I sat right under a lamp. That was my only small gripe. The rooms were spacious for Taipei, clean, and well kept, and breakfast had a consistently good mix of Asian and Western food. Staff were polite and helpful. The location worked especially well for me, with direct MRT, TRA, and HSR connections from the transport hub below, plus an easy trip from TPE. I found it more practical than staying closer to the city center. I’d book Courtyard Taipei again.

The room design had a thoughtful way of keeping shower water from getting onto the bathroom floor. I’ve travelled around Europe, the Middle East, and Asia and hadn’t seen that before. Getting out of the tub could be hard for an older person, though. Breakfast had lots of choices, and they changed some dishes each day, which was nice on a longer stay. There are restaurants and shops downstairs, and the metro is close by. The staff were polite, but check-in was a terrible start. My company had booked under my passport name, and after checking my passport the desk still insisted on seeing my work ID or the company booking email. That extra step felt unnecessary and left a bad first impression. Leisure guests don’t seem to need to show booking emails, so why make it so difficult for business travellers? We were tired from the flight and a full day of work, and I don’t usually carry a staff card that won’t work at another office location. I hope management seriously considers removing this absurd requirement.

We’ve stayed here several times, usually for at least a week each time, and the staff have always been genuinely nice and helpful. The hotel is pleasant and reasonably priced, with a good buffet breakfast covering both Asian and Western food. Guests with status can also use a very nice lounge. It’s handy for Metro, trains, taxis, and shopping, with lots of food choices in Citylink Mall and the metro area nearby. Highly recommended.

The shower was the biggest concern for me. There are several warnings about slipping, and getting in and out felt dangerous. The rooms are spacious and fairly well equipped, but they’re showing their age. The hotel sits a little outside the main tourist areas, which some people may prefer. Breakfast was really mediocre, so I wouldn’t spend time on it. A solid three out of five.