Di Hua Jie Stay

The lobby was very cold, while the fifth hall was very warm, and there’s a water station by the lobby. The bed was comfortable, and the toilet bidet was a great addition. I stayed two nights and paid 1500 HKD. It’s unmanned and cash only, and a bit of a walk from the bus stops and train station, but right by the wharf. Despite those drawbacks, it was one of the loveliest places I’ve stayed.

The room was small but had everything I needed for a comfortable, cozy stay. A 7-Eleven nearby sold food, drinks, and train tickets, and had an ATM. I also realized the hotel isn’t near most of the shops or train station hubs, which is worth knowing. Even so, I had a good stay and would consider coming back. After reading earlier reviews, I expected check-in might be tricky because of the street noise. There’s a phone next to the door. You call someone there, get instructions for entering, then unlock a box with your room key. I’m not sure why they don’t email those details shortly before arrival, then ask you to call once you’re inside with the key to let them know you’ve arrived. That would have avoided a small inconvenience.

The location made it easy to walk to Taipei main metro station. There’s a lovely nearby pier and a market around the corner where we had local breakfast every day. The room was clean, compact, and everything worked well. It was small, and a window would have been nicer, but given the price and facilities I could live with that. The Japanese toilet that automatically sprays your bottom was a bonus. We struggled with the electrical sockets because they were a different shape from what we use in Vietnam. We asked a staff member if we could borrow an adapter, without much hope since they don’t provide services, but she came back with three for us to use. That really impressed us. We’d definitely return and recommend it to friends and family.

We stayed five nights at sls stay in a double room without a window. The room was cheap compared with others, and the hotel was fairly close to night markets and other attractions, but a little far from the MRT, making it take longer to get to other districts. There was basically no staff. Check-in and everything else being automatic was fine, but we didn’t see anyone in person during our whole stay, which felt impersonal. We had to text any problems through Line, and sometimes got no answer. There was no room service the whole time. We had to message on Line for toilet paper. The first time it arrived three hours later, and the second time no one responded. It’s understandable not to have regular room service for the first few days if guests are told, but changing the toilet wastebasket and providing more toilet paper should be basic service. The room smelled strongly of mold, which isn’t surprising without a window. The ventilation only works when someone is in the room with the key. I can imagine guests showering, heading out to the night market, and leaving humid air in the room where mold can grow. There was also no warm water. We asked our Line contact, who insisted it was available. We asked whether we needed to turn something on, but got no answer, so we showered without warm water for all five nights.