Hub Hotel Ximen-inn Kunming

Anderson, the hotel manager, even gave us a box, tape, and string to pack our fragile goodies safely for the trip home. The front office staff, Anderson and Amber Chen, were friendly, very helpful, and fluent in English, making things easy for us. We stayed at Hub Hotel (Kunming branch), which is clean and newly renovated. There are actually two Hub Hotels in Ximending, so make sure you choose the Kunming branch. Food places surround it, with FamilyMart and 7-Eleven downstairs and Carrefour within walking distance. The bathroom has a modern bidet toilet, good water pressure, and complimentary shampoo and body wash. Disposable slippers are supplied too. There’s also a snack bar with a coffee dispenser offering different flavours, a lovely treat for guests. We thoroughly enjoyed the stay, highly recommend it, and would choose it again next time we’re in Taipei.

The front office staff were very accommodating, and the gentleman at the desk was especially helpful and welcoming, though I’ve forgotten his name. Our room was cleaned every day, which we really appreciated. Free snacks, water, and coffee in the lobby were a nice extra and made the stay more comfortable. The hotel is an easy short walk from Ximending, so getting around was very convenient.

The service and location were good, but the room wasn’t as advertised, and this place felt old and poorly maintained. We’ve stayed in older hotels and home stays in Taipei Ximending that were much better cared for. The price was over $500, though we were there on New Year’s Eve, and I don’t think it was worth that. When I pulled out the desk chair, I found a t-shirt from the previous guests still on it. The bed was stained, its springs were out of shape, and sleeping was very uncomfortable. It had only one thin mattress protector and a very thin sheet. There were water and dirt stains on the walls, and mould on the outside of the windows. The window was so close to the next building that you could literally shake someone’s hand if they reached out. The central air conditioning left the room feeling quite warm even though it was 19 degrees outside. A green light behind the TV flickered all night even with the TV off. Maybe unplugging it would switch it off, but we didn’t try. One thing that did work well was the bath: excellent water pressure and hot water right away. This hotel may be something you need to get used to.

The mattress felt too hard to me, though that’s just my personal preference. Otherwise, I liked the hotel and would come back for the comfort. It’s near Ximen Station, with a modern, new renovation, a bathroom, balcony, and large TV.