Giant Rich King Plaza Hotel

The room was very clean and comfortable, and I appreciated having both hot and cold water in the bathroom after exploring Taipei. Staff were friendly, welcoming, and ready to help throughout my three-day stay at Giant Rich King Plaza Hotel. The affordable price was a big plus for the quality. I had a really good stay and left satisfied. I'd happily book Giant Rich King Plaza Hotel again on my next Taipei visit.

There are snacks, tea bags, coffee, a microwave, and a hot, cold, and warm water dispenser along the corridor. You can also buy toiletries, drinks, and snacks from vending machines if you've forgotten anything. The staff were very helpful. A grocer next door sells fruit, bread, and toiletries, and there are a 7-11 and Family Mart across the street. It's very convenient, with a night market and MRT stations five to ten minutes away on foot. It's a budget, basic hotel on the third floor of a shop lot. At first you only see the sign, then have to walk into the building and take the elevator up. A good place to rest for the night if you're not expecting a high-end stay.

The bed was extremely firm, though the pillows were nice. The shower had excellent water pressure and temperature. There are two elevators, and the rooms are simple but more than big enough for what you need.

We ended up in a third room and, thankfully, didn't see any more cockroaches there. The other two rooms our group had booked continued to have them. We were told that if any turned up in the third room, we'd get a refund for the remaining nights, but it took a stern talk with my mom, who came out of her room, to get that agreement. When I first asked for a refund, the desk refused. We were the first group to arrive and had two other rooms booked, but they still said there were no refunds. They also wouldn't guarantee that another room would be roach-free. The first room had a cockroach in the bathroom as soon as we walked in. I told the front desk, and they came in with a broom and roach spray. There were missing bathroom tiles, mold in the grout, and a strong mildew smell throughout the room. After we saw more roaches, they offered to move us next door. As I picked up my backpack from the desk, I saw a cockroach crawling over it. The next room smelled better and looked cleaner, so we were hopeful. But after a nap I saw one scurry under the bed, and there were more. On our first night, about ten minutes after we turned out the lights, my fiance went into the bathroom and saw four roaches scatter into corners, including under the floor towel. When I reported it, the front desk didn't seem surprised. They said the hotel was below a restaurant and near the night market, though the market is a few blocks away and I don't think the roaches came from there. I wasn't expecting luxury for the price, but this was the worst hotel stay I've had. I do have a limit to what I'll put up with, and this was it.