On My Way Taipei Youth Hostel

The dorm was clean and comfortable, and only a few steps from the MRT station. A park is just a little farther away. Instructions posted throughout the place help everyone keep the shared home safe and orderly.

The staff were kind and attentive, and even sold me stamps for my postcards. There’s a huge collection of rubber stamps to decorate letters and cards, plus free coffee, tea, and toast. I had a great time. It’s such a clean, cute, comfortable place, and the bunk curtain and earplugs meant I slept amazingly. It’s also a great location for walking to the hot springs. I went in the evening and again in the morning.

I liked this part of the neighbourhood more than the upscale hotel area. It felt local and down-to-earth, with plenty of good local places to eat, and the hot springs and other attractions were walkable. The common area was cozy, the staff friendly, the bed comfortable, and the bathroom clean. The room got a little musty when all eight people were in it, which might be hard to avoid in a hostel. There’s no lift for people going to the upper floors, though there is one for luggage. Still, it was a wonderful stay and good value for money.

The staff were friendly and helpful when I needed them, and most areas seemed to be cleaned regularly. But high-touch spots need more attention. The kitchen and basement common areas are laid out pretty well given the limited space. It’s a handy location, a short walk from Beitou MRT and the day and night market. The showers and toilets were clean, but tiny and awkward for tall people. The bathroom curtains were visibly disgusting and badly need washing. I hated having to touch them to get through. The dorm mattresses were thin but okay for a couple of nights. The bunks felt cheaply made and shook a lot with any movement, especially from the top bunk. When the person above shifted even a little, it felt like trying to sleep through an earthquake. They need sturdier construction, or at least bolting to the walls. The bunk curtains need more regular cleaning, too. The room lockers were useless. You could pull them open with little force even when locked. Since people also left the dorm doors unlocked, I wouldn’t leave anything valuable in the rooms. It was a very antisocial hostel. Guests seemed like hotel people unfamiliar with hostel life, too poor to afford Taipei hotels, and too ignorant to show respectful hostel behaviour. Everyone treated the shared space selfishly like their own room. In the common rooms, people sat alone absorbed in devices and didn’t seem open even to a little socializing. Maybe some of it was language or not liking foreigners, but that didn’t explain why nobody seemed to talk with each other. I was apparently the only Western guest. I struggled to sleep because of rude guests who treated the place like their own private hotel, and felt unwelcome by nearly everyone except a few really nice staff. I don’t blame the hostel for having bad guests, but I’m sharing this so future guests can make an informed choice. Staff should enforce mask wearing when guests are sick. They didn’t seem to act when sick people coughed around everyone. One man coughed in the check-in common room for hours without covering his mouth, and nobody told him to wear a mask, even though I put mine on to model basic social etiquette. Since COVID, that should be completely unacceptable. A note for guests: if you snore, don’t book a shared dorm. Keeping others awake all night while you get rest is disrespectful, and this happens a lot in Taiwan. Book a private room or don’t travel.