Sky19 Hotel

The room was spacious, got a thorough cleaning every day, and had a window that brought in daylight and gave us a view from the 19th floor. The women on staff were cheerful, friendly, and very helpful. I also appreciated the free self-service laundry and the lounge, where there was a microwave, utensils, and room to eat. Handy if you're keeping costs down. Taipei Main Station is very close, which made the location a real plus. The first time, though, it took some effort to find the hotel. It's inside the large Asia Plaza Tower Building, up on the 19th floor, and the signs could be clearer. Service from the male staff felt uneven. They often seemed stiff or indifferent, and I usually had to greet them first. When I asked for something, they didn't seem very enthusiastic. I also couldn't get even a one-hour late checkout because of a fully booked event. That policy felt rigid, which was disappointing. Still, the clean, comfortable room and the spot near the station made this a solid stay for me. I'd rate it 4 out of 5.

The location is the big plus. You can get to the hotel from Taipei main station via exit Z2, with bus stops nearby, and Ximending is about a 20-minute walk. We paid TWD15k ++ for three nights. Our room was 1818 on the 18th floor. The room itself was decent, with clean beds and toilets, and there was free coffee and tea in the lounge, though nothing there tempted me to try it. The hotel lobby is on level 19, and not every room in the building belongs to the hotel. We saw offices next to ours. The building is old and has the feel of a Taiwan HDB flat. We checked in during the evening, and, well, the atmosphere was a bit unsettling.

We had a lovely stay until my husband accidentally lost the hotel keycard. We were sorry about it, but staff wouldn't let us check out until we'd paid the 500 NTD, or 1000 PHP, lost-card penalty. We run a hotel in the Philippines, so we know replacement cards are inexpensive and lost cards are an expected part of hospitality. We felt 500 NTD wasn't justified, especially since it should be cheaper and more efficient to make new cards in a technologically advanced country like Taiwan. We paid because we didn't want to be late for our flight, but the whole experience ruined the stay. We swore we'd never return. There are other hotels near Taipei Main Station, and I'd recommend other travelers stay at one of those.

The laundry turned into a hassle and threw off our plans for the day. We followed the instructions for how many clothes to put in and how long to run the machines, but they were still very wet. We had to run the dryer at least three times. Waiting in the laundry room for over 30 minutes, sometimes less, with nothing to do wasn't practical, so we'd leave for our room, downstairs, or the lounge. Once we set the dryer for 45 minutes and came back after 30, it had stopped, but the clothes were still wet. The washers and dryer are free, and they even provide detergent, but the suggested load is only around 6 to 8 pieces. The front desk staff were friendly, though I saw another review with the same complaint about one particular staff member being impolite. It took us a while to locate the hotel inside Asia Plaza. Check-in starts at a machine, then you approach the staff on duty. The stay was alright otherwise. The hotel occupies one floor, with the lobby at the far end, and they don't provide breakfast.