Tango Inn Taipei JiHe

At about 150 USD a night, it felt too expensive. The hotel is directly across from the station, and Shilin Night Market is roughly a five-minute walk away. The roads get slippery in the rain. A taxi from Songshan Airport cost 280 TWD including the airport surcharge. The room was spacious and comfortable, and breakfast had an adequate selection. But the plumbing was loud, with water echoing when neighboring rooms flushed. You could also hear people next door talking when your room was quiet. Service was average and below what I’ve had at other major international hotel brands. Two staff were at reception when I arrived, but one was serving a customer and the other didn’t notice me, so I waited a while. Staff should be friendlier and more attentive. Nobody greeted me or smiled during my stay, and some staff didn’t understand or speak English.

The complimentary breakfast was a nice touch. On the first night, though, the bedsheet may not have been clean because I felt itchy while sleeping. After it was replaced, I felt much better. The air conditioning wasn’t cold enough, so the room sometimes felt warm at night. The TV was hard to turn on, and after switching on the box I couldn’t change channels. I reported it to the front desk the next day, and fortunately it was fixed that evening. We also called customer service several times on the first night, but nobody answered.

Tango Inn Taipei Jihe is very close to exit no. 2 of Tiantan train station. The room isn’t very big, but it has a washing machine. Staff were friendly and helpful. Breakfast wasn’t included, though there’s a simple snack bar. Bread is available in limited quantities, so you may miss it if you get up late. Tea and coffee are available anytime.

The service was impeccable, and they let my guest check in early without hassle after my flight was delayed. The only issue came after I left the city: they called in the morning to say I wasn’t supposed to use Express Checkout and just leave, and asked me to return the keycard. I’d already gone. The receptionist said it was okay and asked me to remember the card next time. Come on, Express Checkout is standard at Hilton and Marriott, and I’d expect a high-end place like Tango to work the same way. Can’t they just deactivate the card? Maybe it’s just a Taiwan thing, but places like this should move with the times. The hotel feels more like four stars than three, with modern amenities, clean rooms, and touch-screen controls for everything. Our king bedroom had four TVs, including one in the bathroom. We could see the Grand Hotel lit up on the horizon in the evening. It’s a nine-minute walk to ShiLin nitemarket and two minutes to the MRT. Breakfast was delicious, with traditional congee and some of the best side dishes I’ve seen, plus Taiwanese sticky rice with grilled seabream. The pool wasn’t very deep, which seems typical of hotels in Taiwan.