Bluewater Hotel Taoyuan Airport MRT A18 HSR

This feels more like a nicer backpacker stop than a three-star hotel. The shared shower and toilet are in a common area, and the room has a desk and chair, bin, bedside light, a few outlets, hairdryer, air conditioning, and TV. The counter assistant was friendly and helpful, and the lobby had a quiet, pleasant feel when I arrived. The location is convenient, around a 10-minute walk from Taoyuan HSR station. The airport is reachable in about 20 minutes, or roughly a 15-minute cab ride to Taoyuan international airport. It’s a good option for solo travelers or friends on a limited budget who want to stay near the airport.

The front desk service was good, the beds were comfortable, and there’s a free airport shuttle. Those things earned it one star back. Still, for $40-$50 usd, the room had no shower or toilet, and the WiFi was so poor I couldn’t load apps, let alone make a video call. I tried 3 different WiFi APN’s, each showing 4 bars, but they all had barely usable bandwidth and awful latency. The beds were so short that my feet hung over the end. After dragging 3 heavy luggages from the MRT stop in the rain for 15 min, the stay felt like a terrible return on the effort. I would have been better off sleeping at the airport, where at least there are toilets and internet.

I paid about 800NT, which seemed fair for a budget hotel. The rooms were clean and cozy, though I didn’t take any pictures. They provide free airport transport on weekdays. On Spring weekends there’s a charge, I forget how much, maybe around 300NT.

For the money, it’s probably the best value you’ll find, but it still isn’t good. There’s no soundproofing, and the bed was too short for me at 1.78m, so I couldn’t sleep. The metro line to the airport is about a 15-minute walk away.