WHAT’S IT LIKE? Extremely busy lobby – no matter what time of day – links two towers. Its owner’s impeccable taste in art and eye for design can be seen in the priceless artefacts that dot the public spaces as well as the soft furnishings, from the cream carpets in the corridors “sprouting trees” to the unusually shaped minibar shelves in the guestrooms.
WHERE IS IT? In the heart of the government district with the Zhong Xiao line, providing a quick link to Taipei 101. HOW MANY ROOMS? 685 guestrooms and suites.
ROOM FACILITIES: A spic and span Room 1629 enjoys a flood of natural daylight by way of a large rectangular window revealing largely unremarkable views. The Sheraton Sweet Sleeper bed did its job and transported me to deeper realms that night without any resistance on my part. (Or was it the heavy schedule of appointments and the even heavier Taiwanese meal we had for supper?) Usually, I would have been zapping channels past midnight, but with such a firm mattress and plump pillows, I didn’t even bother to check the latest news. The marble bathroom has a separate shower and tub and a well placed mirror that didn’t have me on tiptoe when applying my mascara. There was no trouble accessing the broadband internet service.
RESTAURANTS: Five, including The Dragon for superb Chinese cuisine.
BAR: The Lounge in the lobby shimmers with cool sounds in the evenings. Drinks are also the draw at The Moet, Fuze and Pizza Pub.
BUSINESS CENTRE: All the services, including translation and mobile phone rentals.
FITNESS CENTRE: Not too convenient being located on the 17th floor of the opposite tower. But it is well equipped.
VERDICT: High marks for the elegant hardware but the young man who handled my check in and that of my colleague mixed up our room numbers, resulting in wrong billing. This led to frayed nerves upon departure. Praise goes to the hotel driver,who ferried us to the airport, for his skilled maneuvering of the traffic. We made it,with time for some souvenir hunting.
PRICE: Minimum rack rate from US$287.89.
CONTACT: 12 Chung Hsiao East Road Section 1, Taipei 100, tel 886 2 2321 5511.
Margie T Logarta
