Renowned Taipei-based designer Ray Chen designed the Proverbs Hotel, taking his inspiration from the 19th-century Los Proverbios prints by Spanish artist Francisco Goya. The gloomy, surreal scenes clearly reflect in the copper-plated walls, natural woods and dark metals that are used throughout the building, while Austrian crystal chandeliers and floor-to-ceiling mirrors give the space a polished finish. It’s an eclectic mix of dandy, industrial and glam — steampunk like, but everything balances out surprisingly well.
The Netherlands based Mecanoo was tasked with conceiving The Place brand’s 179-room Taipei outpost in the Nangang district, which draws inspiration from the local tea production tradition. “The approach of people, place, and purpose was applied at different scales, from the design concept to the detailing of furniture and graphic elements,” says firm architect Yuli Huang. The hotel’s arrival area on the 10th floor also functions as a traditional Taiwanese teahouse. Curtains separate different spaces of the arrival lobby, fully opening up during peak days and partitioning it off with overlapping layers of fabric during downtime. Nods to the tea-making process appear throughout, including in corridor carpet that evokes the terrace plantation landscape and a color palette that mimics the bright yellow shades of Pouchong tea.
A cool alternative to the flashy neon of downtown, amba Taipei Ximending is a hip eco-friendly design hotel located in the Ximen business district. Both the MRT station and Huaxi Street night market can be reached within a 10-minute walk. A 12-metre-high foyer, encased in a silver-fringe curtain leads to the fifth-floor lobby, decorated with rustic wood benches and vintage leather sofas. An all-day café doubles as a wireless workplace for creatives, who can rendezvous in the gallery, atrium or, by night, the music lounge. The 162 rooms, with streamlined, eco-friendly interiors come with air conditioning, a flat-screen cable TV and a seating area. Bathrooms come with slippers, a hairdryer and high-end bath products made with local organic ginger.
Half guesthouse, half gallery, and entirely a vanguard of the modern urban retreat, Humble House Taipei exemplifies the “art in life, life in art” philosophy. The design hotel is located in Xinyi District and has a vast collection of paintings, illustrations, installations, and sculptures selected and commissioned by acclaimed art consultant Ellie Lai. Rooms are located on the 8th floor and up its unusual windows -thanks to their shape and blue-grey shimmer- resembling diamonds when seen from a distance offer panoramic views.
Villa 32 is a stunning, adult-only (16+) modernist retreat located in Taipei’s Beitou hot springs district. Spacious, minimalist style rooms come with air conditioning, a flat-screen TV, a fridge, a coffee machine and a private geothermic spa bath. Some of the rooms are in Japanese style – with futons. There is also a lounge and an on-site Tuscan gourmet restaurant with an impressive wine cellar.
The W Taipei hotel exudes ‘fun’ from the moment you enter the disco-lit lift that whisks you to the lobby on the 10th floor. While the hotel is unmistakably ‘W’ with its uber-trendy staff, nightclubby vibes and thumping soundtrack, it’s a tad bit more mature than its counterparts across the region. Instead of gimmicks, there’s a focus on understated luxury that shows itself through a great collection of conceptual art (by Hirotoshi Sawada, among others), sleek interior design and personable service.
citizenM Taipei North Gate by the Dutch chain is a no-frills, all you need “essentials” design hotel. Add to that art-filled public spaces and technology that renders a genuinely effortless experience, and it’s easy to understand how the brand has expanded its footprint to three continents in less than a decade – marked by the opening of its inaugural hotel in Asia.
HOTEL QUOTE is a luxury design hotel in the Songshan District. Interiors are contemporary and minimalist, but they’re not futuristic or cold. It’s a look that’s decidedly Asian, but modern, not at all kitschy or overwrought. The colors are rich, slightly retro, the textures distinctive in metal and wood, and the rooms come stocked with all today’s luxury-boutique must-haves: Nespresso machines, entertainment centers, and Toto washlets.
