The 44-year-old Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel holds its weight in a city awash with top American and European hotel brands.
With 683 rooms to count across 17 floors, it is one of Taiwan’s largest hotels, yet it bucks a trend in the capital city. It is not located in the Xinyi hotel cluster, nor around Zhong Xiao or Nan Jing areas.
It sits within Taipei’s quiet bureaucratic neighbourhood with ministry departments lining the streets. Upon arrival, you are welcomed by a monolithic structure that has much to enjoy within its walls. It acts as a third space for Taipei residents to socialise and a handy residence for visiting foreigners.
To the west, you have easy access to the youthful Ximending neighbourhood and Taipei Main Station, Zhong Shan is located in the north, and Dong Qu, Taipei’s central shopping district, is a few stops away eastward.
Many come for food and you would be mistaken for not dining here. The Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel hosts a buffet, a Thai restaurant, two Japanese restaurants, a steakhouse, an Italian restaurant, hotel bar The Lounge, and the one Michelin-starred restaurant Guest House.
Whilst the interior of The Lounge, positioned to the side of the check-in counters, remains slightly outdated compared to other Taipei hotel bars, the bar is a good meeting space for drinks and snacks.
The cocktails served were strong and the food stronger. The truffle fries that we picked at were suitable for balancing sweet drinks with their salty touch, but the prize goes to the Sichuan-style spicy chicken wings, which were juicy, salty, and came with a sizzling aftertaste.
Additionally, I enjoyed the signature Sheraton beef noodle soup. It was markedly different from the overtly-salty recipes I am familiar with – and love – in Taipei, possessing an earthy, fatty, and clove-forward flavour.
Beyond The Lounge, I visited the Guest House, the hotel’s Huaiyang-Sichuanese fine-dining restaurant, for lunch. Formerly a private members club and a two Michelin star holder, the restaurant excels with a menu of light and sophisticated Huaiyang classics and Sichuanese dishes.
Dishes served like beef jerky, supreme chicken soup, and deep-fried pigeon, paired with exceptional service from our Chongqing-born waiter, mastering knowledge of the province’s cuisine, made for an educational experience for both palate and mind.
If you are looking for food fixes beyond the hotel, head east down Zhongxiao East Road to find the uber-viral Fuhang Soy Milk, serving traditional Taiwanese breakfast. I luckily( or unluckily if you may) was plagued with a bout of insomnia so I was prepared for a 5:15AM queue to snack on soy milk, egg pancakes, sesame thick bread once doors opened at 5:30AM and when the line stretched to an hour and a half wait.
For a weekend in early November, I stayed in the hotel’s Executive Deluxe Room (King Bed). Complete with a sizable bed, perfect for two, the room is clean and expansive. The highlight was the view, positioned towards the south, capturing the towering mountains at the edge of New Taipei City.
Equally impressive was the bathroom, larger than most you would find in rooms across Taiwan. The bathroom vanity was large, so too was the bathtub and shower. The Japanese-style bidet toilet adds uniqueness to the bathroom offerings. The rooms do the job they are required to complete.
To end this review on a high note, the 17th-floor spa club is what I will be revisiting when I next land back in Taipei. It is sensational.
Where retirees and health-conscious residents pile into during the day, I headed into the traditional Taiwanese hot spring room, paired up with a sauna and steam room. The club features a massage room and massage chairs in a semi-social area. The swimming pool a floor above is suitable for catching the sun after your sauna session.
It is refreshing to dunk yourself in hot and cold rooms and water to cleanse the body, whilst also staring outside the window for a view of Yang Ming Shan and northern parts of Taipei. What a treat.
Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel, No. 12, Section 1, Zhongxiao East Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100, +886 2 2321 5511, book here, rooms starts HKD2,080/TWD8,280
