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By 
8:03:00 AM
In a span of less than 3 months, I have been to TAIWAN a couple of times already. It was that good that I wanted to return and do my own thing. A few friends would ask me where I would stay. My answer would always be somewhere to the south of TAIPEI MAIN STATION. To be more specific, it would be in the XIMENDING AREA.
Why there? Because the place is filled with hotels, local restaurants, and is walking distance to the TAIPEI MAIN STATION. Furthermore, it's near XIMEN and is an affordable base for your TAIPEI TRIP.
Located in the XIMENDING AREA, would be a couple of hotels that I have tried which are similar in amenities, rates, and location. On my first visit, I was lucky enough to be booked in TAIPEI M HOTEL.
Fairly new, this hotel is located right smack in the center. It's distance between the XIMENDING train station to the TAIPEI MAIN station is almost the same. Roughly 10 minutes to get to either one. Right outside the building is a small alfresco area where guests could indulge in unlimited coffee, tea, juices and water.
Apparently, this is the norm in hotels located in the area. 24/7 coffee and tea plus some bread snacks all day. As you enter, you'll see a small lobby. It's functional and has an old school feel.
The room we got was good for 4 persons. It also had a window which is a plus with these kinds of hotel. It was also squeeky clean and there are plugs all over for my gadgets.
The washroom was a bit small but the shower area was good enough for a big bodied person like me. Thankfully, they have bidet installed. The essentials are placed in dispensers but they also provide toothbrushes, combs, and even razors. 
Breakfast is served on the two top floors. Since the hotel caters to a lot of Chinese guests, they have mostly eggs, vegetarian dishes, rice toppings, noodles, rice, and some porridge among other things. The choices aren't as big as what you would get in western styled hotels but it is filling and gets you through the day.
Since the lower floor is easily filled up, they convert the top floor into a breakfast place as well. It's where they have a small gym area and an alfresco place. The viands are mostly the same but the lower floor contains a couple more dishes to check out.
This map basically shows the area where you could stay at. Believe it or not, walking from TAIPEI MAIN STATION to the hotel with luggage is normal even during the wee hours of the night. Most often than not, travelers would use the 1819 BUS from the AIRPORT to the TAIPEI MAIN STATION. Here, taxi cabs are available 24/7 as well. But if the weather is perfect, one could just walk to their hotel.
On my second visit, we arrived past midnight to our hotel via BUS 1819 from the airport. Recently, a train has opened up from the TAIWAN TAOYUAN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT all the way to down town Taipei. This is a faster method to use if you're arriving during the day since it isn't 24/7. Honestly, the bus is still for me especially if I have huge luggage. Taxi from the airport is a little bit expensive since they use the meter and you even add toll. From Taipei, it's a different story though. If you are traveling with a group of 3-4 persons, you might consider using the taxi. Because of a mandate, they have a flat rate of NT 1,000 if you're going to the TAOYUAN AIRPORT. You can avail of this by having your concierge call you a taxi. It needs to be reserved so that the price would apply. Still, the bus is just a walk away and only costs NT 125.
This time around, my brother and I booked DIARY of TAIPEI MAIN STATION BRANCH. I'm not sure if they're part of the same group of hotels like TAIPEI M, but everything seems the same. From the amenities inside the room, to the breakfast and even the free all day drinks and coffee.
Located just a stone throw away from Z10 MRT EXIT, this one is nearer to the Main Station. 
One tip I could give you would be to have a mini food trip of the area. Buy whatever you want to go and bring it back to your hotel. From there, you could eat at the dining area with your free drinks. Don't forget to CLAYGO as it's a big no-no to leave your mess uncleaned.
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With affordable tickets from local and international airlines, visiting TAIWAN has never been this easy. With all the seat sales happening, I would definitely return. Just don't forget to properly apply for the visa-free exemption online. Cheers.
TAIPEI M HOTEL
http://www.taipeimhotel.com/
TAIPEI M HOTEL
http://www.taipeimhotel.com/
Address: No. 64, Section 1, Hankou St, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100
DIARY of TAIPEI HOTEL- MAIN STATION
Address: No. 33, Section 1, Kaifeng St, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 10044
stumbled upon your blog. which do you prefer better? Taipei M or Diary of Taipei? Is Taipei M really crowded? read from a few reviews that breakfast areas are always crowded. thanks
ReplyDeleteTaipei M is a newer hotel. In terms of breakfast, they basically provide almost if not the same offerings. Although it might seem that Diary of taipei has a larger area for eating. TAIPEI M has actually 2 floors. The one on top is quieter but offers almost the same dishes with the exception of a couple. Honestly, for me, i find diary of taipei closer to the train station / underground mall so I might go back there next time around if ever. TAIPEI M i guess is better because of its al fresco all day coffee place and newer facilities but they're basically the same.
DeleteI am considering Taipei M as well. Bidet is a plus. What can you say about the soundproofing of the room?
ReplyDeleteActually, when we stayed in Taipei M, our room was away from the elevators as such, it was okay. Unfortunately, when people pass by the hall way or close their doors loudly, you could definitely hear it in your room. Aside from that, we did have a good night's sleep.
DeleteDoes diary hotel has a wardrobe ? I check their website it's only clothes rack ?
ReplyDeleteUsually the entry level rooms of these hotels tend not to have a wardrobe. They usually just have a clothes rack. I believe the bigger rooms have but it's best to check with them.
DeleteHi there! I will be flying to taiei this coming february with friends. I was considering Taipei M Hotel based on tripadvisor reviews. I just need to know how far is it from Ximending area? Would love to frequent the place by walking if it possible. And also, is taipei m hotel easy to find? Because we will be communiting most of the time. Thanks in advance!
ReplyDeleteHey there Mommy Queen... Going to Taipei is pretty fun.. and since you'll go come february, it's still pretty cold. Taipei M hotel is very near Ximending. It's located to the east of ximending (5-10 min walk) and south of taipei main station (from the airport you could ride the metro train to this station direct... or ride the bus if the train station is closed... ) from taipei main station, you could actually walk a good 10-15 minutes going to the hotel ... it's doable as I've done it more than a couple of times with luggage and it saves your taxi fare/uber. from ximending you could also walk it. Even if it's in the middle of the night or early morning, you could walk to and from because it's quite safe, just be vigilant. Feel free to send me a message on my FB account at facebook.com/foodinthebag or at @foodinthebag for IG and I could give you a lot of tips. Enjoy.
DeleteHi there. We plan to visit taipei in 3 weeks. This is our first time visiting. We have no clue as to how the commute is from the airport to the taipei m hotel. How far is the bus station from the airport. And does it stop right in front of the hotel or how far is the bus stop from it?
ReplyDeleteFrom the airport, take the bus 1819. There's a bus stop on the ground floor of the airport. BUS 1819 takes you to taipei main station. From there you could actually walk to the hotel. If you're unfamiliar, you could take a taxi or uber. Better to have the hotel's name in chinese so that they could easily understand it. Personally, I just walk to and from. :) I do it around middle of the night and it's pretty safe.
DeleteHi. Thanks for your blog. Taipei M main station is my first choice when we go to taipei this month (january 2018). Just want to ask..did you book thru booking.com or similar? Does the toilet have a door? Thank u
ReplyDeleteHi there Sylvana, yes there is a door for the toilet. Also, usually I go through expedia, but I learned that sometimes, messaging the hotel directly, they could set you up and give you a better deal.
DeleteCheers
Glad I've stumbled upon your blog. I'm considering Taipei M Hotel now. I initially booked with a hotel near the Shi Lin Night market, but I guess this area is better. plus it's nearer the Taipei Main Station. How do I get to Shi Lin Night Market from this hotel? Which is the better option when getting around the city? bus or train?
ReplyDeleteApologies for the late reply. Taipei is pretty much a train city. Meaning, you could get to almost any location in the city via train. If that's not good enough, you could go around via UBER.
DeleteSHI LIN is very accessible from the hotel. Just hop on train and off you go. You could ride on the red line in TAIPEI MAIN STATION.
You could go down on Jiantan station :) then walk from there. Enjoy and have fun