We spent our five nights in Taipei at the Grand Hyatt Taipei which is conveniently located outside of Taipei 101. I used a Diamond suite upgrade to confirm into a King Suite that I had booked with cash and points (6000 points + $75 USD), which was great for us as a family. Not only did we get more space but it gave us club access. Overall we had an amazing stay at the Grand Hyatt Taipei (which has just completed renovations and has moved up one category, 3 => 4, in 2015).
King Suite Review
We got to the hotel after midnight so check-in was a breeze. The king suite is probably the second nicest room we stayed in this year after the overwater villa in Bora Bora.
Living room with a couch
…and a nice work area
The best part of this suite for us as a family was all the space. As soon as we got into the room M immediately started running around, exploring, playing – a process that wouldn’t stop until the day we checked out.
The bathtub was perfect for bathing M
At that point we were all pretty wired (it was lunchtime back home) so we ordered some room service as we were waiting for our bags to be delivered.
It wasn’t time for bed yet
We ordered the shrimp and wonton noodle soup. It was delicious and a perfect late night snack after over 24 hours of travel.
This was quite good – we actually ordered it twice during our stay
Overall we were very happy with the room, we were able to put M to bed but still hang out in the living room which really beats hiding in the dark or in the bathroom after 8 PM (which we’ve had to do elsewhere). I think our room is one of the newly renovated ones – they’ve done a great job!
Kid-friendliness of the hotel
It bears noting that I thought the Grand Hyatt did a great job preparing the room for our toddler. The crib was a little bit more advanced than a pack and play (but maybe older?)
The little pillow was super cute and M got yet another stuffed animal
The bathroom was also stocked with kid-friendly toiletries: body wash, shampoo, and body lotion. The latter especially came in handy.
“Xiong xiong” toiletries
It kind of backfired for a little while when M started insisting we only used the “bear” lotion, but eventually she got over it.
The minibar had enough space for us to keep milk for M, we never needed to buy milk because we just filled her thermos at breakfast every morning. Another nice touch was our welcome fruit was refilled every day – extra snacks.
Our welcome fruit was faithfully replenished
Breakfast and Eating Options in the Hotel
I already went over room service, which was fairly priced (for room service).
The first few days we were there the executive club was still under renovation so we were offered the option to take breakfast in the restaurant. This was a great option.
There were four stations like this at breakfast
The restaurant breakfast was a veritable smorgasbord. Chinese breakfast, western breakfast, pastries, croissants, cereals, tons of fruit – there was a ton of food. There was honey ham sliced fresh off of a ham, wonton noodles made to order, and pancakes/waffles made to order.
The food was so good it actually made me think about paying for hotel breakfast next time I stay there (though I probably won’t it’s > $30USD).
The last two days we took breakfast in the club lounge which wasn’t too shabby. There was still hot food, cereal, and a noodle making station. Obviously it wasn’t as great as the restaurant but it’s a great Diamond/club level benefit.
Still a few hot food options at the club lounge
Club Lounge and Overall Feel of the Hotel
If I have one complaint about the club lounge it’s that it was super crowded during breakfast and cocktail hour. I’m talking people needed to wait for a seat crowded. So they should either limit access more or expand their lounge. To be fair, it could have been because of the renovation although it looks finished.
The club lounge is long but narrow
What doesn’t help things is the narrow-ness of the lounge. It doesn’t feel big because it’s essentially one long hallway. Still, there are partitions everywhere which creates the feel of semi-private rooms.
The lounge is broken up into seven or eight sections like this
This worked out well for us at breakfast and other times because M wouldn’t bother others, but it still feels like there’s not enough space.
Semi-private breakfast
There is a decent view from the lounge of Taipei 101.
In terms of overall atmosphere, I thought the hotel was great. Despite the construction there was a real festive feel to the holidays, starting with the huge Christmas tree and down to little details like a temporary holiday shop they set up.
They even had an octet from the Taipei Symphony come to play some music on Christmas day.
Taipei Symphony octet in action
The hotel staff was wonderful and everyone was super helpful and friendly. Despite the over-crowdedness at the club lounge, it never felt understaffed and the entire hotel followed suit. Someone even remembered it was my birthday (read: looked it up).
The picture doesn’t accurately convey how large the cake is, definitely more than a single serving
Final Thoughts
All in all, we had a great experience at the Grand Hyatt Taipei. It’s centrally located, the staff is wonderful, and the king suite is great. I peeked into the other rooms, they’re not massive but they’re not Europe-sized either. All in all a great place to stay in Taipei, and at Category 4 it’s still a great deal in my opinion!
Other Posts in this Series
Introduction
United Domestic First and LAX Star Alliance Lounge
EVA Royal Laurel Class Review
Using Public Transportation in Taiwan with a Toddler
Visiting the Taipei Zoo
Eating in Taipei
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