W Taipei – Funky Hotel With View Of 101 Tower

W Taipei – Funky Hotel With View Of 101 Tower

The W Taipei is located in the buzzing central business district of Xinyi close to the worlds second-highest tower, the 101 Taipei. W Taipei although part of a bustling neighbourhood is surrounded by the natural beauty of Cising Mountain and Yangmingshan National Park.

The W brand’s unique mix of contemporary cool design, modern comfort, and innovative style is on full display making this hotel an ideal choice for the discerning and style-conscious trendsetters. We at MenStyleFashion love the concept of W Hotels and we have visited many around the world.

The W Taipei was designed by renowned architects G.A. Design International Ltd. of London and the building is encased in radiant glass. The W Taipei is the only hotel in the city offering views over the Xinyi district and the iconic 101 Tower.

Reception

I flew in from Singapore and I arrived to the W Taipei by taking the MRT system which extends now to the airport and there is a convenient stop almost right under the hotel. Although the entrance is on the ground floor, the reception is on the 10th floor. On the same floor is the Woo Bar, W Living Room, The Kitchen Table Restaurant and the outdoor swing pool, known in W lingo as WET.

W Taipei - Funky Hotel With View Of 101 Tower - Review

W Taipei - Funky Hotel With View Of 101 Tower - Review

In winter you can enjoy sitting by the fire here.

WET

I arrived on Sunday and I was thrown straight away into the pool party that was going on at WET. A DJ was playing tunes to a young crowd of guest and also the “want to be seen” locals in the pool. In the summer months, this pool party is on every Sunday. The pool itself is 25 meters long and you can stand everywhere, there are plenty of sun loungers to relax around the pool. Snack food and drinks can be ordered from the WET bar. Besides the pool area, there are plenty of areas to chill out and enjoy the views, this is the 10th floor after all.

W Taipei - Funky Hotel With View Of 101 Tower - Review

Pool area in the morning without the party.

W Taipei - Funky Hotel With View Of 101 Tower - Review

Wonderful Room

I stayed at the Wonderful room on floor 16, which had views over Xinyi towards the mountains that surround Tapei. The king-size double bed was soft and wonderful to sleep on. What I liked here is that from the bed I could watch TV and enable the Bose 2.1 sound system for more dramatic sounds whilst watching a movie. This 43 m2 room further had a large desk area and an indoor terrace with a nice lounger to chill on. I loved the fact that there was a tri-folding mirror to check my outfit before heading out into town.

W Taipei - Funky Hotel With View Of 101 Tower - Review

W Taipei - Funky Hotel With View Of 101 Tower - Review

The indoor terrace with chill lounger.

The bathroom was an orange affair due to the orange coloured glass separating the bath and shower area from the rest of the bathroom. I liked the chunky sink mounted on the wood here, something I have not seen before. There was also a separate toilet which had a full-function Japanese toilet, including the heated seat.

Yen Chinese Restaurant

I had lunch at the Yen restaurant which is located on the top of W Taipei on the 31st floor. Yen restaurant is headed by Hong Kongese Chef Wo Hoi Ming who has worked in Michelin starred restaurants in Japan. Chef Wo creates the “nouvelle Cantonese cuisine” menu by marring the Chinese gastronomy with an innovative presentation. He uses premium imported ingredients and local ones from Taiwan on brand new dishes, including a la carte and set menu options.

Chef Wo has crafted his cooking skills for more than 28 years and worked at many renowned restaurants in the world, from Lei Garden in Hong Kong, Rice Empire at Sands Cotai Central in Macau, Crystal Jade Golden Palace in Singapore & Thailand, and Tai Thong restaurant in Malaysia. In 2012, he led Xian Tao (nouvelle Cantonese cuisine) restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton, Osaka in Japan to be crowned with Michelin One Star. Now he is ready to elevate YEN Chinese restaurant to the next glamorous level.

The kitchen area was open spaced which was great as I could see the food being prepared. The food itself tasted phenomenal and you can see the presentation was definitely different.

W Taipei - Funky Hotel With View Of 101 Tower - Review

W Taipei - Funky Hotel With View Of 101 Tower - Review

W Taipei - Funky Hotel With View Of 101 Tower - Review

W Taipei - Funky Hotel With View Of 101 Tower - Review

I had the chance to meet the executive Chinese Chef Wo Hoi Ming

Yen restaurant also has private dining rooms, some of them have a great view of the 101 Tower. I loved the art here on the wall which was made of spoons or other cooking and eating utensils.

W Taipei - Funky Hotel With View Of 101 Tower - Review

Away Spa

After lunch, it was time to take treatment at the Away Spa. The Spa uses the changing rooms of the FIT Gym and in the changing rooms, there are also a sauna, steam room, multiple jacuzzis and a relaxation area. The treatment I had at the Away Spa was called the 90 minutes Away Signature Massage. This signature massage is designed for guests who wish to detox from a long, playful night out or to refuel for what’s next. For me, I had just flown in from Singapore and was wrecked during my 5-hour flight that left way too early in the morning. I also suffered from a head cold and asked the therapist to focus on that. With the right oils for my treatment needs the therapist used the latest massage techniques on me. I was especially impressed with the treatment on my head to alleviate my head cold.

Cocktails at Yen Bar

In the evening I decided to go up the 101 Tower and enjoy the night views of Taipei. It was a 15-minute walk from the W Taipei. I was impressed with the views from the top and the extremely fast elevator that got me to the 89th floor in 37 seconds. Back at the W Taipei, I went to the Yen Bar at the 31st floor where I could enjoy the view of the 101 Tower once more. This time with a cocktail in my hand. The Yen Bar serves creative Asian tapas which is complemented by Taipei’s most extensive and innovative cocktail list (90 in total). Don’t like cocktails the bar also has more than 80 kinds of whisky and 100 kinds of wine on the list.

W Taipei - Funky Hotel With View Of 101 Tower - Review

Breakfast

Breakfast at the W Taipei is in the restaurant called Kitchen Table and sits on the 10th floor. This is a buffet-style affair with plenty of options from Asian to western cuisine. I liked the juice station where fresh fruit and vegetable juices were made to order. What is also pretty unique is the fact that you can have ice cream for breakfast, with soaring temperatures outside this definitely was not such a crazy idea, one that I had to try.

Conclusion

The W Taipei is unique in the Xinyi business district with the views that it provides. As now almost expected with any W hotel it has a playful interior design with lots of bright colours in this case mostly reds and purples. The facilities are top-notch from rooms to the spa, to pool, to the gym, and to restaurants and bars. The staff are fun and certainly now how to entertain and serve guests. In the Yen Chinese restaurant, the W Taipei has a future Michelin star contender, especially now that the guide de Michelin is now coming to Taipei. If you ever stay in Taipei in the Xinyi area the W Taipei should be top on your list.

Details

W hotels

  • Room reviewed: Wonderful room
  • Website: www.wtaipei.com
  • Address: 10 Zhongxiao East Road Sec. 5, Xinyi District, Taipei, TW-TPE, Taiwan 110
  • Phone: +886 2 7703 8888

About The Author

Arthur van de Laak

I am an active traveler, snowboarder and technology geek. I write about male fashion and worldwide travel destinations.

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