Kimpton Da An Hotel 台北金普頓大安酒店 (Taipei, TAIWAN)

It's been almost six years since my last trip to Taipei with my buddy V. I was eager to come back to the city to see all the changes in the post-pandemic era, particularly in the dining and hotel scene. Not surprisingly, there were not a ton of new hotels opened during the outbreak so I was left with only a handful of choices that really interested me. Since I knew Da'an district a little better than the others, I figured I couldn't go wrong with Kimpton Da An Hotel (台北金普頓大安酒店) brought to us by IHG back in 2019. 

As a former residential building, it sure had its limitations such as the small entrance to the lobby, the balcony that you could only see but not enjoy and so on. 

I have seen the interior design of the hotel especially the rooms before making my booking and found the minimalist design to be quite warm and cozy. 

My insatiable appetite for space was another driving force behind my decision with Kimpton having some of the largest (and newest) guest rooms in Da'an.

Another design element of the hotel which was rather fascinating for me was the effort they spent on the sound proofing and light proofing. The sliding lightproof panels made with wood were something I'd like to see more in hotels from around the globe. They easily make this little private space the perfect retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city. It was ideal for someone like me in need for a good sleep!

Surrounded by the cozy embrace of the room, it was no surprise that I succumbed to a quick and unexpected nap on the couch.

I thought the small bar area at the end of the room was a fine touch as well.

Amidst the comforts of the room, not all was idyllic during my stay. Let's start with the most-talk-about feature or oversight from the design standpoint in the travel reviews, the sliding door in front of the shower room and toilet. If the door was slid close during shower, the toilet would be wide open (and vice versa). Some of the hotel guests were asking the question, what if both were being occupied at the same time. Slide the door to the middle?

And I thought the housekeeping team should pay more attention to details. My couch was full of hair which went totally undetected by the team. And towel with what I thought was blood stains on it should be thrown away without thinking twice. 

Check-in was quick but for a hotel with a relatively small number of rooms, they should be more efficient in getting the rooms ready (checkout at 12 and checkin at 3, there should be plenty of time for clean-up when there are only 6-7 rooms on each floor.). I had a really busy morning flying in and at 2:45pm, I just wanted to get my keys quickly and go to my room but they insisted that I either wait at the lobby or come back around 3pm possibly for the final inspection of the room.

But this was by far the most annoying one, a recurring incident which happened a few times during my stay. It took place in the shower room, which woke me up in the middle of the night on a number of occasions. I thought the running water (thus the sound) came from the neighbouring guest(s) taking a shower but why in the world would the water run through my shower gutter drain. Jelloman said she thought this would be a major hygiene issue. 

    

Rating: ❤❤❤

Price: $$$$

Address: No. 25, Lane 27, Section 4, Ren'ai Rd, Da’an District, 106 Taipei, Taiwan

Closest Metro Station: Xinyi Anhe / Da'an

Tel: +886 2-2173-7999

Website: https://www.ihg.com/kimptonhotels/hotels/us/en/da-an-hotel-taipei/tpekm/hoteldetail