An average human sleeps 8 hrs/day. With only 12 hours in the city, that meant I had just 4 hours to spare in Taipei. Time was not on my side, but I wanted to defy mathematical odds (per usual) and party on a Wednesday night. Piece of cake, I slept a lot on the plane pffft this is child’s play! Alas I’m just a mere mortal in my old AF decade. I checked into Shangri-La 遠東 Taipei and ended up shamefully not even leaving this luxury hotel until my next flight…
Booking
AMEX Platinum members get $300 hotel credit biannually within their Fine Hotel & Resorts properties. On top of that, the partner hotels gets early check-in, guaranteed 4pm checkout, room upgrades, $100 spend credit, and 2 complimentary breakfasts even if it’s a 12 hour stay.
After taxes and fees, the Shangri-La Taipei was $360 USD/night. With the $300 credit, that makes the stay $60USD/night. With $100 spend credit, that makes the stay a negative cost profit.
$360 - $300 (hotel credit) - $100 (property credit) = -$40USD/night
Talk about Chai Bear World travel math… I’m getting paid for this stay!
Premier Taipei 101 King Room
As the hotel marks its 30th anniversary, you definitely see the property’s age despite its huge renovation. Like the Park Hyatt Tokyo, the most noticeable difference is the room size. At 600+sqft, the room is huuuuuge. I wish I had more time to take pictures, but I was too tired to be comprehensive 😅
The bedroom has an amazing 12 o’clock view of Taipei 101. The view was so pretty I didn’t even bother closing the curtains since I wanted to wake up to the skyline sunrise.
Rooftop
Crowned the tallest hotel in Taipei, the rooftop pool alone makes it worth the stay. It towers the entire city as you jump in the pool for a morning swim. It’s a surreal feeling with the Taipei 101 view as the backdrop.
Breakfast
Shangri-La Taipei breakfast is served on the 6F Café Far Eastern. It has a generous spread of traditional Taiwanese breakfasts. I didn’t have much time to eat because I needed to go back to the airport, but I grabbed some 稀飯 porridge and freshly squeezed juices for the road.
Overall, I had a lovely 12-hr stay at the Shangri-La Taipei. The stay was so comfy that I ended up not leaving the hotel and decided to refuel my mortal energy for my ultra brief transit in the city. The hotel’s rooftop pool was the highlight and it made my fleeting visit to the city a memorable one as I swam one more lap in this nostalgic city that I also call home.
Chai Bear World 