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City Break:
Taipei
This month we hop over to Taipei for a spot of shopping, spa, eating out and to check in at some of the city’s trendiest places to stay... Tina Hsiao and Jules Kay
150 2magazine
Now in its centennial year, Taiwan has plenty to celebrate. Once known more for its cheap electronics than high-end hotels and glittering malls, China’s estranged sibling is quickly reinventing itself as one of Asia’s most dynamic cities. The capital Taipei now tempts sophisticated city breakers with a rich blend of cosmopolitan indulgences that encapsulates the best in top brand retail, culinary excellence and cultural charm. Our first contact with W Taipei comes via the booking confirmation email we received – talk of rooms “selling hot” and offers to grant our “wildest dreams”, plus a signature tag at the bottom of the email asking “Are You Spectacular?” I think to myself, “Well, my better half and my mother surely think I’m alright…” Before launching into an introspective evaluation, we continue packing, somewhat comforted by the fact that the W has to be pretty special to have the audacity to ask me that, right? We land in the evening at Taoyuan International Airport, just outside Taipei County, and make our way downtown. Some 40 minutes later, we arrive in Xinyi District, where the W Taipei is situated, and are received by a fanfare of tall swanky buildings draped with kaleidoscopic neon lights dancing a welcome number, suggesting that we’re in the most happening area of the city. W Hotels is Starwood’s design-led lifestyle brand, and the Taipei property is no exception. Rising 31 storeys above the vibrant neighborhood that the iconic Taipei 101 also calls home, W Taipei is designed by UK-based GA Design International with the narrative of ‘Nature Electrified’, a concept reflective of the hotel’s location, surrounded by mountains and lush national parks. A natural theme is also infused into its 405 guestrooms and suites, with warm colored stones, burnished wood, floral carpeting and standing lamps that resemble the silhouettes of trees and contrast
with bright neon acrylic bathroom divider walls and colorful furniture accent pieces. On the technology side, rooms also feature wall-mounted 42-inch flat-screen televisions hooked up to Bose sound systems and an iPod charging dock. The semi-open bathroom has a rainshower and a separate bathtub, with luxurious Bliss Spa bath amenities sinkside to wash away the city after a day of urban adventures. A curiously named ‘Munchie Box’ is packed full of an eclectic assortment of goodies, edible and otherwise – snacks, mints, a game keychain, a pair of fishnet stockings, a W music CD compilation, a tube of lip balm, and a glow stick. In short, everything a cosmopolitan W-generation guest would need. No Tylenols
or the likes for the hangover mornings, but you can always break open the three-pack of pure oxygen inhalers and suck on one of those. Facilities outside the room include ‘Wet’, a long infinity pool with a deckside bar and barbecue grill, ‘SWEAT’, a fully-equipped fitness center (the biggest one we’ve seen in a hotel), and the tranquil ‘AWAY’ Spa offering pampering treatments fit for rockstars. Remarking on the W Hotels tagline before bed-time, checking off the list one by one, we have to agree: Yes we ate, drank, flirted (with each other, that is), sipped, and savored. And lastly, although the constant hotel soundtrack was a little confusing at times, we were definitely wowed.
we are received by a fanfare of tall swanky buildings draped with kaleidoscopic neon lights dancing a welcome number, suggesting that we’re in the most happening area of the city
All pictures: W Taipei
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