The welcome
I’ve ordered a limousine pick-up (2,600 new Taiwanese dollars [Dh305]), so the welcome starts in the airport arrivals hall, where a man with a Shangri-La sign spots me, says my name and exclaims “Nice to meet you” before I actually get to him. He takes my bag and we meet the car outside. It’s a new BMW 730, which makes the 45-minute journey quiet and comfortable. There’s Wi-Fi in the vehicle and an iPad, plus a multiple-choice selection of questions and comments, should you have trouble communicating with the driver.
The neighbourhood
The hotel is located in the Taipei Metro complex in the city’s business district, in a pleasantly quiet area. The building is a 20-year-old, 43-storey tower. From the top-floor terrace, you can enjoy probably the best views over the city from any vantage point. It’s the tallest hotel building in Taipei.
The room
There are 420 rooms, including 37 suites, on floors 8 to 37. Mine is a mid-range executive room on the 14th floor, with a good view of the Taipei 101 skyscraper and surrounding mountains. It’s large, with a good walk-in dressing area, and everything functions brilliantly. The air conditioning is silent, the double glazing almost eerily noise-cancelling, and the thoughtful design means there’s no hubbub from the corridor. The room is mostly brown.
The scene
The majority of guests are local and on business. Foreign guests tend to be from Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, mainland China and the United States. There are five restaurants and three lounge bars, and the building is totally non-smoking. Despite a recent renovation, many of the areas look rather dated, but this lends a cosiness.
The service
Attentive and businesslike. The phone is usually answered within one ring and extra bathroom supplies are delivered quickly. The Wi-Fi is good and free throughout the hotel. Less impressively, I leave an item in the room after checking out, but despite several emails, the item is never found.
The food
I have dinner at the Shanghai Pavilion on the 39th floor. I start with sliced baby cucumber marinated in sesame oil (120 dollars [Dh14]) and a selection of kimchi. My main meal is a whole braised yellow fish with black bean and garlic, served with rice (780 dollars [Dh91]). Dessert is deliciously sweet-and-savoury red-bean pancakes (180 dollars [Dh21]). Breakfast in the Horizon Club lounge is a well-edited selection of breads, fruits, yogurts and dumplings. The main buffet restaurant is the Cafe at Far Eastern, which has a great selection of fruit, fruit juices and yogurts, but the hot food is less appetising.
Loved
The rooftop swimming pool and deck offers incredible views over the city. The Qi Shisedo Spa, also on the top floor, offers excellent massages from 4,000 dollars [Dh469] for 90 minutes.
Hated
The sauna, steam room and hot tub are on the seventh floor, while the swimming pool is on the top floor. The unretrieved lost item left me feeling that all luxury hotels should check the room as well as the minibar before you leave the property.
The verdict
A good, relaxing retreat.
The bottom line
Double rooms at Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, Taipei (www.shangri-la.com; UAE call centre 800 0600 0201) cost from 8,778 dollars (Dh1,028) per night, including taxes.
rbehan@thenational.ae
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