"Opened in May 2014 with a facade mildly reminiscent of a 19th-century European grand hotel, the Mandarin Oriental Taipei might seem incongruous in an Asian city—at least to those unacquainted with the Taiwanese penchant for blending international styles with more typically Asian motifs. The hotel’s Old World luxury extends throughout, from the marble-floored lobby (complete with white columns holding up high cathedral ceilings) to the rooms themselves, which are coolly stunning. Each room, from the standard Deluxe to the sprawling Presidential Suite, has separate tubs and walk-in showers inside a marble bathroom designed to make anyone feel like royalty. As for sleeping arrangements, “plush” is an overused word in hotel reviews, but it’s hard to find a better one to describe the feeling of sinking into a bed with 480-thread-count satin linen (which rises to 1,000 in certain suites) and a goose-down duvet. As a finishing touch, look up: Every room basks in the glow of its own chandelier. Though Marie Antoinette and the Empress Dowager Cixi lived on different continents, both would feel quite at home at the Mandarin Oriental."

"Taipei’s dual-tower Shangri-la Far Eastern Plaza Hotel lives up to the utopian connotations of its brand name. Though clearly luxurious, tamped-down earth tones and Song-dynasty decor in the guestrooms and common areas keep this hotel from feeling overly ostentatious. The Shangri-la uses both its height (it’s among the tallest buildings in town) and location on a tree-lined avenue in the southeastern end of the city to great advantage. Most rooms offer views of either city or mountains, and many overlook both. Though the Shangri-la often caters to high-end business travelers (due in no small part to its location and extraordinarily helpful, multilingual staff), with its close proximity to so much of what Taipei has to offer pleasure seekers, vacationers preferring substance over flash will find the hotel worthy of its name."

"Few structures in Taiwan are as instantly recognizable as Taipei’s Grand Hotel. Set on a hill on the northern bank of the Keelung River, the Grand seems less a hotel and more an imperial sentinel keeping eternal vigil over the metropolis to the south. Among the world’s tallest classical Chinese structures, the hotel’s 285-foot red columns hold high a curvaceous burnt umber, temple-style roof topped by carved dragons. This classical Chinese motif continues inside the hotel, with dragons, lions, plum flowers, and other symbols of Imperial China woven throughout. Guestrooms are stately, though more functional than plush. All are decked out in imperial gold and red, and each offers carved teakwood chairs alongside other furnishings reminiscent of bygone dynasties. South-facing rooms all have balconies with city views so visitors can enjoy quiet meditations while looking out over the meandering river separating Taipei’s quieter north side from the more frenetic south."

"Located in the chic Da-an District, the Hotel Éclat occupies a pleasant middle ground between the city’s massive luxury hotels and the seemingly endless love hotels dotting Taipei’s accommodation spectrum. From the moment one enters the Éclat it's clear that management is enamored with art, as the lobby is adorned (almost bordering on the ostentatious) with works of art ranging from golden Greco-Roman statues to colorful paintings by contemporary artists. Rooms are bright and cheerful. All have hardwood floors, comfortable down-quilt beds, and sleek furnishing with a few antique touches (faux rotary-style desktop phones, for example) placed among the more high-tech luxury items like Nespresso coffeemakers and flat-screen monitors. The Éclat has an intimate feel to it, but those looking for a large range of facilities should look elsewhere. In this respect, the 60-room boutique hotel doesn’t try to compete with the numerous larger hotels in the area. Outside of the breakfast lounge, in-house dining choices are limited to but one restaurant, and there’s no spa, gym, or pool."

"Exemplifying the term centrally located, the Sino-French themed Palais de Chine is within the original (and much smaller) city of Taipei, once surrounded by the last city wall built during the late Ching dynasty. Like the neighborhood to which it belongs, the Palais de Chine incorporates elements both ultra-modern and clearly classical. Rooms are cool and refined, equipped with imported cloud-soft beds, 40-inch flat-screen monitors, full broadband wireless, and individual coffeemakers. It’s in the hotel’s common areas that touches of antiquity truly abound, from faux-antique furniture (from both China and France), delicate flower arrangements, and dark wood paneling. A high-rise hotel in a deeply urban setting, the Palais de Chine is somewhat lacking in natural daylight, making it an excellent roost for urban night owls."

"Opened in 1990 (and known from 1993 to 2011 as the Grand Formosa Regent Taipei), the Regent Taipei is no stranger to the rich and famous, having hosted a variety of entertainment luminaries including the Spice Girls, Mariah Carey, Keanu Reeves, and the late Michael Jackson. More recently, the hotel itself played a supporting role in Luc Besson’s Lucy, in which the film’s titular character (played by Scarlett Johansson) begins her journey of mind-expansive mayhem in a Regent room. The hotel’s popularity with the jet set is based on more than just its central location (though that certainly doesn’t hurt). The Regent exudes an air designed to appeal broadly to those accustomed to the finer things . Rooms are well-appointed, though with a subdued, somewhat generic elegance. This aura extends to most of the common areas, such as the lobby and most of the restaurants, which, though beautiful, are not overly possessing of warmth.Luxurious as it is, the Regent lacks a certain intimacy, and may strike some visitors as feeling “expensive yet formulaic.”"

"Where to Stay in Taipei: The W Taipei The W Taipei showcases the city’s geography and cutting-edge technology. The lobby’s light installation reacts to human motion, and guest rooms feature dramatic skyline views. The W is also home to some of Taipei’s hottest nightspots, including the Bar at Yen on the top floor. From $314. 886/(0) 2-7703-8888. This appeared in the November/December 2012 issue."