Grand Hyatt Taipei

I am writing this from the hotel, where I an in th emiddle of a week long stay.

I've travelled quite a bit and this is easily the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in. We are in an upgraded room and we have a king bed, walk in shower, great lighting. Service throughout the hotel is superb.

This hotel is definitely "western" and not at all like the city of Taipei. Since I find this city dirty, hot, smelly and chaotic, this has been my oasis :)

We have been lucky enough to stay in this hotel for nearly 4 times recently, and can honestly say we are dreading checking-out this week. The service is is absolutely faultless---I've already forgotten how to open doors and press buttons for the lift, the front desk has solved the only 2 minor problems we've had in less than 2 minutes, ALL of the staff in every restaurant understand the meaning of good service and the general attitude and ability of staff in every area of the hotel is exemplary.

Food here, although relatively expensive is about as good as you can find anywhere in Asia---only Bangkok can beat it. All of the restaurants are overseen by a really passionate (Italian!) Manager, a former chef himself, who sets such a high standard not only of customer service but also the choice of ingredients that you can safely eat anywhere here and have a feast. He is assisted by chefs from the UK, France, Austria and Taiwan so the menus range from local Chinese to French Cheese buffets, Austrian afternoon tea and desserts , fish and chips and Roast Beef if you really need it. The choice of wine is huge, from good quality house Chardonnay right up to the top Chateaux.

We've really enjoyed the heated disco swimming pool, excellent spa and sauna plus the niteclub with a brilliant live band everynight---plus the niteclub is within the Italian restaurant so you can get a fantastic pizza until 1am after all that dancing!

Our room, although standard was ok---not all of the rooms are of the same standard so check before you agree to check-in. Our only complaint is with the excessive charges for both laundry and internet usage, other than that it's hard to fault this place.

I booked a Grand King Suite before my Taiwan trip on the Hyatt website. Upon arrival around 11:30am I was informed that the room was not ready so I headed across the street with my family for lunch at the 101 building. Came back after lunch at 2:30pm, sorry sir room is still not ready, I was getting tired since I have 3 kids with me they were getting cranky. We hung out at the lounge on the 22nd floor til 3:30pm, check-in staff apologized and said that they will put us in an upgraded suite on the top floor, I said sure whatever i'm tired and need a nap. Upon opening the door I was floored to see the Diplomatic Suite! Asked if this was to my liking I thought to myself...hell ya it is to my liking! So we had a Fantastic 2 night stay in the Diplomatic Suite with the free internet, free mini bar and butler service. Almost didn't want to leave the room it was that nice. I was very impressed with the service, I didn't have to open a door or push an elevator button my whole stay. Definatly do recommend, even to those traveling with kids, they are very accommodating.

Why I loved the Grand Hyatt.

The conceriere desk was extremely, extremely helpful from everything to restuarant/attraction recommendations, directions, and money savings tips. I've stayed in the most pricey hotels in Hong Kong, Tokyo, New York, and Paris and nobody came close to the amazing service this hotel delivered. Simply the best.

The For the entire 5 days that I was there, I never had to open a door or press an elevator button. Never. Not once. That is how amazing the service was.

The Hyatt had the best shower I've ever used in my life. They had powerful, powerful jets with pulsating settings that sprayed a waterfall of water. The super plush bathrobes was a glorious final touch.

The location next to the 101 building and New York shopping center was extremely convenient. The bottom floor of the 101 had an awesome food court with several dozen food stalls and a grocery store. The food was cheap and delicious.

There is an amazing open market just a few hundred yards from the hotel. Take a left after leaving the main entrance of the hotel, walk 100 yards, cross the major street, and walk one more block and you'll be in a vibrant, colorful, and entertaining open market filled with seafood and vegetable vendors, crafts, clothes, and delicious street food.

I only had two (minor) complaints about the Hyatt:

1. It was a 10 minute walk to the nearest subway station. However, I found that Taipei taxis are so CHEAP that we used them for all our travel. 20 minutes cab rides only cost $6 to $8 U.S.

2. Most restaurants (including the 101 food court) doesn't open until 11:00 so the only breakfast option was the very expensive Hyatt breakfast buffet. The buffet was worth every penny of its NT$700 price, but unless you are a giant breakfast eater, it is too much for the money. My suggstion is to head over to the nearby street market for breakfast and then walk (less than 100 yards) to the Sun Yat Sen Memorial buidling to watch several thousand Taiwanese go through their tai chi excercies in the morning.

TIP: If you book your room through American Express travel agent, you recieve a complimentary upgrade. I was upgraded to a glorious suite with a stunning view of the 101 Building and the surrounding mountains.

If your budget allows it, you'd be crazy to stay anywhere else but the Grand Hyatt in Taipei.

We purchased a Dragonair holiday package from Hong Kong for 3 days two nights with breakfast. The hotel was great, clean, well located and the staff were very accomodating. The breakfast that was included in the package was as complete as any we have had. I highly recommend the hotel and even better if yu can arrange it through a Dragonair holiday.

Stayed for 7 nights at this hotel. I loved everyday of it. Rooms are large and beds are comfy. Get a room with a view of Taipei 101 which is located just across the street. In addition to being the tallest bldg in the world, it also has a mall and food court and restaurants, all of which I found to be outstanding. The lunch buffet at the hotel is second to none! Large selection and everything was so delicious. Ziga Zaga on weekend features a live band, I found the crowd there to be on the shall I say more mature side (37+). The food at Ziga Zaga is also very good. Shanghai restaurant in the hotel also had an excellent selection of dishes. The pool is nice, and on weekend nights its open late serving cocktails and appetizers. Make sure you are a Hyatt Gold Passport Member as you receive free daily paper, and free continental breakfast delivered to your room. T

On the downside, internet access was around 22usd per day. Other than that I loved it!

Stayed here for a week in July '05.

Good: Nice views, close to 101, swank looking. Nice bathroom. Good selection for breakfast. Nice touch of adding a personalized welcome letter but they goofed by not including a way to contact the manager.

Bad: Room was not well designed. It looks posh but isn't convenient...not enough power outlets, no wireless internet unless you're on an executive floor (and they charge a lot for wired internet). Gym closes quite early (10pm). Bed was just ok. Some of the non-front desk staff does not communicate well (and I speak English natively and Taiwanese fluently). They are more into appearances than in respecting the customer. This makes the restaurants and shops frustrating.

I liked the Far Eastern better. The Sherwood had better service too although it had facilities issues.

Great hotel in many regards, the Grand Hyatt is a good place to call home for the weary business traveler. The rooms are pleasantly decorated in an Asian theme accented by grand wood panneling and deep crown moldings and polsihed granite bathrooms to boot. The exercise facility is vast with plenty of cardio and weights to go around at busy early morning workout hours. The pool is located outside and attracts many swimmers in the morning hours and is also a nice place to relax after a long day before heading to one of my favorite bars in Taipei, club Ziga Zaga, located on the second floor of the hotel. The first floor bosts a piano bar called Cheers which is a great place to grab a hamburger after a long flight. Top it off with a Carlsberg beer to boot! Downsides to this hotel are few and upsides include close proximity to a plethroa of restaurants and shopping in the bustling financial district of Taipei. For about $10 you can be on the top of the world next door at the Taipei 101 building, currently the tallest building in the world. Hope you enjoy.

I've stayed in the Grand Hyatt a few times and have always been impressed. The staff are excellent and the location is now fantastic since 101 opened nearby and brought a lot of things with it. The rooms are looking slightly old now but not in a way that detracts from the quality of your stay. Bathrooms scrupulously clean. Breakfast is the best of any hotel I've stayed in in Taipei.

I stayed at the Grand Hyatt Taipei for 28 days. Very friendly staff and very nice hotel. Went back there a couple of months later and couldnt get into the Grand Hyatt had to stay at the Crowne Plaza and boy I didn't realize I had it soooooooo good at the Grand Hyatt. Great location, good food, nice club with an excellent band just overall a very nice stay.