Grand Hotel Taipei Review 2026: Prestige Horizon & Pool
Discover The Grand Hotel Taipei, a historic 5-star landmark offering stunning views and a fantastic pool, a unique alternative to typical Ximending stays.
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Discover The Grand Hotel Taipei, a historic 5-star landmark offering stunning views and a fantastic pool, a unique alternative to typical Ximending stays.
✨Magnificent Views, Unique Taipei Accommodation Recommendation✨
The Grand Hotel (Yuanshan Grand Hotel)
@ Photos, Text by: Jjeong-yi
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When planning a free and easy trip to Taipei, Taiwan,
the biggest decisions are always about your accommodation's location and price, aren't they?
For Taipei accommodation locations,
most people tend to choose the Ximending area,
but honestly, while Ximending is known for the advantage of being close to
famous restaurants popular with Koreans,
beyond that, it has a bustling feel similar to
Seoul's Myeongdong or Busan's Nampo-dong, so
personally, I found it a bit lacking in unique charm. 😵
Moreover, even small and ordinary hotels in Ximending
often cost well over ~$138-~$207 per night,
which sometimes left me a bit disheartened when trying to book. 😢
That's why, for my second trip to Taipei,
I decided to stay for two nights at The Grand Hotel (Yuanshan Grand Hotel),
known as a Taipei landmark and Taiwan's first 5-star hotel‼️
I'll share my honest review from my own paid stay,
along with some ✨ amazing value booking tips! ✨
1. The Grand Hotel (Yuanshan Grand Hotel) Key Info at a Glance 👀✨
Category | Details |
Location | Zhongshan District (15-min taxi to Ximending, approx. 150 TWD (~$5)) |
Nearby Attractions | Shilin Night Market: 8-min drive Lin An Tai Historical House: 6-min drive Ximending: 15-min drive Beitou Hot Spring Museum: 25-min drive Tamsui: 35-min drive |
Recommended Room Type | Horizon Room (Panoramic 101 Tower City View) |
Price Range per Night | Horizon Room: approx. ~$186-~$207 |
Facilities | Free Outdoor Pool (with a 5M deep section) Free Gym Secret Passage Tour (250 TWD per person) Several Famous High-End Restaurants |
👉 While not widely known among Koreans,
as a Taipei landmark, it's highly sought after not just by Taiwanese locals, but also
by many Japanese and Western tourists.
Especially the Horizon rooms with their incredible views
are very popular and often booked up early.
If your travel dates are set,
I recommend checking real-time room availability first!
After comparing various options, I booked through Agoda,
and clicking the link below will automatically
✨apply a special discount coupon! +.+ ✨
🔻Check Taipei Accommodation Prices with Agoda's Special Offer🔻
⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️
🔗> Check Availability at The Grand Hotel (Yuanshan Grand Hotel)✨
2. The Grand Hotel Exterior: A Grand Landmark Built in 1952 (Taiwan's State Guesthouse)
The Grand Hotel (圓山大飯店) was founded in 1952 by Madame Soong Mei-ling, wife of President Chiang Kai-shek,
and is Taipei's first 5-star hotel.
It was formerly an official building that hosted state guests of Taiwan,
and also an accommodation that was off-limits to the public.
Now, it's open to everyone,
and from the moment you step through the hotel entrance, you'll be captivated by the golden tiled roofs
and the grand, crimson architecture.
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Step inside, and the magnificent lobby will sweep you off your feet yet again. lol
While many city hotels in Taiwan can be a bit compact and ordinary,
this hotel truly immersed me in the spirit of a Taiwan adventure
the moment I arrived. 👍
3. Prestige Horizon Room Stay Review + Top Tips for Choosing Your Room
The room I booked was the
Prestige Horizon Room.
It's a high-floor room with stunning Taipei City (101 Tower) views.
It's incredibly popular and often sells out quickly, so grab it if you can!
The Grand Hotel boasts a wide variety of room types,
so here’s a handy guide to help you choose when booking:
▪ Prestige: Designated high-floor rooms
▪ [Recommended] Horizon: Taipei City View
▪ Superior Side View: 본관 건물 Rooms on the side of the main building
Offers a front-facing forest view and a partial side view of Taipei City
▪ Superior: Located in the annex building behind the main building, typically offering garden and mountain views
▪ Deluxe Room: Mountain/forest view
▪ [Not Recommended] Economy / Standard: Rooms without windows (not recommended)
Step out onto the terrace from your Horizon Room,
and a breathtaking panoramic view unfolds before your eyes, with the Keelung River and Taipei 101 Tower in the distance. 💖
Being right behind Songshan Airport,
it was an absolutely novel experience to witness planes taking off and landing from such a unique, true side angle.
The room's interior was spacious and incredibly comfortable,
even with two suitcases fully open, there was plenty of room to spare.
The bathroom was also spotlessly clean, and having a bathtub made for wonderfully relaxing soaks;
Perhaps it’s due to its proximity to Beitou, famous for its hot springs,
but the water felt wonderful, leaving my skin feeling soft and smooth.
And the water pressure? Simply fantastic! I was truly delighted. lol
The two complimentary bottles of mineral water and drip coffee provided daily,
and the Oolong tea bags are fantastic, so make sure to enjoy them.
Here's a tip for those staying multiple nights:
If you keep the Oolong tea and coffee inside your luggage carrier,
they'll restock them for you... hehehe.
I'm not the only one who does this, right? 😉 Let's become Oolong tea millionaires!
💡Booking Tip
Personally, I loved the city view rooms.
If the **Horizon Room is fully booked**,
as an alternative, I also recommend the **Superior Side View in the Main Building**
because half of it offers a city view!
🔗) Check Agoda's Special Offers for Remaining Horizon Rooms 💖>>
4. How to Make the Most of the Facilities
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The Grand Hotel Taipei is about a 15-minute drive from Ximending city center,
but it was worth it for a relaxing overnight stay,
making it a valuable choice that truly made up for that minor drawback.
Let me introduce you to the
**free outdoor swimming pool** that all guests can enjoy!
If you walk from the back entrance of the main building **towards the annex,**
you'll find the **outdoor swimming pool about a 5-minute walk away**.
From May to October, it operates from 6 AM to 10 PM.
From November to April, it operates from 6:30 AM to 8 PM.
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It's **50m long**, and from the middle of the lane to the end, the depth
increases to 5 meters, making it practically a dream pool for water lovers like me,
**a true paradise for swimmers**!
The surrounding scenery is also fantastic,
so I highly recommend water lovers just spend a whole day enjoying the hotel!
However, since it's not a heated pool, **swimming outdoors can be a bit challenging during winter**,
from **November to April**.
But hey, plenty of people still brave the waters!
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Between the annex and the swimming pool,
there's also a **gentle hiking trail**.
It was a truly fascinating experience
to see the real daily lives of the Taiwanese people.
There's also a **free shuttle bus** that goes to the subway station.
The shuttle stop is right to the right of the main hotel entrance,
and free shuttle buses operate at set times to **Yuanshan Station**
and Jiantan Station. 😊
If you're heading to **Tamsui or Shilin Night Market**,
you can simply take the shuttle bus!
**Breakfast** is about 830 TWD (approximately ~$26) per person and is not included.
The strong local flavors might not be for everyone,
and personally, I'm sensitive to spices, so it wasn't my favorite. 😢
There's a **convenience store in the annex building**, so
it's great for grabbing a late-night snack. Haha!
5. Overall Review: This Taipei Accommodation is Recommended For...
Instead of spending **~$138 to ~$207** for one night
at a regular hotel in Ximending,
this trip was far more satisfying, enjoying a 'hotel-cation' at a magnificent Taiwanese landmark
with panoramic city views for **around ~$186 to ~$207 per night** ✨
I **highly recommend this for those who don't have a packed itinerary**.
However, do keep in mind that getting around **the city center is more convenient by taxi,**
**while Tamsui is best reached by subway.**
💡Additionally,
since the location isn't right in the city center,
one night isn't bad for a first-time Taipei visitor, but **if your schedule allows, a minimum of two nights is ideal.**
Popular room types sell out quickly,
so I recommend checking for available rooms
via the Agoda special offer link! 💖
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**👀 Other 'Taipei Travel' Posts You Might Enjoy**
**▼**
📍 The Grand Hotel
No. 1號, Section 4, Zhongshan N Rd, Jiantan Village, Zhongshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 10427
The Horizon Room is a Taipei city view room. When you open the window and step out onto the terrace, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the Keelung River and Taipei 101 Tower. Additionally, since it's located right behind Songshan Airport, you can also watch planes taking off and landing.
The outdoor swimming pool operates from 6 AM to 10 PM from May to October, and from 6:30 AM to 8 PM from November to April. It is 50m long, and the depth increases to 5m from the middle of the lane to the end.
It takes approximately 15 minutes by taxi from The Grand Hotel to Ximending, and the cost is roughly 150 TWD (~$5). You can also use the free shuttle bus to Yuanshan Station and Jiantan Station from the platform to the right of the main hotel entrance.
The Grand Hotel was founded in 1952 by Madame Soong Mei-ling, wife of President Chiang Kai-shek, as Taipei's first 5-star hotel. It is called the 'National Guest House of Taiwan' because it was historically used as the official building for entertaining national guests.
The one-night price range for the Horizon Room is approximately ~$186-207. It is advisable to avoid economy or standard rooms that do not have windows.
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