Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel Taipei

“Five-Star Stay, One-Star Laundry (But We’ll Let It Slide)”

It had been ages since my last visit to Shangri-La Far Eastern Taipei, and as the saying goes, why fix what isn’t broken? Given our previous delightful stay, returning felt less like a gamble and more like a guaranteed indulgence, especially as we were celebrating our anniversary (because nothing s… more

It had been ages since my last visit to Shangri-La Far Eastern Taipei, and as the saying goes, why fix what isn’t broken? Given our previous delightful stay, returning felt less like a gamble and more like a guaranteed indulgence, especially as we were celebrating our anniversary (because nothing says romance like a reliably pampered experience). Check-in was smooth & pleasantly fuss-free. We were warmly welcomed by Beatrice at the front desk, who casually dropped the excellent news that we’d been upgraded to a Deluxe 101 Tower View Room, always a good way to win hearts early. Naturally, curiosity got the better of me, and I cheekily asked about a Premier Room. Beatrice, ever so patient, showed me the only one available. After a quick inspection (and noting its strategic proximity to the lifts, perfect for insomniacs, less so for light sleepers), I wisely took her advice & stayed put. Our room was elegant, with stunning views of Taipei 101. A plate of fresh fruits & Taiwanese sweets greeted us, lovely touch. But wait, there’s more. As part of our anniversary celebration, we returned later to find a bottle of red wine & a mini chocolate cake chilling in the fridge. Subtle? No. Appreciated? Absolutely. Breakfast here is not just a meal, it’s a full-blown international summit. From Western staples to an impressively extensive Japanese spread, Taiwanese favourites, dim sum, noodles, & even an Indian section with curries and snacks, your biggest challenge will be deciding where to start (& how many rounds you can realistically manage). Freshly squeezed juices & an admirable fruit selection seal the deal. Now, not everything sparkled quite as brightly. With my Shangri-La Jade membership, I opted to convert my US$10 credit into a TWD300 laundry credit. I sent in one humble T-shirt for washing (priced at TWD418 net, because apparently this was no ordinary spa day for my shirt). Unfortunately, it returned… still carrying the unmistakable “essence of previous wear.” Yes, it was ironed beautifully, I might add, but clean? Debatable! I raised this with Wesley from room service, who inspected the situation & agreed that the laundry had, shall we say, missed the mark. A discount was offered, which I vehemently declined, after all, paying more than US$10 for one not-so-clean shirt felt like a bold new concept I wasn’t quite ready to embrace. To his credit, Wesley handled the situation professionally, waived the charge entirely, and offered a rewash. Given my imminent departure in three hours & my newly shaken confidence in the laundry process, I graciously declined. Lunch at Shang Palace was an experience worth mentioning. The dim sum selection was excellent, alongside a wide array of Cantonese dishes, all executed to a high standard. It’s not the cheapest meal you’ll have in Taipei, but it’s certainly one of the more satisfying ones. The gym, while not showcasing the latest high-tech equipment, is more than adequate for a decent workout. There’s also a spa area reminiscent of a Japanese onsen, complete with a relaxation room, perfect for unwinding. The rooftop pool, though modest in size, offers sweeping views of Taipei’s skyline, which more than compensates. In line with environmental efforts, the hotel has scaled back on in-room toiletries. However, they’re readily available upon request, so no need to panic-pack your entire bathroom. All in all, Shangri-La Far Eastern Taipei remains a dependable luxury haven where attentive service & excellent facilities are the norm… just perhaps keep a close eye on your laundry expectations.

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“Great Stay at Shangri-La Far Eastern Taipei For Our Family”

Just returned from a week in Taipei with my husband and 17 year old son. Our stay at the Shangri-La was amazing -- we highly recommend. We stayed in a Horizon Premier Room (we added a rollaway bed for our son). The room was huge and exceeded our expectations. More than enough room for us to com… more

Just returned from a week in Taipei with my husband and 17 year old son. Our stay at the Shangri-La was amazing -- we highly recommend. We stayed in a Horizon Premier Room (we added a rollaway bed for our son). The room was huge and exceeded our expectations. More than enough room for us to comfortably enjoy our stay. We had beautiful views of Taipei 101 and the skyline of Taipei. We love the Shangri-La Horizon Club level and feel it is a great value for us (especially with a teen boy who is always hungry!). We enjoyed a great breakfast each day and great happy hour snacks when we were at the hotel during happy hour. I will always choose Horizon Club level when we stay at Shangri-La for this reason. While I was a little concerned about the location being 'out of the way' according to some reviewers, we did not find this to be an issue at all. We loved the neighborhood and the walk to either the red or brown MRT lines was easy and not that far. There were some days when we had to be somewhere at a specific time. Those days we chose to use Uber and found it really convenient and economical. Uber in Taipei is not expensive and an easy way to get around. Shout out to the amazing staff who were professional and helpful. One day we accidentally left our 'do not disturb' light on and the room was not made up during the day. We called guest services around 8pm and they sent up housekeeping to clean our room within minutes. We were impressed! I am so happy we chose the Shangri-La Far Eastern and I would absolutely recommend this hotel for a stay in Taipei.

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“Very nice, with some quirks”

The hotel itself is very grand and old-school. We were taken to the special club floor for check in, which was nice and intimate. The rooms were a little dated but elegant, with a lot of dark marble and real wood. The club lounge was OK but the drinks and food were pretty limited given the size … more

The hotel itself is very grand and old-school. We were taken to the special club floor for check in, which was nice and intimate. The rooms were a little dated but elegant, with a lot of dark marble and real wood. The club lounge was OK but the drinks and food were pretty limited given the size of the hotel. Sadly for us, no preference or reserves in the restaurants for hotel guests. By the time we arrived in Taipei from a different travel city, they had no tables for dinner in most their restaurants. To make matters worse, the confusing reservation site for the Marco Polo restaurant/lounge booked my advanced reservation for a special dinner but upon arrival, we were told that there was a private party that night so the restaurant was closed altogether for dining and that we could try for a bar area seating with a very limited menu. The hotel spa is a little confusing as well, with the "spa" being at the top floor but not having the steam or dry saunas. Those saunas, along with the large hot jacuzzi and the cold plunge, are a part of the hotel gym, and accordingly not that nice or super clean. The used towels piled up in the bins and the showers weren't cleaned as often as they should have been with the volume of use. The breakfast buffet has a massive spread but can feel a little crazy and packed. The bellmen and concierge were very helpful in holding our luggage while we went out for lunch and upon our return, had our airport transfer van ready to go with all of our things already loaded.

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“Lovely hotel let down by poor horizon club service”

Nice hotel in a good location. However the staffing at the horizon club rarely seemed to know what they were doing. It cost me $200 in unused vouchers as I ran out of time on check out.