Hotel Review: W Taipei (Marvelous Suite) - Understated Luxury Hotel with Fantastic Location and Bar

There are not too many luxury hotels that belong to a larger hotel chain in Taipei and therefore, it is not uncommon to see an inflated room rate for these hotels. With that being said, there are still some nice boutique properties located around the city but if I had to pick one of my favourite hotels in Taipei, it would definitely have to be the W Taipei. I travelled from Tokyo (NRT) to Taipei (TPE) via Japan Airlines in Business Class- the narrow-body aircraft might not have a great Business Class seat but the food was as good as I remember it to be (on day flights only). 

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Japan Airlines Business Class

JL805 (NRT-TPE)

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I highly recommend pre-arranging a limousine to get into the city - the one that I typically utilise costs around NT$1,300 (S$59) for a one-way trip you will be chauffeured in a luxurious Mercedes-Benz S-Class so it is actually relatively cheap for what it actually is. Alternatively, there is also the option of the Taoyuan Airport MRT which is apparently faster since it beats the traffic but it does not take you directly to the doorstep of your hotel. I actually utilised my welcome voucher (which came with my American Express Platinum Card) at the Mandarin Oriental, Taipei for the first two nights of my stay before traveling to the W Taipei. Located next to Taipei City Hall Station and a short walk from the famous Taipei 101 skyscraper, the W Taipei is a great luxury hotel to consider when you are visiting this city. 

Living Room
Marvelous Suite - W Taipei

I booked the Wonderful Room here at the W Taipei but was upgraded into a Marvelous Suite (lead-in suite category) for this stay as a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite member. I cannot remember what the exact room rate was but I paid approximately S$500 per night under the American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) programme - I do already enjoy most of the perks (e.g. guaranteed 4PM late check-out) as a Platinum Elite member but having a USD 100 food and beverage credit to use during the stay certainly made a difference. While Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite members do have the option of choosing either breakfast for two or 1,000 bonus points as the welcome amenity, I went with the points since the FHR Rate that I have paid is already inclusive of breakfast. Remember, you can only book an FHR rate if you hold either a Centurion Card or The Platinum Card from American Express so the S$1,712 annual fee (if you are based in Singapore) is definitely worthwhile if you stay in luxury hotels a lot. 

Living Room
Marvelous Suite - W Taipei

The Marvelous Suite here at the W Taipei measures 95sqm in size and there are 33 of such suites available at this property (which means that there is actually a decent chance that you will get upgraded as a Platinum Elite or higher member). Unfortunately though, none of the Marvelous Suites come with a view of the Taipei 101 so if that is a deal-breaker for you, you may be better off in a Spectacular Room or a Fantastic Suite (which you will have to pay good money for). 

Wool Sofa Set
Marvelous Suite - W Taipei

The massive living room is great for entertaining guests and the hunter green rug is a huge standout right from the moment you enter the room. The luxurious wool sofa set is also great for snuggling up with a book or simply just to lounge about throughout the day. Some magazines can also be found on the coffee table directly in front of the sofa in case you need some reading materials.

Living Room and Work Station
Marvelous Suite - W Taipei

There is a powder room (located near the main entrance of the room) which is accessible via the living room here so your guests do not have to walk through your bedroom to walk into the main bathroom. If you are sharing the Marvelous Suite with a friend, having a separate bathroom is always a good idea since it offers more privacy for more intimate occasions.

Work Station
Marvelous Suite - W Taipei

Located near the entrance of the suite is fully-equipped workstation which comes with a range of connectivity options. There is also a huge 52" LCD TV here which is rigged up to an impressive Bose 2.1 Sound System in the event that you need some entertainment (or you simply wish to present something on your laptop). While most of the W Hotels that I have stayed in do not typically exude a traditional business hotel look and feel, the design of the W Taipei is actually quite understated and the location of the property makes it a popular choice even amongst business travellers (with a healthy travel budget).

View from Living Room
Marvelous Suite - W Taipei

Unfortunately, the Marvelous Suites here at W Taipei do not come with a nice view and as I have mentioned earlier, you will be better off in a Fabulous Suite if you are looking for a view of the Taipei 101 (even though getting a complimentary upgrade into one may be a challenge). With that being said, the Marvelous Suite that I have stayed in still come with a relatively-unobstructed view and it is nice to come back to something like this after a long day.

Welcome Amenity
Marvelous Suite - W Taipei

As part of my welcome amenities, I received a beautiful set of savouries and sweets which were placed in a tower resembling the famous Taipei 101 (W Guangzhou still tops the chart for having the most over-the-top welcome amenities for me personally). Apart from a handwritten card from some of the staff over at the W Taipei, I was surprised to find another welcome card from the Centurion Advisor that I have liased with (even though I only hold The Platinum Card from American Express) for this stay.

Nespresso Coffee Machine
Marvelous Suite - W Taipei

It goes without saying that a Nespresso coffee machine can be found here in the living room of the Marvelous Suite - when I stayed in the lead-in room category (Wonderful Room) two years back, it did not have a coffee machine in the room. If you are a Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite (which you can have for as long as you hold The Platinum Card from American Express) and higher members, you will get to enjoy complimentary drinks at YEN Bar and WOOBAR here at the W Taipei. Therefore, even if your room does not come with a Nespresso machine, you can easily head down (or up!) to get a cup of coffee throughout the day for free.

Bedroom
Marvelous Suite - W Taipei

When compared to the living room, the bedroom of the Marvelous Suite is relatively smaller and it sits adjacent to the main living area. There are two entrances from the living room to the bedroom and these can be closed off by drawing the sliding doors. I love how cosy the bedroom feels and the seats by the window are great for you to lounge about during the day.

Bedroom
Marvelous Suite - W Taipei

There is a massive wardrobe here in the bedroom of the Marvelous Suite so you do not have to worry about running out of space for your outfits. You will also find another flat-screen TV here in the bedroom which is pretty typical in luxury properties.

Bathroom
Marvelous Suite - W Taipei

It goes without saying that the bathroom of the Marvelous Suite is about as impressive as the living room - it comes with a polished stone bathtub which has a 20" flat-screen TV in front (so you can enjoy your favourite channels while enjoying a soak) and there is also a separate shower area. 

Bathroom
Marvelous Suite - W Taipei

The bathrooms of the Marvelous Suites here at the W Taipei also come with double vanity sinks as well as an extremely well-stocked drawer of amenities. Similar to all other W Hotels that I have been to, bath amenities here are provided by Bliss Spa and since this is a suite, you will get the bigger bottles (120ml) as opposed to the smaller ones (30ml) which you will find in the regular rooms. While I personally do love these products (the facial cleanser is a great addition), Marriott International has announced back in August 2019 that they will be expanding an initiative to replace single-use toiletry bottles with larger, pump-topped bottles by December 2020 - it would be interesting to see then whether there is a difference between what is offered in a suite versus what is offered in a regular room. 

Bathtub
Marvelous Suite - W Taipei

If I am not mistaken, most of the bathrooms within the Fabulous Suites enjoy a view of the Taipei 101 (which is fantastic on New Year’s Eve for instance) but mine just looked out to random buildings that I could not identify.

Cocktails
YEN Bar - W Taipei

Consistent to brand standards, you will not find a club lounge (or equivalent) here at W Taipei. In fact, with the exception of the W Guangzhou, I am not sure if there are any other W Hotels in the world that have a club lounge. With that being said, Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite (seriously!) and higher members actually do get to enjoy complimentary alcoholic drinks in the evening here at the W Taipei. Happy Hour for the aforementioned guests run from 5:00PM to 7:00PM daily and members will have the option of enjoying it either at YEN Bar (come early for a seat with a view of Taipei 101) or WOOBAR (located on the lobby level with a view of the pool). Complimentary coffee and tea can also be enjoyed at both locations for top-tier members from 10:00AM to 5:00PM daily. 

Happy Hour for Elite Members
YEN Bar - W Taipei

Apart from sparkling wine (prosecco, sadly), wines, spirits and non-alcoholic beverages, there were a couple of cocktails to choose from but no complimentary canapes were served during this time (which is fine!) - this is why booking the FHR Rate and having a USD 100 F&B credit is important! Remember, Marriott Bonvoy members will also get to enjoy up to 20% F&B discounts when dining in the hotel regardless of whether you are an in-house guest or not. 

Evening View of Taipei 101
YEN Bar - W Taipei

The night view from YEN Bar is fantastic and I highly recommend coming a little earlier (e.g. 4:30PM) to get a good seat in order to enjoy the evening and night view. There are also plenty of food and drinking options around the W Taipei so you do not have to worry about not having anything to eat. I personally love hotpots so I was quite excited to find out that one of my favourite hotpot brands (撈王鍋物料理) from China has opened its first Taipei branch inside the ATT 4 FUN mall (just a short 10-minute walk from the hotel).

Buffet Breakfast
The Kitchen Table - W Taipei

As mentioned earlier, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite and higher members do get a choice of welcome amenity upon checking-in and since I have actually booked the FHR Rate this time round, breakfast for two adults is already inclusive in my room rate. Hotel guests who have breakfast included in their room rate will be able to enjoy an extensive buffet breakfast selection at The Kitchen Table (西餐廳) which is located on Level 10 (the same level as the lobby and WOOBAR).

Buffet Breakfast
The Kitchen Table - W Taipei

In fact, on busier mornings, guests will also be invited to enjoy their breakfast in WOOBAR (they can still walk over to enjoy the breakfast spread in The Kitchen Table) but my personal preference is definitely a table outside that faces the WET pool (great for cooler months!). Honestly, there is a good variety here during breakfast but I did find the whole place to be slightly chaotic as appears that most travellers stay here on a breakfast-inclusive rate (or it attracts a lot of elite members perhaps) so if you wish to enjoy a quiet breakfast, coming early is definitely a good idea.

WET Pool
W Taipei

I have always found the WET Pool here at the W Taipei to be a little intimidating to swim and that is particularly so because both The Kitchen Table and the WOOBAR looks out to it. Now, if you have the body of an ancient Greek god, you may wish you flaunt it here but for the rest of us regular human beings, the pool does feel a little too exposed for my liking. With that being said, it is still a lovely place to hang around (so long the weather holds up) with a cocktail in hand which really is my idea of a pool session.

In-room Dining
Marvelous Suite - W Taipei

One of the greatest perks of The Platinum Card from American Express is access to FHR Rates and benefits - these rates are almost always priced the same as the publicly-available flexible rates (which means, you do pay a premium over advance purchase rates) but they typically come with extra benefits like guaranteed late-checkout and USD 100 credit. In the case of the W Taipei, the USD 100 food and beverage credit could be utilised on in-room dining and that was incredibly useful as I felt quite sick on the day of departure (after having over 13 proper cocktails the night before). I highly recommend the beef noodles as well as the 滷肉饭 (braised pork rice) which is served with foie gras.

Bedroom
Marvelous Suite - W Taipei

I have stayed in a number of luxury hotels in Taipei but the W Taipei is still my favourite (even though the Mandarin Oriental, Taipei comes in as a close second). The location of the property is fantastic and there are plenty of food as well as shopping options in the area. It goes without saying that a weekend here at the W Taipei will not come cheap but once you have factored in all the perks that come with the right room rate, you can easily see which this is the preferred property in Taipei for so many luxury travellers.

W Taipei
10 Zhongxiao East Road Sec. 5, Xinyi District, Taipei City, Taiwan 110
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