No.150, Section 1, Zhonghua Road, Taiwan, Province of China | (727) 241-5756
Conveniently located in downtown shopping district and close to the Ximen MRT subway
Stylish rooms; some with Nespresso coffeemakers and pleasant views
Delicious breakfast buffet offers good variety (for a fee)
Restaurant serves lunch buffet, afternoon tea, evening drinks, and room service
Coin-operated laundry facilities
iPod docks and free minibars in all rooms
Business center with free refreshments
Small gym with modern equipment
Reliable free Wi-Fi throughout
Sleek, spacious property with characterful artwork
Many rooms lack windows; others have poor views
Breakfast costs extra
Public areas are dark
Some rooms have odd bathroom setup
No dinner service
The Westgate is a three-pearl hotel close to the Ximen MRT subway stop in Ximending shopping district. Decor is sleek and contemporary, though a little on the dark side, while minimalist, intelligently designed rooms maximize space. All 121 rooms have free minibars, and some have Nespresso coffeemakers and pleasant views, but other rooms lack windows and many have odd bathroom setups. The breakfast buffet is excellent (costs extra), and lunch, afternoon tea and drinks are available, but dinner isn’t. There are limited gym facilities, a laundry room, and free Wi-Fi. The comparatively priced Taipei Garden Hotel has a larger gym, a spa, and a rooftop garden with hot tubs.
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Scene
Well-maintained business hotel with sleek modern decor, but public spaces feel dark
The Westgate is a sleek hotel that’s geared towards business travelers, though it’s equally convenient for those in town for retail therapy. The narrow, 10-story property is sandwiched between older, shabbier buildings, and the uncluttered lobby is done out almost entirely in black. There’s shiny floor tiling, chic cushioned stalls, and long, curvaceous, silver-upholstered sofas. A suspended sculpture installation of white ceramic men wearing tuxedos and diving into the air adds interest (modern art figures prominently throughout). The white-fronted marble reception desk topped with floral displays is striking. There’s little denying the hotel’s public spaces -- though well maintained and deceptively spacious -- are overwhelmingly dark. Guests get welcome drinks, and we appreciated thoughtful touches like free hand warmers during cold spells.
Location
In shopping central, walking distance from the subway and numerous attractions
Part of a block on a major palm-tree-lined street, the Westgate is at the heart of the Ximending shopping district. There are countless malls, boutiques, street stalls, and restaurants within reach on foot. The nearest subway station and bus stops are under 130 feet (40 meters) away.- One-minute walk to Ximen MRT (subway) station
Rooms
Quiet and stylish rooms; some with Nespresso coffeemakers
The hotel has a staggering 11 room types and, aside from increasing size, there’s really little to differentiate one from the next -- but all are surprisingly quiet. Decor is smart and contemporary with striped gray carpets, white walls with a mix of gray- and dark-wood-paneled feature accents, and full-width headboards with built-in lamps and bedside tables. There are glass desks in most rooms (but oddly not in some pricier categories). Front-facing Premier Dual Rooms and above have pleasant street views, but the cheapest categories are entirely windowless, and other rooms have small windows and poor views. Dual and Premier Dual Rooms have two queen-size beds that sleep to sleep four people. Grand Suites (which don’t have a separate living space) come with a sofa bed, but there are extra charges for a third person.The Westgate’s approach to bathrooms is a tad bizarre. In many rooms, (and not just cheaper ones) contemporary white countertop sinks are in the bedroom, on smart black marble vanities against slate-tile splashbacks and with full-width overhead mirrors. Of the rooms we saw on our visit, only Deluxe Rooms have sinks inside the bathrooms. Premier Rooms have strange kitchenette-like vanity islands and Dual Rooms have vanities wedged between separate shower and toilet stalls. Bathrooms themselves sport attractive gray floor and wall tiling, and large walk-in showers have power showerheads. Deluxe Rooms and above have rainfall and slim line power showerheads, plus separate bathtubs in Premier Dual and above, and double sinks in Premier Dual Rooms alone. Toilets have electronic controls.Amenities include individually controlled air-conditioning, 40-inch flat-screen cable TVs with DVD players, iPod docks, phones, free Wi-Fi, safes, coffee- and tea-making facilities, free (though sparsely stocked) minibars, hairdryers, bathrobes, slippers, and free miniature toiletries. Executive and Grand Suites add Nespresso coffeemakers.
Features
Excellent breakfast buffet (costs extra), but no dinner; limited fitness facilities and laundry room
There’s a decent range of facilities at this business-oriented hotel. Unwind restaurant and bar serves an excellent breakfast buffet (costs extra), buffet lunch, afternoon tea, and drinks from mid-afternoon until late evening, plus room service -- but no dinner. The pleasant business center has desktop computers, a printer, reading materials, and free refreshments. There’s also reliable free Wi-Fi throughout. There’s a small gym with limited cardio machines but no weightlifting equipment, plus a laundry room with coin-operated washing machine and dryer (dry cleaning is available). A meeting room can accommodate 12 people.
