Caesar Park Taipei

In a city with a number of stylish mid-range and upscale options, the Caesar Park Taipei is unmemorable from a style perspective, though that doesn't stop it from being perennially popular. Inside the revolving glass doors, the lobby's lounge areas sit between decorative glass block partitions, but there are barely enough seats on the low, curved sectional couches for the sheer volume of visitors here. Dark marble floors and black-glass ceilings are brightened by copious amounts of accent lighting and glowing panels, with metal sculptures and columns emblazoned with floral graphics, busily fighting for attention. A rooftop garden terrace has a fish pond and great views of the city. The shopping mall has a separate entrance outside and has lots of fast food counters and noodle bars, plus a dozen small shops. The hotel is popular with Japanese tourists and large tour groups, and there are often waits at the LED-lit reception desk.

The hotel is conveniently located near the city's central transportation hubs in the Central Business District, known as Zhongzheng. The Taipei Railway Station (high-speed rail) and the Taipei Main station (MRT) are just across the busy Section 1, Zhongxiao Road, and the hotel has direct access to Exit 6 of Taipei Main station. Taipei Bus Terminal is an eight-minute walk to the north, right near the Q Square Mall, and the surrounding area is filled with streets brimming with shopping malls and small retailers. The Ningxia Night Market is about an 18-minute walk from the hotel, while the infamous Snake Alley (or Taipei Hwahsi Tourist Night Market) is about 22 minutes away via public transportation. The famous Longshan Temple is a 20-minute metro ride, and it's a 20-minute cab ride to the National Palace Museum. Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is 35 minutes away by car or an hour and 20 minutes via high-speed rail. 

Despite this hotel's lingering popularity, the 478 rooms are a bit underwhelming, with a dated style and sometimes worn furnishings. Carpets are patterned to mimic wood grain, and the walls come with a variety of wallpaper and/or paint jobs. Decorative touches range from out-of-place red curtains with gold braid accents, to throw pillows embroidered with Asian characters. Standard Rooms have old light fixtures and unintentionally vintage panels of room controls in night stands. Cramped sitting areas have striped armchairs and ottomans, and much of the furniture seems in need of a good cleaning. Small desks, mini-fridges, and flat-screen TVs come standard. The upgraded Metro and Metropolis Rooms, along with Station Suites, have more modern, interesting decor, with custom walls that depict different nature-themed designs like stylized stalks of bamboo or photographic close-ups of flowers. These rooms also have good views of central Taipei City. Standard bathrooms have shower/tub combos, with some adding bidets, while bathrooms in Suites have walk-in showers with separate soaking tubs.

There are a number of features available at this large hotel. The basement houses Caesar Mall, which has a few dozen small shops, fast food counters, and noodle bars. The hotel also has two of its own restaurants, with discounted drink prices for guests: the casual Checkers buffet, where kids under certain heights eat for free, and the more formal Dynasty, which serves traditional Chinese cuisine and dim sum. There's a full-service spa with the usual treatments (and discounts for hotel guests), along with a sauna and steam room. The carpeted fitness room is on the small side, with a few treadmills and exercise bikes, along with basic weight-training equipment. There's also a business center and banquet hall attached to the lobby. Wi-Fi is free throughout the hotel, but it doesn't always work well.