The Landis Taipei

The Landis Taipei is something of a grand dame. She’s seen better days, though some will appreciate the traditional style. That’s true of both the quirky but dated Art Deco decor and the service, which can be a tad stuffy for modern tastes. Even outside, the 12-story gray concrete building looks old. Inside, the lobby’s faded grandeur includes marble floors and walls, low black-topped reception desks, dated gray-upholstered, wood-framed club chairs, and vaulted cream ceilings with striking chandeliers. Clashing color schemes don’t help with what looks like a botched attempt to be glitzy in the busy and elaborately decorated restaurants. Drab hallways have patterned gray carpets and cream cloud-effect wallpaper. The attractive Jurlique Spa, with modern pale-wood-panel flooring and chic all-white built-in sofas, is an exceptionally pleasant space.

The hotel mainly hosts business travelers, though couples and tourists stay here for the location. 

The Landis sits on a busy junction in downtown Taipei’s Zhongzheng District, home to numerous Taiwanese government departments. The hotel is less than two miles from Songshan Airport. The commercial neighborhood is a good fit for business travelers, and it’s just a short walk to the subway to reach more eating and shopping choices for tourists

• Four-minute walk to Zhongshan Elementary School MRT (subway) station
• Five minutes to Shilin night market by car (29 minutes by public transportation)
• Six minutes to National Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial Hall by car
• Six minutes to Taipei Songshan Airport by car
• Eight minutes to Dihua Street and Xia Hai Temple (33 minutes by public transportation)
• Nine minutes to Taipei Astronomical Museum by car
• Nine minutes to Taipei Main Station by car (32 minutes by public transportation)
• 10 minutes to Presidential Office Building by car
• 14 minutes to Taipei 101 by car (28 minutes by public transportation)
• 23 minutes to National Palace Museum by car
• 27 minutes to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport by car

Quiet, air-conditioned rooms are comfortable and generally spacious, but tastefully bland with an abundance of beige. There are cream walls and carpets, simple fabric headboards, dark-wood bedside tables, and small, old-fashioned dark-wood-framed windows. Corner desks have executive-style office chairs. Bathrooms are generously sized, but cream-and-brown pebbledash marble vanities with built-in sinks are oh-so-dated. Shower/tub combos have fixed showerheads and toilets have electronic controls.

Executive Suites add wood-paneled walls in an attempt at modernity, but the result lacks character. Connected living spaces are furnished with tacky olive green velvet club chairs. Lovely bathrooms have granite-like flooring, long vanities with chic countertop sinks, and shiny mosaic accent tiling. Shower/tub combos lack curtains, and there are separate walk-in power showers. In Corner Suites, subtle additions like ottoman benches make a stylish difference, though decor is still fairly generic, and the velvet green armchairs reappear (living spaces are still connected, but spacious enough to feel separate). More modern bathrooms have freestanding soaking tubs, mirrored walls, and walk-in showers with rainfall and power showerheads.

Amenities in all rooms include include flat-screen TVs, phones, free Wi-Fi, safes, minibars, coffee- and tea-making facilities (and coffeemakers in suites), bathrobes, slippers, and free miniature toiletries. Nightly turndown service are offered. Note that guests report some housekeeping and maintenance issues.

The Landis’s three renowned restaurants are the main attraction here. Tien Hsiang Lo serves Chinese a la carte and set Chinese lunch and dinner menus. La Brasserie is the place for the decent breakfast buffet (that costs extra) and then French a la carte and set lunch and dinner menus (alongside a short pan-Asian selection), and afternoon tea. For French fine dining, Paris 1930 offers set tasting menus for lunch and dinner, but it’s not open every day and young children aren’t permitted. Le Rendez-Vous bar is open for drinks from lunchtime until late evening, and there’s an all-day take-out cafe/bakery. Room service runs 24-hours. 

The large, modern gym has a wide range of free weights and cardio and Cybex weightlifting machines in a sunny room. Free bottled water and towels are provided. Jurlique Spa provides a sun deck and selection of treatments. The business center is open 24-hours. An excellent feature is free access to the all-day Proust Lounge with free soft drinks and snacks. Three function venues can host up to 300 people, and there’s free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel.