Shangri-La Far Eastern, Taipei

"Taipei’s dual-tower Shangri-la Far Eastern Plaza Hotel lives up to the utopian connotations of its brand name. Though clearly luxurious, tamped-down earth tones and Song-dynasty decor in the guestrooms and common areas keep this hotel from feeling overly ostentatious. The Shangri-la uses both its height (it’s among the tallest buildings in town) and location on a tree-lined avenue in the southeastern end of the city to great advantage. Most rooms offer views of either city or mountains, and many overlook both. Though the Shangri-la often caters to high-end business travelers (due in no small part to its location and extraordinarily helpful, multilingual staff), with its close proximity to so much of what Taipei has to offer pleasure seekers, vacationers preferring substance over flash will find the hotel worthy of its name."