Stewart L.
Yelp
For my first visit to Taipei and Taiwan, I booked here because it's part of a familiar worldwide brand, had reasonable rates and seemed well-located. I was pleased with my choice; the hotel is large, has many amenities (especially dining options), and is close to lots of luxury shopping, Taipei 101 in particular.
Taking the MRT from Taoyuan Airport requires a transfer at the large Taipei Main Station, so I pre-booked a private transfer via Klook while still in the US. There is also a bus that apparently can take you from the airport to Taipei 101. I arrived very early, around 7 am. The hotel really does not do early check-in unless you reserve a room the night before arrival, so I lolled about for 4 hours and was allowed to check in at 11 am. I was able to freshen up in the fitness centre and did some exploring of the hotel and the adjacent neighbourhood.
Some reviewers say the hotel is "dated", and it does have a 20th century appearance, but it doesn't detract from the hotel's offerings. It has a grand, soaring lobby, an extensive amount of event space as well as a plethora of restaurants located on 3 separate floors. The fitness centre, spa and outdoor pool are above the lobby. The fitness centre is divided into separate rooms for aerobic/yoga classes, cardio, and weights.
Other reviewers mentioned long lines at check-in. The reception area is smallish with usually 2 staffers working, plus another at the separate World of Hyatt desk, used by guests with Hyatt status. I occasionally notices lines, but never huge.
My room was a Deluxe King, similarly furnished but slightly larger that a regular King. It had a partial (angled to the left)Taipei 101 view. There's one of those card slots by the door to turn on the power. It was roomy enough, but the carpeting was stained and some of the furnishings had seen better days. Not all of the outlets/USB ports worked. The closet was sizable and the minibar fridge had space for your own items. The bathroom was pretty spacious with a Japanese-style toilet, a shower with 2 heads and separate tub.
The hotel has 10 (!) restaurants/lounges, of which I tried 3 (multiple times).
1) Cafe. Extensive buffets for breakfast (hotel guests only), lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.
2) Irodori. Japanese seafood buffet for lunch and dinner, plus many sake choices.
3) Yun Jin. Fancy Chinese (Sichuan, Shanghai, etc.) lunch and dinner.
4) Pearl Liang. Slightly less fancy Cantonese Chinese, including dim sum for lunch and dinner.
5) Bel Air Grill. Fancy steakhouse lunch and dinner.
6) Ziga Zaga. Italian lunch and dinner.
7) Cheers. Bar/lounge with a light meal menu, outdoor terrace and live evening entertainment.
8) Baguette. Takeaway coffee/beverages, sandwiches, breads, cakes.
9) Cha Lounge. All-vegetarian buffet for weekend lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.
10) Club. 22nd floor for members or Hyatt elites only.
Service at the restaurants I tried (Cafe, Iridori and Cheers) was great, but Cheers was understaffed. Housekeeping was also fab.
Most of the nearby shopping is in the luxury category. Most notable are the shops at Taipei 101 (there's a covered walkway from the hotel), which also has restaurants and an impressive food court, including Din Tai Fung. Also notable are the Breeze shopping areas (there are several). Park Hyatt and Andaz (connected) hotels are under construction nearby, as is a Four Seasons.
The closest MRT stations are Taipei 101/World Trade Center for the Red line and Taipei City Hall for the Blue line. The National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall is a 10 minute walk and highly recommended.
Overall great stay.