Review: Hotel Proverbs Taipei, a Member of Design Hotels

To top off our trip to Osaka, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka, myself and my two friends arranged to stay in Taipei City for three nights before flying Starlux Airlines Premium Economy back to North America. As this would be a busy three days of exploring the city, we really prioritized the hotel’s location. I also had multiple Marriott Bonvoy Free Night Awards expiring and wanted to redeem them during this trip.

We discovered the Hotel Proverbs Taipei, A Member of Design Hotels, which is a boutique hotel in a central location in the city and could be redeemed with my awards. However, with none of us having stayed at a hotel in the Design Hotels brand before, we were uncertain of what to expect.  

Read on for my review of the Hotel Proverbs Taipei.

Booking & Check-in

I booked three nights at the Hotel Proverbs Taipei using a combination of three different Marriott Bonvoy Free Night Awards. Two were earned as anniversary awards from my American Express Marriott Bonvoy Business card, worth up to 35,000 points, and the other from my Titanium Elite Annual Choice Benefit, worth up to 40,000 points. The hotel redemption rate was exactly 40,000 points per night, which required me to top up two of my awards with 5,000 points each. 

Check in wasn’t especially smooth, to be frank. We arrived a bit late, around 9:00 PM from our  EVA Air flight from Fukuoka. The room I booked was a “1 King or 2 Twin” and it was unfortunately configured as a King and unable to be converted due to housekeeping being “done for the day”.  There were additionally no other rooms already configured as Twins.

While I should have reached out to the hotel earlier, they initiated no contact prior to the stay and had no live chat option in the Bonvoy app, just a Taiwan phone number, for me to communicate with them on the day of our arrival.  

Furthermore, the hotel did not recognize Marriott Bonvoy Elite status, had no welcome amenities, and did not offer us a late checkout, which was rather unfortunate. They did mention that the hotel mini-bar was all complimentary, which was a positive feature and not something I’d often seen offered by hotels in the Marriott portfolio. 

We were also upgraded from the Classic room to the Premium room, which was appreciated as it is the second largest suite available at the property. 

Location

The Hotel Proverbs Taipei is located next to MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing Station, the junction of MRT Wenhu (Brown) Line and Bannan (Blue) Line. The property is just 2 stops away from Taipei Main Station and 3 stops from MRT Taipei City Hall Station. Thus, Hotel Proverbs Taipei is a great centrally located starting point for travelers to start their exploration of Taipei’s beauty.

There are several good food and drink options in close proximity to the hotel, including Bar Mood Taipei. Our first morning, we visited a nearby streetside cafe called Hungry Pig’s Cafe & Bar and had some phenomenal roasted duck risotto, cold brew coffee, and peanut butter cheesecake.

The hotel is about a 10-minute shuttle bus from Zhongxiao Dunhua Station to Taipei Songshan Airport, or a 28-minute train on the Wenhu Line. Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) is quite a bit further outside of the city, and takes around an hour by bus, train, or car.

Parking

Parking at Hotel Proverbs is complimentary for guests dining/staying at the hotel. There are 12 underground parking stalls with semi-mechanical elevators. However, reservation of the free private parking spaces is required as capacity is limited. Call +886 2 2711 1118 to reserve.

The entrance to the parking garage is located in an alleyway to the right of the hotel’s main entrance, Lane 52, Section 1, Da’an Rd.

Room – Premium, Larger Guest room, 1 King or 2 Twin, City view

Our Premium room was located on the 8th floor of the property, numbered 807. The hallways to the guest rooms were rather dark and drab, but thankfully, the rooms did not have a similar ambiance.

The main area of the room was very apartment-esque, with wooden floors and antique decor. I can’t say it’s atypical for hotels, but the pictures on the Marriott Bonvoy app did the room a little more justice than it deserved. 

Nonetheless, it was a nice-sized space. You might notice that we had the king bed changed to two twins, however, this couldn’t be completed until the second day of our stay for reasons mentioned above.

The couch, entertainment center, and mini bar were all located in a separate area closest to the door, with a divider between the couch and the bed closest to the window.

The couch was a bit flat, but decent-sized.  The television was a modern smart TV that allowed connecting to Netflix for streaming and the like. It is always nice to not have to bust out the HDMI cable and laptop.  

Next to the couch was the mini-bar and a ledge with ample counter space.

I hate to complain about something that was free, but although the mini-bar was complimentary there wasn’t a lot stocked in it. For example, there were only two caffeinated coffee pods for the Nespresso machine. 

Although there was no fitness center on the property, the room did have an exercise bike.

This was a nice-to-have and we made use of it for a few short cycles during our stay. It did make the living space feel a bit more cramped however. 

For storage, there was a standing closet next to one of the beds. It was a rather unique design, with additional storage in the drawers and also in a raised shelf near the ceiling. 

As shown, there was a safe built into the drawer on the right side. 

Another highlight of the room was the balcony, which offered a street view of Taipei down below.

This was more of a standing balcony, as it was quite narrow and there were no chairs to sit on. 

Stepping into the bathroom was like stepping into a different room. It was modern and exuded luxury.

However, while they spared no expense on the bathroom, the Hotel Proverbs couldn’t be bothered to have a real door to the bathroom, instead installing a simple curtain. 

This curtain didn’t even have a clasp or any way to close it fully. So occupants had to operate on trust that your travel partner won’t look through the gap in the curtain while you’re doing your business…

Aside from that, the amenities were really nice. The shower was spacious and had a massive ledge. Gels and shampoos were provided by Culti Milano. 

We didn’t use the bathtub for anything other than depositing used towels, but it appeared to be equally up to the standard of the rest of the facilities. 

The toilet was fantastic as well. It was a fully featured bidet with many different settings and an all-important drying function.

While the main room and the bathroom at Hotel Proverbs were totally mismatched, I wasn’t complaining as the bathroom was a real treat and felt like I was in a luxury hotel. As opposed to the apartment feel of the rest of the living quarters.

Restaurants & Bars

L’IDIOT Restaurant

Located on the main floor of the hotel was the hotel’s main and only restaurant, L’idiot. One of the more interesting restaurant names I’ve come across, it means ‘idiot’ in French. Unsurprisingly, they serve French-inspired cuisine.  

Unfortunately, Design hotels don’t offer breakfast complimentary to Marriott Bonvoy Elite members. After browsing the menu (available here), we decided to have breakfast at local restaurants for each morning of our stay. The options were limited and frankly, overpriced for Taipei where quality street food is readily available and affordable. 

Related: Guide to the Breakfast Benefit for Marriott Bonvoy Elite Members

If you’re looking for some good dining options nearby, we recommend Hungry Pig’s Cafe & Bar and Master Jim Beef Noodle.

East End

Located on the third floor of Hotel Proverbs, the East End Bar is a London-inspired cocktail bar that uses “iconic Taiwanese elements such as guava, coffee, Hinoki and longan”. The bar has some solid reviews and an interesting special menu (which you can view here). 

Unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to visit during our stay in Taipei, so can’t comment further on the East End offerings. If you’re looking for some other good bar options nearby, we recommend Terminal One Bar & Lounge, Bar Mood, and Bar Shock.

Facilities

Gym / Spa

There is a distinct lack of fitness center available to guests of the Hotel Proverbs Taipei, as well as a lack of spa services.  However if you are itching for a workout, there is a fitness center called Beyond Fitness 忠孝店 located only about one block from the hotel.

Rooftop Pool

The Hotel Proverbs has a small 15-meter swimming pool on the rooftop, accessible from the 12th floor (we tried selecting floor “R” in the elevator, but it wasn’t functioning during our stay). 

The grating did obstruct the view a bit, but Taipei 101 was visible in the distance. The pool was not heated, which provided a nice relief from the hot humidity of Taipei in the Spring. There was a small amount of seating with tables and loungers surrounding the pool. We did not see anyone else using the facilities both times we visited.

The pool had a change room, but no towels were available. Instead, I had to call down to the front desk using the phone near the 12th-floor elevator to request that some towels be brought up to us. This seems like a bit of an oversight that I’m sure can be written off as “sustainability”.

The rooftop pool is open from 6:30 AM until 9:00 PM. Of note, food or drink is not allowed in the pool area. 

Conclusion

Aside from the hiccup at check-in, the Hotel Proverbs staff was always courteous and helpful, offering to help us with transportation or offering us umbrellas as we departed the lobby on a rainy day.

While the rooms are in need of a little updating, and the bathroom needs a real door, this hotel did the trick for us on our short and busy stay in Taipei City, and the great location couldn’t be beat. 

I would be curious to try more of the food and cocktails offered at L’idiot and East End, hopefully on a future visit to Taipei!