UPDATE: Uinn Travel Hostel has ceased operations. I am keeping this Hostel of the Day feature to give tribute to such excellent accommodation.
Hey ho! I’m so sorry I’ve been quiet the past few weeks. I just came back from Yogyakarta, Indonesia (more details soon!) & been very busy with work requirements. Fret not, I am back & I am excited to share more information & experiences with you. Today, I will take you to back to Taipei, Taiwan. I’ve been to the city in 2015 & 2017 but I was convinced by my mom to go back with the whole family.
My family & I took advantage of the visa-free privilege for Filipino passport holders & went on a 4-day weekend trip around Taipei & Taichung last June 2019. I already shared with you last month some photos of our Taichung day trip as well as details of our EVA Air flight back to Manila. Now, I want to share with you details about our modern & space-themed hostel in Taipei – Uinn Travel Hostel. This amazing will be today’s Hostel Of The Day feature. I can’t wait for you to see how excellent this property is! Check out the property’s details below.
Location & Access
Uinn Travel Hostel is located in Chongqing South Rd, in the quiet neighborhood of Zhongzheng District. The nearest famous landmark to the property is Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall. The Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall Station (Green & Red Lines) is 700 m away & is about 8-10 minutes walk. The hostel is 1 km away from Guting Station & is about 10-12 minutes walk. Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Station is 2 stops away from Taipei Main Station & 3 stops away from Ximen Station. Taipei 101 Station is 5 metro stops away on the red line. The hostel is also accessible to Ximending, Taipai Main Station & Daan Park by bus, with the bus stopping right in front of the hostel premises. The Taipei Taoyuan International Airport can be accessed from Taipei Main Station.
The hostel is located in a quiet area with local & affordable restaurants. The nearest convenience store is about 3-5 minutes walk from the hostel. For those who love bubble tea, there are a number of nearby bubble tea shops in the hostel. The hostel’s location may not be as strategic as the other hostels but its location is still nice – quiet, safe & accessible.
private & dormitory rooms
The property offers both private & dormitory rooms to its guests. Those who prefer to have the room to themselves can book their spacious standard double room. This room can accommodate 2 adults. It comes with a double bed, cable television, private toilet & shower, complete towels & toiletry set & a small fridge. The room also has a small table & chair if guests plan to do some work during their stay.
Guests who want to save some money can opt for the dormitory rooms. The dorm rooms are configured to either capsule beds or regular bunk beds. All these beds are equipped with personal television screens (with headset for the bunk beds), bedside sockets, personal reading light & lockers with electronic locks. Towels & toiletries are also included. Guests of the capsule dormitories can fully enclose their space while those on bunk beds can pull down roller blinds for privacy. Guests of both dormitory rooms have access to communal toilets & shower areas equipped with hair dryers.
All hostel guests have free, simple buffet breakfast every day; it is already included in the nightly rate. Room / dormitory bed rates differ from one booking website to the other. It also depends on the season. You can check out the hostel’s booking platform for the updated rates for your desired stay. Book early to get the best deals.
hostel amenities
Here comes my favorite part of every Hostel of the Day feature – the list of perks a guest gets in every hostel. Uinn Travel Hostel offers a long list of amenities & perks to enjoy. Check them below.
Free Fast Wi-Fi
The hostel offers free, fast Wi-Fi to all its guests. The connection is available throughout the property – from the reception area, to outdoor seating area & to the rooms. The Wi-Fi password can be obtained from the reception.
Simple Buffet Breakfast
Breakfast is included in the nightly rate. All guests have access to unlimited bread (with croissant!!) with butter & jam, coffee, tea, biscuits & boiled egg. From memory, breakfast starts at 7:00 am & ends at 9:30 am or 10:00 am.
Free Coffee, Tea & Juice
The hostel’s coffee & juice machines are open to all guests 24/7. Any guest can just go there & get their drink of choice at any time of the day. These drinks are free of charge.
Cozy Lounge & Dining Area
The hostel has a cozy & spacious lounge & dining area on the ground floor, beside the reception area. They even have stuff toys & colorful pillows which my baby cousin enjoyed.
Clean Communal Toilet & Shower Rooms
Aside from the toilet & shower areas in the private & dormitory rooms, the hostel also has communal facilities in the basement, open to all guests – even those who are just about to check in or those who already checked out.
Free Luggage Storage
Luggage storage is free to all upcoming & outgoing guests. The staff provides a small control paper which indicates a control number & the number of luggage the guests have. The luggage area is by the stairs, directly in front of reception. Bags & luggage are secured & are always at the eye of the staff.
24/7 Reception
Uinn Travel Hostel’s reception is open 24 hours 7 days a week. There’s always someone who is at the reception counter. People who are flying to Taiwan in late night or red-eye flights won’t have any problem when they arrive at the hostel.
Cheerful & Helpful Staff
The hostel staff are very cheerful & helpful. They welcomed us with bright smiles on their faces. They also answered all our questions & even gave recommendations on where to go & what to do. They also speak the English language; communication is & will never be a problem.
Outdoor Lounge Area
The hostel has an outdoor lounge area, right by the road. It is the perfect place to have some late night talks / drinks or early morning coffee.
Communal Computers
Personal computers are available for communal use in the ground floor communal area. Guests can use these computers to plan their itineraries, book onward tickets & future accommodation. It’s free of charge. Reception offers printing, fax & photocopying services for an additional fee.
Uinn Joy – Lounge & Games Area
One unique amenity of Uinn Travel Hostel is Uinn Joy. It is a special lounge & games area located in basement level 2 that has a dart machine, a table football, an audio-visual equipment & comfy seats which guests can enjoy. They even have free popcorn for all guests. Drinks can be bought in the on-site vending machine while beers can be purchased from the hostel. The hostel has viewing parties at selected times of the month. Uinn Joy is the best place to meet other guests & travelers. This facility is open everyday from 8:00 am to 11:00 pm or 1:00 am.
Daily Housekeeping
The hostel staff cleans all rooms everyday. They even provide bottled water to private rooms every day. Guests have the option to have their room cleaned every day or not.
Laundry Facilities
Uinn Travel Hostel has complete on-site laundry facilities. Feel free to check with a staff on how you can use the laundry facilities.
Secured Room Access
The hostel main door is open to everyone at all times. Lift access is only limited to guests & hostel staff through an electronic key card. Room access on the other hand is only available to the guest checked in on a specific room. Electronic key cards do not work on other room doors, only on your specified room door.
Bicycle Rental & Tour Services
They also offer bicycle rental & tour services to interested guests. More information about these services can be obtained from reception.
The perks & amenities provided by Uinn Travel Hostel to all its guests are at par with those offered by established Japan hostel chains. The hostel excels in providing every amenity & makes sure that the guests enjoy what they pay for.
my experience
We were a family of 8 adults & 1 kid & we opted on staying in private rooms for all 3 nights in Taipei. We got 4 standard double rooms (2 persons per room) at NT$ 1,700 per room per night – around ₱2,800 per room per night. A normal dormitory bed in Taipei costs close to ₱1,000 per night so getting the room for around ₱1,400 per person per night with privacy & a private toilet & shower is already a good deal.
The standard room was very spacious. The bed & pillows were soft & comfortable. The room air conditioning worked well – we had the coldest room among the four. Cleanliness was spot on – the staff even cleaned our room everyday. They also give our daily supply of bottled water. The toilet & shower were modern & clean; toiletries & towels were included. One weird thing I noticed is that the sinks were located outside the toilet & shower area. It was only a minor observation & probably the first time I saw it in a room. Wi-Fi was fast everywhere in the hostel.
The simple breakfast bread buffet was superb! I enjoyed the chocolate, peanut butter & garlic spreads they have. I ate a lot of small croissants every morning. The orange & grape juice were my favorites. I wish all other hostels offer the type of breakfast Uinn Travel Hostel offers.
Hostel location was alright. We didn’t mind walking to Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Station & back. Hostel staff were super nice & accommodating. I didn’t have the chance to play & enjoy the facilities at Uinn Joy due to our tight schedule; but just having them on site is already great. The hostel is relatively quiet, not much of a social & definitely not a party hostel. It is a quiet but an amazing one.
Overall, we had a great stay. My parents, siblings, uncle & aunt & my baby cousin enjoyed their stay at Uinn Travel Hostel. We definitely got more than what we paid for. Everything was spot on; it is an excellent hostel. I definitely recommend this hostel to everyone. You don’t want to miss staying here whilst in Taipei.
If ever you have a question about the hostel or you want to contact them directly for an upcoming stay, feel free to reach them in the contact details below:
Uinn Travel Hostel
Address: 38 Section 3, Chongqing South Road Taipei City Taiwan 100
Phone Number: +886 2 2333 1277
Fax Number: +886 2 2339 6800
Email Address: uinntravel@outlook.com
Website: travel.uinnhotel.com
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/UinnTravel
Instagram: www.instagram.com/uinntravel/
Have you stayed with Uinn Travel Hostel in Taipei, Taiwan? If yes, how was your stay? Have you been to another modern & excellent hostel in Taipei or in Taiwan? Feel free to name the hostel in the comment section below. I might just stay there in my next Taiwan trip. You can also send your suggestions via e-mail to contact@thewkndtravel.com. Don’t forget to follow me & please please please also help me in promoting my social media channels – Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.
Thank you for joining me today. Until the next Hostel Of The Day feature!
PS. Photos were taken using my HTC U11.