Opened on 3 August 2012, The Okura Prestige Taipei is the first Okura Hotel to open in Taiwan. The 207-room hotel is also the second Okura Prestige hotel to open anywhere, after The Okura Prestige Bangkok which opened three months earlier. Although there are a few Okura Prestige hotels in the pipeline (including one in Taichung), none have opened so far, after these two. As far as I understand The Okura Prestige is a segment above the upmarket Hotel Okura brand, which itself is part of the Okura Nikko Hotel Group.

Booking The Okura Prestige Taipei

Whilst searching for hotels in Taipei, I was disappointed to see that Regent Taipei was charging rates well above their usual range. Given the last-minute nature of this trip, this was no surprise. Since I personally prefer staying in the Zhongshan area, The Okura Prestige naturally became my second choice, being the other luxury hotel in the area. I booked this stay via Agoda, which was charging the lowest rates for my dates. I paid an average nightly rate of NTD4700 (~USD 147, GBP 120), which I think is an exceptional price. However, the hotel does ordinarily charge rates about 30% to 50% above this one.

Location

The Okura Prestige Taipei is located in the Zhongshan District of Taipei, which is widely recognised as Taipei’s chief tourist and commercial district. It is no surprise then to see several department stores surrounding the area, including the popular Taiwanese book-cum-lifestyle store the Eslite Spectrum. There is also a Din Tai Fung Restaurant across the road inside the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Department Store, which I highly recommend when visiting Taipei. Running along the length of Zhongshan North Road are also many clothing boutiques and the Taipei Film House. Additionally, the Zhongshan Metro Station can also be reached on foot within five minutes, which I think is very strategic.

Arrival and Check-in

We arrived at The Okura Prestige by taxi after coming from the Taipei International Convention Centre in the Xinyi District. We were greeted by a pair of doormen who also helped us with our luggage before we proceeded inside for check-in. Curiously enough, there was a sign by the door, which said ‘No Drugs’. This was probably the first time I’ve ever seen a reference to drugs in Taiwan, let alone in an upmarket hotel. I wonder, is there an issue with drugs in the area?

Anyhoo, we were escorted straight to the check-in desk, where we were greeted by a friendly reception agent. Conveniently, she spoke great English, which was definitely a change from my experience on my last stay where I had to speak Japanese. Since we arrived past the check-in time at 18.00, we were advised that our room was ready. After filling out a few forms and securing a deposit, we were issued our keys and escorted to the lifts across from the reception desk.

Although I generally find the design of the lobby to be nice and opulent, I did feel that it looks suspiciously like the St. Regis Singapore, which I’ve also stayed at several times a few years back. It’s no issue though, since I kind of liked the style they are going for.

Our Prestige Hollywood Twin Room

With our keys in hand, we headed up to Level 9, on which our entry-level Prestige Room was located. Following the opulent classic style of the lobby, the plush look continued well into the corridors on the residential floors. Again this reminded me a lot of the corridors at the St. Regis Singapore, which makes me think that this is no coincidence. Hmm…

Bedroom

Sized at 44 sqm or 473 sqft, our Prestige Room is definitely one of the more generously proportioned entry-level rooms in the city. The room is decked with polished wooden floors, which combined with the warm lighting, provides for a very relaxing atmosphere. These lights can be controlled and dimmed with the control panel placed on top of each nightstand. This panel also controls the blinds, which are electronically operated. Taking up the centre of the room are the Hollywood twin beds, on which lie two origami cranes. What a cute touch! By the window side are two armchairs, complemented with a small side table. Next to that is a large organic-shaped leather-clad desk, along with a wheeled desk chair.

Across the beds is the wall-mounted television, under which you can find the minibar console. Next to that is the capsule-operated Nespresso coffee machine, which is definitely a nice touch. Next to the console was also a portable luggage rack, which complements the existing luggage rack embedded into the closet. Overall, I found the room to be functional and very beautifully designed. However, what I liked most about the room where the sliding partition screens. When in use, these sliding doors separate the bedroom from the entrance foyer, giving off a much cosier ambiance.

Left on the side table between the armchairs was a welcome platter consisting of two pieces of Taiwanese pineapple cake, which were otherwise available for purchase from the hotel’s bakery. Frankly speaking, the pineapple cakes were exceptionally good, perhaps the best I’ve had anywhere in Taiwan. In fact, it was so good that we decided to buy a box of 24 to bring back home as omiyage. Now that’s very clever of the hotel to do!

The next morning, I discovered that the room features a balcony. Despite there being a chair and table outside, the door to the balcony was unfortunately locked. I assume this must be a safety decision, by which the balcony can be unlocked if requested.

Given the cold weather during our stay, I wasn’t interested in getting into the hassle of requesting for it to be unlocked. Instead, I was still able to appreciate the view of the Zhongshan District skyline from the room’s windows. This time round, our room faced the Regent Taipei, as well as Okura’s sister hotel, Hotel Royal Nikko Taipei.

Bathroom

Located on the entrance side of the room is the bathroom, which is set up in the traditional Japanese layout. Although seemingly appearing to be an open-concept space, the bathroom can be fully enclosed by a pair of sliding doors hidden inside the walls. On the sink were the neutral-scented Okura Prestige bath amenities, which was relatively good quality.

Apart from the large sink, the full marble bathroom consists of a wet room that features a full-sized bathtub and a rain shower. Remarkably, the bathtub also features a television embedded into the wall. Unfortunately, most channels on that television were garbled and out of service. It didn’t bother me, however, since I don’t watch much television, particularly whilst travelling. Furthermore, I was pleased to find that the water pressure was excellent, which when paired with the fluffy towels, made for an especially relaxing bathing experience.

Since the Okura is no doubt a Japanese hotel, it is no surprise that the toilet is separated in a distinct space from the bathroom. Notably, the bathroom features a heated Toto Neorest bidet toilet, which I love. Better yet, the ones at the Okura are one of the higher-end Neorests, which feature an automatically opening lid and self-cleaning. Additionally, there is also another sink in the toilet room, separate from the one in the bathroom.

Amenities

Fitness Centre

The Okura Prestige Taipei has a sizeable fitness facility, shared with the hotel’s spa, located on the top floor of the hotel. Apart from the ordinary gymnasium offering, this facility also notably features a sauna and an outdoor rooftop swimming pool.

Upon exiting the lifts on Level 20, there is a reception desk for the Fitness Centre. After providing my room number, I was directed to go left and head up to Level 21 on a different lift.

Rooftop Pool

Upon exiting the lift on Level 21, I found myself at the hotel’s rooftop swimming pool. The swimming pool is attended by a member of staff, who proactively offered towels and swim caps. Bear in mind that swim caps are necessary for the pool. Whilst by no means huge, I thought that the pool looked very nice for what it is. Curiously, however, there were only a handful of sun loungers by one side of the pool, complemented by these strange-looking benches along the wall of the hotel.

Additionally, as the Okura is set amongst the district’s tallest buildings, there is an excellent 180-degree view of the surrounding skyline. Whilst the barrier fence was semi-translucent, it is a bit of a shame that the hotel didn’t opt for an infinity pool instead. Should that be the case, however, I’m sure the pool area would be a lot more crowded.

Service

As expected from a Japanese hotel, the service at The Okura Prestige Taipei was very good. In addition to the constant presence of greeting staff in the lobby, I’ve found that everybody in the hotel was very friendly and courteous. Additionally, I was also very impressed by how quick the staff were to process a request.

After we checked out, we realised that we accidentally left something in the room. After a quick call to the hotel, we asked our driver to turn around and head back. As soon as we pulled back into the Okura, we found that the concierge already had our left item and delightfully handed it to us. Suffice to say, I was impressed by the service!

Overall

All in all, I found The Okura Prestige Taipei to be an excellent hotel in a brilliant location in the centre of Taipei. Between the plush very comfortable rooms, the good service, and the exceptional surroundings, I was very satisfied with my stay. As such I wouldn’t hesitate to stay here again and would highly recommend The Okura Prestige Taipei to anyone visiting the city.

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