Palais de Chine Hotel is the best, and one of the few luxury hotels near Taipei Main Station in Taipei.
The hotel is known for its dramatic classical European design and for housing Le Palais, the first restaurant in Taiwan to earn three Michelin stars.
On a recent visit, I spent a night in a Prestige-tier room at Palais de Chine to experience the hotel firsthand and find out whether it’s worth the money and who it’s best suited for.
Quick Verdict
Palais de Chine (see on Booking / Agoda / Trip.com / official site) is one of my favorite luxury hotels in Taipei thanks to its central location beside Taipei Main Station, evocative European-inspired interiors, and the opulent Le Salon Executive Lounge.
It’s not the best choice for everyone, but for the right traveler, it’s hard to beat.
Pros
- Directly connected to Taipei Main Station and Q Square mall
- Striking old-world European interiors
- Excellent breakfast buffet featuring signature dishes from famous food vendors across Taiwan.
- Spacious, comfortable room with a charming corner bathtub
- Beautiful Le Salon Executive Lounge, which feels like a private library
Cons
- Entrance surprisingly difficult to find from Taipei Main Station’s underground passageways
- No swimming pool
- Dark interiors may not appeal to everyone
You’ll Probably Love Palais de Chine If…
- You want the convenience of Taipei Main Station without sacrificing luxury.
- You enjoy atmospheric hotels with distinctive character.
- You’re celebrating a special occasion or romantic getaway.
- You’re planning to eat at Le Palais.
- You’re willing to pay extra for a room with Le Salon Executive Lounge access.
Explore options besides Palais de Chine in my guide to hotels near Taipei Main Station and where to stay in other parts of Taipei.
Palais de Chine Quick Introduction
Opened in 2010 as part of the Q Square and Taipei Bus Station redevelopment project, Palais de Chine (君品酒店) is a 286-room luxury hotel directly connected to Taipei Main Station.
It is operated by LDC Hotels & Resorts, a Taiwanese hospitality group that also manages several other upscale properties around the country, including Fleur de Chine at Sun Moon Lake and Royal Chihpen in Taitung.
The hotel’s biggest claim to fame is Le Palais, its Cantonese restaurant, which became the first restaurant in Taiwan to earn three Michelin stars and has retained the distinction for multiple years.
While many guests visit for the acclaimed restaurant, the hotel has also developed a reputation for its highly memorable design and atmosphere, making it unlike any other luxury hotel in Taipei.
Getting to Palais de Chine Hotel
One of Palais de Chine’s biggest selling points is its direct connection to Taipei Main Station. Ironically, it’s also one of the hotel’s biggest frustrations.
Despite being just a few minutes away on foot, the station’s maze of underground passageways makes the hotel surprisingly difficult to find on your first visit.
Taipei Main Station is a huge transportation hub connecting TRA, HSR, two MRT lines, the Airport MRT, Taipei Bus Station, and Q Square shopping mall.
By Taxi or Private Car
From Taoyuan International Airport, the easiest way to reach the hotel would be by taxi or private transfer (book here). The taxi will drop you off right at the hotel’s door.
Although the Airport MRT is often faster than a taxi, first-time visitors may find that the time saved is offset by navigating Taipei Main Station with luggage.
Also read: How to use the luggage lockers in Taipei Main Station
From the Airport MRT Station
If you take the Airport MRT from Taoyuan International Airport to Taipei Main Station, you will arrive here.
Although the station looks very close on a map, construction around Taipei Main Station currently prevents the most direct street-level route.
Instead, follow the signs to Taipei City Mall (also called Y Mall), which runs below Civic Boulevard (the major east-to-west roadway between Taipei Main Station and Palais de Chine). There are multiple connecting passageways from the station to the mall – any will do.
Upon entering the underground shopping street, turn right and keep walking to Y7 (you’ll reach this one first) or Y5 (a little further, but gets you closest to the hotel). Note that both exits have some stairs.
Once you get to the street, you’ll be less than 100 meters from the hotel entrance.
From Taipei Main Station (TRA and HSR Station)
If you arrive in Taipei by train or HSR, you will arrive on a floor below the large Taipei Main Station railway station building.
Once again, I recommend simply following signs to Taipei City Mall (Y Mall) and taking exit Y5 or Y7 to reach the hotel.
Although you may see signs for Q Square and Taipei Bus Station, I don’t recommend following them the whole way. Once you get closer, follow the signs for Taipei City Mall instead.
Despite the hotel occupying the same building, its entrance is separate from the mall and can’t be reached from the mall’s elevators.
If you happen to be on the ground floor of the train station (the main lobby and ticketing area), you can also take Exit North 3 (and the northwest corner of the station) and take the stairs up the pedestrian overpass next to exit Y8 to cross Civic Boulevard.
That will get you right to the entrance of the hotel.
From Taipei Main Station (MRT Station)
Two Taipei MRT lines (the north-to-south Red Line and east-to-west Blue Line) intersect deep below Taipei Main Station.
When I stayed at the hotel, my preferred route was via the train station building.
After exiting the hotel, turn left and take the overpass over Civic Boulevard to reach Taipei Main Station (see photos in previous section).
Enter the station and take any stairs or escalator down to B1. Then simply follow the signs to the Red Line or Blue Line. Budget 10 minutes from hotel door to platform.
A second option is to exit the hotel, turn left, and turn left again around the corner of the building to find exit Y5 to Taipei City Mall. Turn left in the mall and then follow the signs to Taipei Main Station and Red Line or Blue Line.
Which Room to Choose
In my opinion, one of the top selling points of Palais de Chine is Le Salon Executive Lounge, the hotel’s premium lounge with complimentary snacks and drinks.
Standard Rooms at the hotel (Superior and Deluxe) do not include access to the lounge.
Executive Floor Rooms, which include Prestige rooms (like the one I got) as well as Executive and Premier Suites, come with full access to the lounge.
Compared to the standard rooms, my room was essentially the same layout but slightly larger. But access to the lounge really enhanced my stay and was worth the money for me – I’ll introduce the lounge in more detail below.
Other perks which came with my prestige room included welcome fruit, beers in the mini-fridge, complimentary local calls, one free hour in the business center, and buffet dinner (which I wasn’t aware of until check-in and had already made other dinner plans).
My Full Hotel Stay Review
Now I’ll cover every part of my stay, from check-in and room to hotel facilities and breakfast buffet.
Arrival and Check-In
I arrived at Palais de Chine several hours before check-in. The hotel’s entrance is just south of the Q Square mall entrance on the west side of the building – you can’t miss the large red Palais de Chine sign and row of country flags.
At the ground-floor reception foyer, I was able to leave my luggage, which was later brought to me as I was checking in. The staff here also promptly gave me advice on directions and provided a map.
They also informed me that early check-in is sometimes available but may be subject to a fee, depending how early. For very early check-in, it’s better to book the night before.
My first glimpse of the hotel interior here gave me a taste of what was to come, with theatrical elements including a regal equestrian sculpture beneath crystal chandeliers.
When I returned, I took the elevator to the 6F lobby and check-in area.
The lobby feels less like the reception of a business hotel and more like the entrance hall of a European manor.
Crystal chandeliers, oversized lanterns, timber paneling, bronze sculptures, and velvet seating combine to create an immersive setting unlike any other hotel lobby in Taipei.
Before checking in, I took a moment to appreciate some of the artworks and curated seating spaces. The hotel even offers private tours of all the artworks on site if you are interested.
Check-in was fast and professional, with all my questions clearly answered in fluent English.
My Room
While hotel rooms start from the seventh floor, my Prestige room was located on one of the executive floors (14-16).
Walking through a gallery of lamps to reach my room, I passed several gorgeous artworks and a private reading area.
My room was a spacious 37 square meters, with a corner bathtub and bathroom area on the left, including large shower and Japanese-style toilet with comfort and cleaning controls.
On the right were a closet, safe and mini-bar. I was pleased to note reusable glass bottles of water, including the option to refill with regular and sparkling water at the machine in the hallway.
The bar also came with pour-over coffees, hotel-branded teas, and several cold drinks including a few different beers, all included.
A mirror divider separated the above from the desk space and bedroom. On the desk I found several fruits and fine dishware, an AI smart speaker for answering questions and controlling room functions, and ample work space and power outlets.
The bed was large and extremely cozy. Much like the rest of the hotel, the room was dimly lit and richly decorated, including several artworks.
From the large window I had a bird’s eye view of western Taipei and the corner of Taipei Main Station. The combination of rainy weather and construction around the station didn’t make for the best city view I’ve seen, but it was a view nevertheless.
Later before bed, I would make great use of the room’s bathtub, which came with a full jar of scented bath salts. The tub, and room as a whole, would be very romantic for couples.
I had a glorious sleep, thanks to black-out curtains, silent room, and temperature controls – everything set just the way I like it.
The Gym
Missing my workout routine from home, I headed to the hotel’s gym after settling into my room.
This was one of the nicer hotel gyms I’ve seen, featuring high-end equipment like a specialty arm bike, core trainer, and beautifully upholstered multi-gym station.
The facility came with everything I needed, from towels to chilled or room temperature glass-bottled water.
The gym is located on the 17th floor, between Le Salon Executive Lounge and Le Palais, the hotel’s three-star restaurant.
There was something amusing about breaking a sweat just steps from one of Taipei’s most prestigious restaurants.
Le Salon Executive Lounge
After cleaning up in my room, I returned to the seventeenth floor to experience Palais de Chine’s executive lounge, Le Salon.
The lounge is beautifully designed and feels more like a private study than a hotel lounge.
The lounge features several impressive artworks, including a centuries-old music box, painted porcelain horse, mosaic-gypsy girl plate, and house insignia. A friendly staff member was happy to introduce some of the artworks to me.
Seating is spread out and private, with various elegant chairs to choose from.
At the center I explored the full spread of complimentary snacks, including sandwiches, cheese and meat slices, macarons, fruits, candies, and packaged snacks.
Self-serve drinks included red and white wine, canned/bottled beers and sodas, hot drinks, and a selection of spirits, such as Cointreau, Disaronno amaretto, Taiwan-made Kavalan whiskey.
All of the above are available daily from 10:30 AM to 10:30 PM.
From 5:30 to 7:30 PM, there’s also a Happy Hour, with the only difference being that they put out an additional selection of a specific liquor.
On the evening of my stay, the featured liquor was vodka, with some fun options like salted caramel vodka and a blood orange, mango, and passion fruit vodka – I got to practice my cocktail-making skills.
The free snacks and drinks in refined surroundings were the perfect way to start my evening. I would have been content making a meal of it and staying there for the evening, but I had other plans in the city.
At the end of the night, I returned to the lounge for a night cap of Kavalan, and in that moment, I felt like royalty.
Note that the lounge has a smart-casual dress code, with no slippers or flip flops allowed.
Le Palais Restaurant
I have yet to dine at Le Palais, but it’s certainly on my list. Reservations need to be made well here in advance and separately from your hotel booking at Palais de Chine. Also, you wouldn’t want to dine here alone, as Cantonese dishes are better for groups.
Still, between my visits to the 17th floor, I managed to capture a few photos of the restaurant entrance and the staff even let me take a few steps inside for a very quick peek.
Breakfast Buffet
The hotel’s main restaurant for guests is Le Thé on the sixth floor, next to the lobby.
While I passed on the dinner buffet which was included in my room because I had other plans for the evening and hadn’t been aware of it (I had thought I only got a discount on it, not a free meal), I certainly wasn’t going to miss the breakfast buffet the next morning.
The restaurant’s large seating area includes a variety of luxurious tables and chairs to match the hotel’s overall vibe.
The expansive buffet featured a good mix of Western and Asian breakfast food items.
I particularly appreciated that the hotel partnered with real, well-known vendors across Taiwan rather than simply serving generic versions of regional dishes.
It made breakfast feel more connected to Taiwan despite the hotel’s otherwise European character.
These included warm salty soy milk with fried dough sticks from Zheng Yi Soy Milk (正義豆漿) in New Taipei City, pork ball stew from Mother’s Love Pork Stew (阿娘給的蒜味肉羹) in Yilan, and steamed buns from Gong Zheng Steamed Buns (公正包子) in Hualien.
Looking for another unforgettable hotel stay in Taiwan?
If you’re heading to eastern Taiwan, don’t miss my review of Silks Place Taroko, one of the country’s most iconic luxury mountain resorts.
Final Thoughts
Palais de Chine isn’t the kind of luxury hotel many travelers expect to find in Taiwan.
Rather than drawing inspiration from local culture or contemporary Asian design, it fully embraces an old-world European identity. While that may not appeal to everyone, I found it refreshingly different and remarkably well executed.
More importantly, I left feeling genuinely pampered. Between the attentive service, comfortable room, relaxing Executive Lounge, generous breakfast, and thoughtful touches throughout the property, it was the sort of hotel where I found myself looking forward to returning after each venture out into the city.
If you’re looking for a luxury stay with a strong sense of Taiwanese character, I’d probably point you elsewhere.
But if your priorities are convenience, comfort, and an immersive atmosphere unlike any other hotel in Taipei, Palais de Chine is an easy recommendation.
If you found my review helpful, you can check the current prices at Palais de Chine here: Booking / Agoda / Trip.com.