Since launching its first property in Schiphol airport in 2008, the citizenM group has been busy sprinkling its ‘affordable luxury’ branding across western Europe and North America, with, we hear, 15 new properties due to be rolled out faster than you can whip out your passport. This past month, it opened its eleventh – and first Asian – outpost in Taipei, ahead of Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur.
Rising 26 stories above the historic North Gate, the 267-room hotel cleaves close to the brand’s DNA – to wit, an interior design by Dutch studio Concrete of brash primary colours anchored by swathes of black, mood-lighting and a team of chirpy, tee-shirted Millennial staff, the latter, somewhat burdened with the grandiose title of ambassadors.
Gadgetry dominates whether the self-check-in counter on the ground floor, the lively video wall art in the corridors, or the iPad in the compact all-white rooms that control everything from the blinds and room temperature to the menu of shifting ambient lighting
A 24/7 bar and canteen on the second floor serves up quiches, congee, instant noodles and Continental fare, though, this being Taipei, there are abundant and more locally authentic fare to be had nearby, not the least of which are Hua Shan Market’s sesame flat breads, Ay Chung’s rice flour noodles, and Din Tai Fung’s fabulous dumplings a few blocks away next to the Museum of Contemporary Art.
ADDRESS
No 3 Section 1
Zhonghua Road
Zhongzheng District
-
Nothing pitches itself into the premium realm with its new flagship Nothing Phone (3)The Nothing Phone (3) is a serious creative tool that brings fresh design, new features and a commitment to keeping tech fun
-
Nothing takes its first step into high-end audio with the new over-ear wireless Headphone (1)Created in partnership with KEF, the Nothing Headphone (1) is designed to shake up the sector and present over-ear audio in a wholly new way
-
In Copenhagen, Charlotte Taylor gave us a glimpse into the mess of real lifeAt 3 Days of Design, Charlotte Taylor staged ‘Home from Home’, a group exhibition in collaboration with Noura Residency, showcasing the chaos of the everyday, from unmade beds to breakfast leftovers
-
The city skyline isn’t the limit for the newly opened Capella TaipeiDesigned by André Fu, Capella Taipei is a long-overdue and much-needed addition to the Taiwanese capital’s limited luxury hotel scene
-
Tszwai So’s The Blue hotel redefines Taipei’s landscapeThe Blue hotel sees architect Tszwai So take an experimental approach with Just Inn’s new flagship in Central Taipei
-
TaG Living’s redesign of Thomas Chien Restaurant delivers a lesson in circular designTaG Living transforms Michelin green-starred Thomas Chien Restaurant using repurposed waste from Taiwan
-
Villa One at the One & Only Palmilla — Los Cabos, Mexico -
Martim — Wroclaw, Poland -
Tattersalls Hotel — Armidale, Australia -
KLoé Hotel — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -
Casa Hoyos — San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
