Star Hostel Taipei Main Station

When come to staying in Taipei, I can't deny Ximending is always my top choice. But because of my recent trip where I travelled alone and arrived Taipei quite late at night, I decided to stay somewhere nearby the Taipei Main Station then. 

I almost booked other hostel until I saw this, it's like love at first sight...

#The inviting lounge/common area

Lately, I'm addicted staying in the hostel due to the lounge or common area. So when I saw Star Hostel with its inviting and cozy lounge/common area, immediately I booked without thinking any longer. Artistically furnished in the wood element with zen and roomy ambiance, I believe for sure it makes everyone instantly fall for it. Almost every morning before having breakfast, I spent my time here doing some travel research. I even spotted few guests spent their time here until 4am in the morning - wondering did they ever go to their bed to sleep? 


#A small-scale and compact cottage whereby guests can climb up to relax and chill in 


#Overview


#Movie time in some nights


#Weekly event every night

RECEPTION & CHECK-IN


#Front desk

The reception runs 24 hours and therefore, you don't have to worry when you arrive the hostel late at night. The check-in process is kinda fast and hassle-free; just handover your passport and booking reference number. However, you are only allow to enter into your room at 3pm onwards. Fret not, as the hostel staffs are very helpful and friendly cause they allow the guest to leave their luggage in the hostel storage for free of charge. They even allow the guests to sit at the lounge as well, eventhough the check-in time hasn't come yet. 

#Souvenir & snacks corner


#Shoe cabinets

Before entering into the room and other common facilities, all the guests are required to change their footwear to the indoor slipper provided by the hostel. As for our footwear, just keep in the cabinet according to the assigned room number. Such ingenious idea cause not just it makes the whole hostel clean, but also prevent the floor from getting dirty. This hostel even being so thoughtful by providing hand sanitizer. 

Entrance to the hostel

6-BED DORM 

Star Hostels reminds me of my most favourite hostel in Europe (Dream Hostel of Warsaw) where each bunk bed has its own privacy curtain, personal light lamp and socket for electricity. There is even a small shelf for you to place some small and light items like glasses, handphone, watch and so on. The bed is pretty comfortable, meticulously clean and most importantly, it's fairly spacious too which it doesn't make me feel stuffy and squeezed at all. 

Private locker is provided for each guest to store their bags and personal belongings. And you know what, you don't have to use your own padlock to lock the locker cause it can be opened and locked by just using your room card. That is so cool! On my first night, I didn't realise about this until I saw other guest did so by just using their card. Silly me! But because my locker was on the top and my luggage bag was kinda huge (24 inch type) which obviously heavy too, I didn't manage to squeeze my bag into the locker, so at the end I just simply placed it outside. Luckily the room is relatively spacious. Another thing I love about the room is that they consist of air-conditioner, towel hanger and long mirror. You know lah, lady loves mirror so much, particularly the long type. 

SHOWER ROOMS & TOILETS 

As my room was located on the 5th floor, I only bother to check out the shower rooms and toilets on my respective floor. Overall, there are 5 shower rooms to be shared but being lady, we have the right to use all whereas for the guy, they can only use 2 out of the 5 shower rooms. I found pretty funny when I saw "Gender Friendly" signboard, which indicates both female and male can enter that particular shower rooms/toilet. Both female and mixed gender shower rooms have a vanity area where it equipped with hairdryer. 

KITCHEN, CAFE & BREAKFASTS

The guest kitchen is open 24 hours but I'm not sure whether the guest is allow to cook or not. Cause so far from what I observed during my stay, none of the guests tend to cook here. The kitchen is so modern and spacious and most importantly, it's well-equipped with refrigerators, microwave, oven, coffee machine, tap with drinking water and more that you could ever imagine of.  

#The cafe area or known as Star Cafe

Little did I know that my booking comes along with free breakfast. At first I thought it's just a simple and basic breakfast until I saw the breakfast menu on the board. Different meal every day of the week so you won't get bored even stay for couple of days here. Breakfast starts from 8am to 10am everyday.

#Breakfast menu


#Friday breakfast


#Saturday breakfast


#Unlimited juices, coffee, toasts and buns.

PREFER MORE PRIVACY?

In case you don't feel like want to stay with strangers, don't worry cause this hostel even houses private rooms ensuite with bathroom. Plenty of options to choose from; single room, double or twin room or even quadruple room. 

LOCATION


Like I mentioned earlier why I chosen to stay in this hostel is because of its excellent and great location - less than 10 minutes walk to Taipei Main Station, the main transportation hub for all public access; like Metro, Taipei Railway, High Speed Rail and Bus Station. Star Hostel is even very close to the newly built Taoyuan Airport MRT Station.

There are three Metro lines within the vicinity; Tamsui-Xinyi Line and Bannan Line in Taipei Main Station and Songshan-Xindian Line in Taoyuan Airport MRT Station.

WHAT NOT SO GOOD?


Although you can access up to the hostel by lift, but still you need to climb up the staircase if your room is located on the 5th floor - so that's the one and only downside of it. However, if your room being assigned on the 4th floor, then you hit the jackpot!

Another thing is the hostel doesn't provide towel for free - you need to rent for it. But since I brought along mine, so it wasn't big deal for me. 

DIRECTION

#Travelling from Taoyuan International Airport


#Direction from Taipei Main Station

Normally I don't go back and staying the same hotel/hostel as I like to experience different kind of environment but Star Hostel make me come back for more. Minus the staircases, this hostel is absolutely perfect and fabulous. So if Dream Hostel of Warsaw is my favourite hostel in Europe, I can conclude that Star Hostel is my most favourite hostel in Asia.

I was consider pretty lucky manage to book the room at the very last minute (although I being requested to change different rooms in between) cause this hostel filled up very quickly. So be sure to book early!

For more info, you can check out their official website here.