During our nine-day stay in Taipei, we had the privilege to stay at one of Taipei’s best boutique hotels, that’s amba Taipei Songshan.
amba Taipei Songshan is a new boutique design hotel, giving travelers a fresh new look and a millennial feel without compromising on the value they deliver and are known for. It has been opened in July 2016 designed for the smart travelers looking for a place with the C factor; creativity, connectivity, and conservation. Through their modern, unique, and playful design, they make communal areas inviting and energetic.

Amba Hotels are also socially responsible thru the use of eco-friendly materials, crafts, and all natural products, helping the local community and being an advocate of building a healthy and sustainable environment. They are partnered with Two Acres, a socially responsible Taiwanese brand which helps in giving second chances to people who have formerly committed issues with the law.

amba Taipei Songshan: Our Experience and What You Need to Know

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This beautifully built boutique hotel is strategically located in Songshan and is connected thru the Citylink giving travelers a mere 5-minute walk from the Songshan MRT Station to reach the hotel. When you get down at Songshan Station, just look for Exit 4A, enter the Citylink premises on and proceed to where the UNIQLO store is. Beside Uniqlo is the exit to amba Taipei Songshan.
TRAVEL HACK #1: Those who are staying at the hotel can use their FREE Shuttle heading to various destinations including Taipei 101 and Xinyi Business and Shopping district in less than 10 minutes on a fixed daily schedule. A convenient way to spend less and experience Taipei!

The Hotel Lobby and Que Woodfired Grill on the 17th Floor

The lobby and Que Woodfired Grill restaurant of amba Taipei Songshan are located on its 17th floor.
The moment we stepped out of the elevator, we were in awe. The hotel lobby is spacious and has an amazing view of the world outside, the Taipei City. The colors and how the lounge was set up is inviting, you can even set a meeting in this area alone. They also have a Table Football which is a good way to entertain yourself if you feel like playing and or feeling a little bored.

A SPIN game was also set in the lobby. This is sort of similar to the ways in a Taoist temple but with a twist. Instead of praying in a temple, you get to ask yourself a question that is answerable by a Yes or a No. You insert a token, spin the shaft, and break open the ball preferably in the ping-pong table. Jane did the SPIN game and got a “Yes” so whatever question she had in mind, was answered with a Yes. 🙂
A Ping-pong table is also available. If you feel like playing Ping-pong, you can definitely do! Just approach the front desk to lend you the pieces of equipment in playing the game.

Check-in and check-out, I can say, was a breeze. During check-in, just present your passport, sign the document, and pay the amount for check-in security deposit using your credit card or cash. All in less than 10 minutes and you’re done. You can proceed to your room or roam around if you want.
FUN FACT #1: The guestrooms are located on the 18th-21st floor of the building. Each door represents something that has become known or invented on a particular year from the past and or a known moment for the future.
FUN FACT #2: During New Year’s Eve, the lobby is transformed as a place for New Year’s Eve party as you could see the best views from there along with the fireworks at Taipei 101.

Que Woodfired Grill Restaurant

Coming from its name, the Que restaurant uses woodfire to grill the meat they serve, a traditional way of cooking for a modern restaurant. The woodfire gives a distinct taste to the meat unlike using an induction cooker or a stove.

Located on the left of the lobby, Que restaurant serves as a dining hall, event hall, meeting place, with killer views of Taipei City and Keelung River. This airy restaurant is where we had our sumptuous breakfast with many selections to choose from. By night, the restaurant is lit up with locally made giant bamboo lanterns, making the ambiance added with a romantic feel. It fits with any occasion so if you plan for anything, it is one of the perfect places to go to in Taipei.

Jane, an avid rice lover, couldn’t complete her day without eating a rice meal and Que restaurant gave her what she wanted and what she was craving for. We had good meals at other places we ate at but she really loved the offerings at Que.

amba Taipei Songshan: Spacious Designer Rooms

What’s noticeably positive with amba Taipei Songshan hotel is how each of their rooms has plenty of space that you can even do a cartwheel and don’t get bumped into anything. This is totally rad, I can say. Plus, the color coordination of everything inside the room blends with one another. All are good a spot to take photos.

Here’s are some photos of the other rooms.

Corner Extra Large 101 View Room

We had one of the best rooms during our stay, and the best thing is that our room was upgraded for free to a Corner Extra Large 101 View Room. This room was truly I can say, Instagram-able. 
Our room is located on the 21st floor and has the view of both Taipei 101 and Keelung River. If we have gone to Taipei with an event going on, we probably had the greatest view from our room. We totally loved the room we stayed in and we could not contain our excitement when we saw the interiors of the room and its features.

All around were glass walls so we could see what going on outside if it’s a rainy weather or a sunny one. We get greeted by the morning sunshine to start a lovely day and the view is wonderful. We also had access to the WiFi hotel-wide (up to 200mbps) so we don’t have to change connections every time we leave the room.
I also love the workspace as I had plenty of room to put my laptop in and do some work online. Additionally, the workspace has a USB charging port so I could just conveniently plug-in the cable of my phone to have it charged. The entire room also has universal sockets so you won’t have to worry about borrowing an adapter, although if you find yourself in trouble with that matter, you can check their thoughtful extras.

They also have mentioned that the floorings are eco-friendly. On top of that, they are using trendy slippers for you to take home (we took ours home) and all-natural bathroom amenities (with a zing of Ginger) from socially responsible Taiwanese brand, Two Acres. They surely support local products and the advocacy behind these companies they are partnered with.
Ah, the washroom is intended to be oversized so you have space for your other belongings, which we really liked!

My favorite area after the overly comfortable bed was the bathtub. The bathtub has a spectacular view of the Keelung River and also if you bathe with it during sunset, you get awesome scenery right straight from the tub. Truly a relaxing feeling. During the night, it covers an entire night scene of the city and with that, I’m sure you’d get easily relaxed.

Other Room Features:

• King-sized bed
• Bathtub overlooking the Keelung River
• 48” Sony BRAVIA Full HD TV
• Wireless Bluetooth® speaker (customized for amba Taipei Songshan hotel)
• Remote controlled windows sheds
• USB charging ports (workspace and on phone)
• Separate washroom and shower room
• All natural shampoo, hair conditioner, bath gel, and body lotion
• Shaver, shaving cream, cotton buds, shower cap, dental kit
• Freshly brewed coffee from an Espresso machine
• Water Kettle
• Excellent Taiwanese Tea (must-try!)
• Other features I have not mentioned here can be found on their website

Did I mention that you can also borrow board games and rent a laptop, PlayStation, Apple TV, pocket projector, and Xbox? Yes, it’s on their thoughtful extras and you can request for that when you’re checked-in. So, where to stay in Taipei?

amba Taipei Songshan: Hotel Facilities

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Self-service Laundry, Ice, Filtered Water

Other things that we loved about amba hotel Songshan is that they have the free self-service laundry with soap and fabric conditioner, also, a probation for ice and filtered water. I have never heard of these services in the hotels in our home country as they always charge laundry service, so this one of amba Hotels is a definitely a big plus! Their self-service laundry room is located on the 18th floor beside the fitness center.

Fitness Center

Keeping yourself fit while eating and traveling is a huge body requirement for you to enjoy your life and live it well. Their fitness center is not that huge but is enough for your daily routine exercise.

Paid Parking

Pay parking is located on the 4th floor of the building.

Attractions nearby amba Taipei Songshan hotel

[Check out Ryan’s Taipei Guide]

1. Raohe Night Market – about 5-6 minutes walk away from amba Taipei Songshan.
2. CiYou Temple – the temple beside Raohe Night Market.
3. Rainbow Bridge – The 167-meter long bridge that lies across the Keelung River.
4. Wufenpu Garment Market – If you love shopping, this is a perfect place for you, just 5 mins walk away from the hotel.
5. Chengmei Riverside Park – The riverside park is a favorite for romantic walks and bike escapades.

For cultural events and concert happenings, Taipei Arena and Songshan Cultural & Creative Park are less than 10 minutes’ drive away. Other attractions are either nearby parks or a station away from the hotel.

amba Taipei Songshan

Address: 8 Section 7 Civic Boulevard, Taipei 11562 Taiwan
Contact: +886 2 2653 2828
Website and where you should book: https://www.amba-hotels.com/en/songshan/
Travel Tip: Book directly through their website as you can get more from their personal offers than booking at a booking platform. You get more while it cost you less.

Daytour from Taipei / What to do in Taipei

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Travel Hack # 2: While we’re checked in at the hotel, we didn’t pass on the opportunity to experience a day tour outside Taipei. We availed of the following while we are in Taiwan via KKday.
Why avail from KKday? Their startup is based in Taiwan so they have the best partnership for their tours (and cheaper too!).

1. Day Tour from Taipei: Jiufen, Yehliu, and Shifen

Get to experience and see for yourself the following: Jiufen Old Street, Yehliu Geopark, Shifen Old Street, Shifen Lantern, Shifen Waterfalls. Our comprehensive review on this Daytour package from KKday to be posted soon. Book here.

2. Taipei City Sightseeing Bus Tour

Get to see the famous spots of Taipei with KKday sightseeing bus tour.  An affordable and easy way to enjoy the whole city and see the famous and latest attractions in town. Our comprehensive review and experience to be posted soon. Book here.

3. KKday Express Shuttle Bus: Taipei 101 Observation Deck – National Palace Museum

We availed of this for a hassle-free experience. It comes with tickets to the National Palace Museum and entrance tickets to Taipei 101 Observation Deck. See Taipei’s history and the whole city in a bird’s eye view. Our comprehensive review and experience to be posted soon. Book here.

4. Taiwan Northeast Coast Day Tour

This is the tour I’d really like to experience but due to the lack of time, we weren’t able to do this. I wish we could go back soon and experience the Northeast Coast of Taiwan. I’d like you to avail this for a different Taiwan experience. Book here.

TRAVEL HACK # 3:

Our Taiwan trip wouldn’t be complete without getting connected all the time to the internet, hence, I’d also like to recommend buying your unlimited Data Sim Card with Pinoy Traveler’s Unlimited Data SIM Card. For ₱550, you get to enjoy unlimited data service (4G/LTE) in any part of Taiwan with speeds of up to 100mbps for 5 days! We totally love this product as it is cheaper but better! Connect with them thru their FB Page. See screenshot of the speed test results below. Read our review of this sim card.
 

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