Ever since Mrs. Jeffsetter started as a luxury travel designer at Pique, I've loved trying new hotels, and one of the hotels I was most excited about was Capella Taipei. There are a few reasons. We stayed at Capella Bangkok when it was rated the number one hotel in the world, and it lived up to it. Jack of All Travels still talks about how much he loves that hotel. But I was only there from about 10 o'clock at night until about seven in the morning, when we had to leave for the airport, so I barely experienced it.
So when I knew we were going to Taipei for a friend's wedding, I wanted to stay at the Capella there and spend a little more time. I'd been looking forward to it ever since we got invited, probably nine to 12 months. We stayed four nights in July 2026. This is our Capella Taipei review.
Capella Taipei airport transfer
We flew in from Shanghai on China Eastern after two nights at Amanyangyun. Once we landed and got our bags, Capella took over. We got into the hotel's van, and it was probably the nicest airport pickup I've experienced. They had tea and nuts waiting for us on a tray so heavy that nothing fell over, even while we were driving. The Jacksetter was taking his seat all the way to almost flat because it was so comfortable. We got to ride in it a few more times during the stay, including the day we went out to the coast, and again on the way back to the airport, with green tea and snacks.
Check-in at Capella Taipei
The transfer drops you off right at the hotel, and you check in upstairs in the sky lobby on the 14th floor. It's very elegant. They poured us tea and walked us through everything on an iPad: what they offer and a lot of information about the area. It was thorough, but they didn't overload us. The woman who checked us in is from Indonesia, and she was there every day we were, so it was nice to have a familiar face.
Waiting in the room were some really cool welcome gifts that were unique to the area, including pineapple juice and treats served inside pineapples.
Our Capella Taipei room
The room was nice. It's not a huge room, because you're in a city, but we had our bed and the Jacksetter had his own twin bed. The bed was one of the nicest I've slept in, super plush. It reminded me a lot of the Four Seasons Minneapolis. Mrs. Jeffsetter thought that comparison might be a little offensive to the Capella, but I think they're both elegant city hotels with similar furnishings and color schemes.
The closet is open-style, which I usually don't like, but it did what it needed to do. We were five weeks on the road with all the luggage for three people, plus the suits we'd just had made in Shanghai, and it all fit. The room didn't really feel cramped, except for the teepee. Having a teepee and an extra bed for Jacksetter to go between was probably too much.
The views of the city were good. We didn't have Taipei 101 views from our room (the pool has that view), and we kept the sheer blinds down most of the time to keep the room cool anyway.
The Capella Taipei bathroom
The bathroom was unique because it had a really deep tub with a cushion in it you could lie on. It was the Jacksetter's favorite tub of all time, and he loved taking baths in there. The shower is connected to the tub, so it's a wet room, and I always like wet rooms like the one we have at home when we're not traveling.
It's also located well in the room layout. The bathroom has its own door that shuts, so you can be in the bedroom without hearing or seeing whoever's in the bathroom. That layout is really smart compared to a lot of hotels.
Is Capella Taipei good for kids?
The teepee was just one of several kid touches. I'm beginning to think the better a hotel treats kids, the better the hotel is. The Capella did an exceptional job. They gave him a stuffed bird when we arrived. They brought him ice cream by the pool whenever we were swimming, and they brought water out. They had kids' toiletries and games for kids to do. And when we were in the Living Room, nobody minded that we had a kid in there, which is always a good sign of a hotel.
Our host from check-in runs a cultural activity, and she set the Jacksetter up with an old-school game that he played for a solid 15 minutes.
The staff were a consistent presence. They were really engaged, asking how our day was and how we were doing.
And as I mentioned earlier, they set up a teepee and a kids' bed for Jacksetter, and you're supposed to pick one or the other. The Jacksetter used both, and he did sleep in the teepee, but I wish he'd just chosen one. He didn't want to give up the option, so it never left the room, and two kids' beds in a city hotel room take up too much space.
The Capella Taipei pool
The pool is on the 14th floor too, and we used it pretty much every day. It isn't huge, but it was warm and refreshing, and you can see Taipei 101 from there. The attendant was very on the ball. I like how they brought the greenery and the plants in. It gives you a feeling of Taipei, the view and everything, right in the middle of the city.
The pool shower room
Right off the pool is a shower room, and the fact that they have one is awesome. I've never seen that before. You can get out of the pool, clean up and get your swimsuit dried out. There were Dyson hair dryers in there too, and Mrs. Jeffsetter ended up buying one afterwards. We used it after every swimming session. All of the other guests must have loved the sound of Jacksetter singing in the shower.
Happy hour in the Living Room at Capella Taipei
After the pool we'd usually head straight to the Living Room for happy hour. How can you argue with this room? Champagne, cocktails and an incredibly friendly staff. It's the hub of the hotel, right next to the main checkin area, so you can't help but walk by on your way in and out. We did happy hour every day, the snacks were good, and the Jacksetter made his own bubble tea at the station every day.
This is one of the best parts of the entire hotel, because the staff interacts with you. The general manager, Dennis, came by and talked to us just about every day, and we saw him at every restaurant during our stay. That guy's a busy man. The staff at this hotel were incredible, and they made the stay better and better.
Rong Ju, the Capella Taipei restaurant
On our first night, the Jacksetter was beat, and we stayed in with room service, so Mrs. Jeffsetter and I went down to Rong Ju, the hotel's Cantonese restaurant. We'd tried to book through the hotel's WhatsApp, and they said they couldn't fit us in, but when we showed up, they squeezed us into a table because we were staying at the hotel. They were really busy, and honestly, they bent over backward to help us even though it wasn't really anybody's job.
You're not supposed to have dumplings at dinner in Canton, apparently, but we ordered them anyway, and they were fine with it. We had the lobster dumplings with black truffle, plus wagyu fried rice and a guava and chocolate dessert.
Capella Taipei breakfast at Plume
Breakfast is at Plume, and it was very good. I like the combination of à la carte and the buffet. The buffet was a lot bigger on the weekend than on a weekday, more of a big brunch with champagne, and breakfast was included every day for us because we booked through Virtuoso. I didn't have a bad dish across our four breakfasts, except one weekend brunch when the bao came out a little hard and the kitchen was clearly swamped. Mrs. Jeffsetter said the Eggs Benedict was amazing. And on the weekend, when it was super packed because of the brunch, they still got us seated and took care of us because we were hotel guests.
Room service and other meals at Capella Taipei
In addition to the restaurants, we ate and drank at other locations across the hotel. How can you go wrong with ice stamped with the Capella logo? One day we ordered room service and ended up eating it in the Living Room instead. They set up a table for us there, and it was really fun. There's a lot of variety of food options. Some of the pictures were breakfast, like the oysters, the bao and the soup. The salad was from the day we had room service sent to the Living Room.
The Capella Taipei gym
The gym was spacious and well-appointed. It had dumbells, but not a lot of machines. It had what I needed for me to get a good workout in.
A day on the coast in Keelung
On our second day, the Capella drove us out to Keelung, a port city on the coast where the cruise ships come in, for a food tour built around making xiao long bao, which is the Jacksetter's favorite thing in the world.
We went to a shop where the owner has been making soup dumplings his entire life, and his family has been doing it for generations. He's famous in town, and he's just a generous, awesome guy. He made the dough, let it rest, rolled it out and cut it into little coins, and then we took over and twisted our own. Four baskets of dumplings, and we ate every single one, plus a red bean wheel cake for dessert.
Keelung is interesting. It's also gritty, so it's quite a contrast with the Capella, which is about as clean as it gets. Walking through a stinky, dusty market in 100-degree heat makes you appreciate how clean the Capella is. And yes, I do love scallion pancakes.
Special requests on the wedding day
The whole staff helped us with our special requests for the wedding. My shoe size is hard to find (US 14), so a few days before we arrived I emailed the hotel's Culturist team and asked them to call two Taiwanese shoemakers. They found two pairs in my size at Oringo, reserved them, and then bought the black Oxfords for me, so the shoes were waiting at the hotel when we checked in. They also had a traditional red envelope ready for our wedding gift. Every request we had, they took care of, which is awesome because we weren't in town for very long and we were there for a wedding. We had the same server in the Living Room every day, a really fun guy.
The day after the wedding: an arcade, burgers and the Taipei Dome
The day after the wedding was the Jacksetter's day, and he got to pick. He picked an arcade I'd found, about a 20-minute walk from the hotel. We spent less than twenty bucks and played for an hour, then put in another twenty and played for another hour.
When we got hungry, it was between burgers and bubble tea, and he chose burgers. We ended up at a brewpub called Mellow, with regional beers on tap, a really good burger, truffle fries, and a Nutella milkshake for the Jacksetter. While we were sitting there, the home run derby for the Taiwanese baseball all-star game was on the TV. We looked it up, and the Taipei Dome was about a five-minute Uber away. The Jacksetter said he wanted to go there next.
We messaged the concierge to ask if they could get us tickets. They said it was sold out, but if we went over there, there was a good chance people would be selling them at face value (no scalping). The game was sold out, and the box office told us no tickets. A woman from the ticket office felt bad for the Jacksetter, gave him some of the entry swag and introduced us to a guy who could find us three tickets. I negotiated with him for $100 if he could get tickets. He said yes and to follow him. I had no idea what was going on. I just followed him.
We ended up three rows from the roof of the Dome, and he found us better seats as the game went on. He kept bringing us stuff, chips and then bananas, more bananas than we could ever eat, so we handed them out to the people around us. The game was less eventful than the heavy metal anime music and the dugout dancers, who danced the entire game. It was so much fun.
Back at the Capella: the World Cup final
That was also the night of the World Cup final. We had told the hotel we'd just come from Spain and we were cheering for them, and they listened. When we got back from the Dome there was a whole spread waiting for us: a World Cup ball, Spain gear, printed pictures to remember the moment, beer for us and juice for the Jacksetter. Basically, have a beer, watch the game. I planned to just watch the replay when I got up, but I woke up in the middle of the night to watch it live. It was just so perfect after 3 weeks in Spain.
This is the level of thing that makes this hotel. Capella Taipei now has two MICHELIN Keys, and it deserves every part of it. I've stayed at two Capellas now, Bangkok and Taipei, and it's a next level of service and experience. I would visit a city just because it has a Capella.
Capella Taipei review: the verdict
Capella has incredible service and incredible staff, and you get to know them throughout your stay. The hard product is fantastic: 86 rooms in a new glass tower, interiors by André Fu, built really well, no visible flaws, nice linens. It's plush where it needs to be plush, sturdy where it needs to be sturdy and elegant where it needs to be elegant. The lobby, pool and Living Room are all on the 14th floor. And yet you can blend in if you want to, or run into people if you want to.
Looking back, I feel lucky I was there. If I could be teleported to Taipei right now, I would do it in a second, even just to talk to the staff and ask how they're doing and what's new. It's not the most convenient place to get to from Washington, DC, but there's a direct flight now, and I have friends there, so I could see myself going back. It might also be the last time I go to Taipei again given the reality of life commitments, but it's one of those places I'll always think about.
While I was there, it was hard not to compare it to other hotels. It was a great hotel, but there was one that I think was even better from the trip. That review will come soon enough.
But how lucky am I to be able to say that? There was a level above even this. That's not the fault of the Capella. The Capella is an elegant representation of Taipei, an elevated version of it, which, from what I understand, Taipei needed. It's a sign of the city's maturity as a tourist destination.
Taipei is a city that is growing on me. It's clean, but it's dirty in some parts. It's modern, but it's old. There's a lot going on in that city. Mrs. Jeffsetter and I decided it probably isn't our favorite city, yet we keep coming back.
There are cities where I want to do everything and see everything, and this was one where I was fine just being a part of the city life. Lots of malls, lots of new activities.
My opinion definitely improved the day after the wedding, with the arcade, Mellow, and the Dome. The people were great.
From Taipei, we flew Singapore Airlines to Singapore for the last stop of the trip, Raffles Singapore.
Rating: ★★★★★ 5 out of 5
Capella Taipei FAQ
Is Capella Taipei good for kids? Yes. They gave our son a stuffed bird when we arrived, brought ice cream to the pool, set up a kids' bed and a teepee in the room, and nobody minded having a kid in the Living Room.
Does the Capella Taipei pool have a Taipei 101 view? Yes. The pool is on the 14th floor and looks out at Taipei 101. It isn't huge, but it's warm, and there's a shower room right off it with Dyson hair dryers.
Is breakfast included at Capella Taipei? It was for us every day, because we booked through Virtuoso. Breakfast is at Plume, with à la carte plus a buffet that gets much bigger on the weekend.
Can the concierge help with special requests? Yes. The Culturist team found, reserved and bought dress shoes in my size before we arrived, and had a red envelope ready for our wedding gift.
Where is Capella Taipei? 139 Dunhua North Road in the Songshan District. It opened in April 2025 and has 86 rooms and suites.
How we booked Capella Taipei
Mrs. Jeffsetter is a Virtuoso travel advisor, and she booked this stay through Virtuoso's preview program. That's why breakfast was included every day. The Virtuoso perks cost you nothing extra, and the rate is usually the same as booking direct. If you want a stay like this, she can book it for you.
Capella Taipei location and what to know before you book
- Where: 139 Dunhua North Road, Songshan District. Opened April 2025, Capella's first hotel in Taiwan.
- Size: 86 rooms and suites. The lobby, pool and Living Room are all on the 14th floor.
- Recognition: two MICHELIN Keys.
- Dining: Rong Ju (Cantonese), Plume for breakfast (à la carte plus buffet), and the Living Room for happy hour.
- Amenities: pool with a Taipei 101 view, a pool shower room, gym.
- Best for: families who want a service-first city hotel.