Great hostels near Taipei main station-Sleepbox & Angels Ximen

This post is about 2 hostels I stayed in Taipei, very close to Taipei Main Station.

#1 Sleepbox Hostel

I stayed in Sleepbox hostel, Taipei for 3 nights. Sleepbox hostel costed me about 1800 TWD for 3 nights. Reason I selected Sleepbox was because it was about 800 meters from Taipei main station, hence easier to walk.

The good things about Sleepbox Hostel, Taipei

• Very colourful interiors

• Very comfortable capsules with light, power sockets, hooks etc
• External locker was provided
• Bathrooms are good
• Bang on the main road. Many attractions are nearby
• Lungshan temple- 2.4 km
• Taipei Main station- 800 meters
• Chiang Kai Shek Memorial hall- 1.5 km
• National Museum- 500 meters
• Ximending Night Market- 600 meters

Not so good thing about Sleepbox Hostel, Taipei - poorly equipped kitchen

The kitchen didn’t have any utensils. No bowls, no spoons, nothing. Sleepbox pantry had a refrigerator, a water dispenser, a microwave, a sink, a few cups and some cooker equipment without any cables to use. I could get hot water, I could keep stuff in the refrigerator but I didn’t have a bowl to heat stuff, didn’t have a scissor to cut open packets. No spoons, no plates.

A bit unusual- there was a locked cupboard- I asked hostel staff about it but he had nothing to offer. Maybe they removed it all to avoid cleaning costs or because of the earthquake.

I had to do lots of jugaad to cook my food. Spoons n bowls I used whatever I got in the supermarket while buying stuff. Kept MTR ready-to-eat pack unopened in the microwave etc. Sleepbox management could make some improvements in this aspect.

Nearest Indian food I could find was Delhi Express inside Taipei Main Station. There are few more within couple of kms but I didn’t visit.

You may book Taipei's Sleepbox hostel using this link

Another hostel- Angel’s Xiamen I stayed during my last night in Taiwan was just across the street. Will write about it in a separate post.

Angel’s hostel Taipei XImen

Angel’s Ximen hostel is located inside a mall in Taipei.

Their bed system is of 3 levels (as against 2 levels in most of the hostels I have seen. There is a lower and upper bed as usual but there is a 3rd bed at a further elevation inside. This 3rd bed is pretty glastrophic as it is covered on 3 sides.

I was told the price is different for lower and upper beds and I want lower bed I need to pay more.

The toilet for angel hostel guests seems to be shared with rest of the mall users. It is access controlled and we’ve to exit hostel, enter toilet and then return.

Kitchen was good, had all basic stuff.

You can book Angel's Hostel, Taipei Ximen using this link