Holiday Inn Express Taoyuan — a standard you can trust before flying out of TPE
Holiday Inn Express Taoyuan is a 3-star IHG hotel that "takes the guesswork out" of your first or last night in Taiwan. It's a high-rise in downtown Taoyuan, about 15 km from Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) — roughly a 20-30 minute drive. It isn't next to the terminals, but in exchange you get a real city location with restaurants and convenience stores all around, plus clean rooms built to the same brand standard worldwide.
Holiday Inn Express Taoyuan sits on Chunri Road in the heart of Taoyuan District — and let's be straight about the location first: this hotel is not next to the airport. It's in Taoyuan city itself, about 15 km from the TPE terminals, roughly a 20-30 minute taxi ride. What you get in return is a lively setting with restaurants, convenience stores and Taoyuan Night Market within a short walk or drive — not a hotel marooned beside a motorway with nowhere to go.
Its biggest strength is the certainty of the IHG brand. Holiday Inn Express is a name travellers worldwide know the shape of: clean rooms, a comfortable bed, strong hot water, free Wi-Fi that actually works, and staff who run a tight system. For anyone landing late or catching an early flight, that lack of surprises is genuinely valuable — guests of many nationalities consistently say the rooms are clean and the staff helpful.
"Clean room, comfy bed, friendly and very helpful staff. A city-centre location in Taoyuan with a convenience store close by — perfect for a pre-flight stay."
All 138 rooms have a clean, modern fit-out — doubles, twins, and triple rooms with a sofa bed for families. The rooms have been renovated to feel up to date, with wooden floors, flatscreen TVs, a safe, and a bathroom with a bidet toilet. Guests often praise how clean and well-equipped the rooms are, while noting honestly that they're fairly compact — comfortable for two people with two bags.
One thing to know before booking: although Holiday Inn Express in many countries makes free breakfast a signature, the Taoyuan property charges separately for its breakfast buffet — around NT$400 per person. The buffet mixes local Taiwanese and Western dishes, and some guests single out the freshly cooked omelettes, but several reviews also note the choice is fairly limited and the dining area a little cramped. If breakfast matters, check at booking whether your rate includes it.
The honest limitation is that the area around the hotel isn't very pedestrian-friendly — it sits near a busy road junction rather than in a strollable shopping district, and there is no free airport shuttle. Getting to the airport means a taxi, which the hotel can help arrange, and Taoyuan railway station is a fair distance away. If you plan to continue by public transport, allow extra time and ask the front desk for directions in advance.
In short, Holiday Inn Express Taoyuan is best for travellers who want a trusted international-chain hotel for the night before an early flight or after a late landing, willing to trade being 20-30 minutes from the airport for a city location with easy food and clean, brand-standard rooms. If you value certainty over being right at the terminal, this is a dependable, good-value choice for the first or last day of a Taiwan trip.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Clean rooms, dependable IHG brand standard
- ✓ Friendly and very helpful staff
- ✓ City-centre Taoyuan location, easy to find food
- ✓ Comfortable bed, strong hot water, reliable Wi-Fi
- ! Rooms are fairly small in the Express style
- ! Breakfast is charged separately, not in the room rate
- ! Not next to the airport — a 20-30 minute drive away
- ✓ An international chain — a guaranteed standard
- ✓ Clean rooms, comfy bed, good for a pre-flight stay
- ✓ Convenience stores and restaurants near the hotel
- ✓ Staff can arrange a car to the airport
- ! The surrounding area isn't great for walking, near a big road
- ! Limited breakfast choice and a cramped dining area
- ! No free airport shuttle
- 💡If you want a hotel right at the terminal — this one is in Taoyuan city, about 15 km from TPE, a 20-30 minute drive → ask the hotel to pre-arrange a car to the airport, or allow extra time to catch a taxi
- 💡If you expect free breakfast like other Holiday Inn Express branches — the Taoyuan branch charges around NT$400 per person for the buffet → check at booking whether your package includes breakfast, or find a spot in the city
- 💡If you have several large suitcases — rooms are fairly compact in the Express style → choose a triple room or a larger room type for space to unpack