Hotel Relax I — the station-side stay with the easiest luggage drag in Taipei
Hotel Relax I is a 3-star boutique hotel that's "so close to Taipei Main Station you barely have to drag your suitcase". It sits on Guanqian Road in Zhongzheng District — just a 5-minute walk from the train, MRT and high-speed rail — right next to Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, making it one of Taipei's most convenient bases for onward travel and airport runs.
Hotel Relax I opened in 2013 as the first branch of the Hotel Relax group (旅樂序精品旅館), which now runs several branches clustered around Taipei Main Station. The hotel occupies the 11th floor of a commercial building on Guanqian Road and has just 34 rooms, so it feels quiet and uncrowded rather than like a big-hotel lobby. The standout that guests mention most is the location — exit Taipei Main Station via Exit Z4 (which has an elevator) and you reach the building in under a block. It's ideal if you arrive with heavy bags or late at night.
Guests describe it like this: "Off the train and a five-minute drag with the suitcase, and you're at the hotel — the bed is so soft they slept beautifully even though the room had no window, and the staff kindly stored their bags for free for several days."
Hotel Relax I's rooms are built around one thing: sleep. Every room has a Sleep Number (Select Comfort) bed with adjustable firmness, plus a pillow menu to choose from. You also get a 40-inch LED TV, a free minibar, a safe, a kettle and a full set of toiletries. The 11th-floor lounge has a coffee machine with free coffee, tea and water all day — a small touch that makes the stay feel like good value for a 3-star price.
Location is the strength nobody can argue with. Beyond the 5-minute walk to Taipei Main Station, it's about 4 minutes to the National Taiwan Museum, right next to Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, and surrounded by restaurants and convenience stores in and around the building. From here the Airport MRT runs straight to Taoyuan Airport, and onward trains and buses to Jiufen, Yehliu or other cities are as easy as it gets.
What to make peace with: most rooms are windowless, in the style of hotels inside central-city commercial buildings. Some rooms can have a slightly musty or humid smell, and a few reviews note that cleanliness isn't perfectly consistent room to room, plus a raised threshold at the bathroom door to step over. Entering the hotel means sharing the building elevator with other offices, so it can be a little hard to find the first time — save the location in advance.
Overall, Hotel Relax I is best for travellers who value transit convenience and a good night's sleep over a room view. If you're coming to Taipei to use the main station as a base for day trips, or you're in and out of the airport often, and you're not fussed about a windowless room — this is one of the most convenient, best-value choices around Taipei Main Station, at a price that's easy to swallow.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ 5-minute walk to Taipei Main Station — the easiest onward travel
- ✓ Comfy, adjustable Sleep Number beds
- ✓ Kind staff who store luggage free for several days
- ✓ 11th-floor lounge with free coffee, tea and water all day
- ! Most rooms are windowless
- ! Some rooms can smell musty or humid
- ! Hard to find the first time — shared building elevator
- ✓ Excellent location next to Taipei Main Station and Shin Kong Mitsukoshi
- ✓ Comfortable beds and quiet rooms — easy to sleep well
- ✓ Friendly, helpful staff who speak English
- ✓ Good value for a location this central
- ! Windowless rooms may feel closed-in for some guests
- ! Cleanliness isn't consistent across every room
- ! Raised bathroom threshold — easy to trip on
- 💡If you want a room with a window and natural light — most rooms here are windowless → state it when booking, or ask in advance whether a window room type is available
- 💡If you're sensitive to musty or humid smells — some rooms have a slight closed-building odour → switch on the air-con / extractor fan as soon as you enter, or ask the front desk to change rooms
- 💡If you're travelling as a family with several large suitcases — standard rooms are fairly compact → choose the larger Family Room or Triple Room