T+L First In Hotel Review: Capella Taipei

What has Taipei been missing? It certainly doesn’t lack on the culinary side of things, nor historic and cultural sites to explore. But the last proper five-star hotel here opened 11 years ago, so the city needed a luxury hotel like Capella Taipei. It was a bold move for Capella Hotels and Resorts to open its eighth property in the Taiwanese capital, tending to plant roots in established high-end hospitality markets like Bangkok and Singapore. Thanks to its reputation, however—it has been named the world’s best hotel brand by Travel + Leisure readers for the last two years, after all—this new hotel has the potential to attract high-end travelers who would not have had Taipei on their radar before.

Through Capella Taipei’s formidable brass doors is Hong Kong-based design guru André Fu’s interpretation of a modern mansion: an airy foyer hosts a console of local artisan curios backed by a stunning panel installation depicting the Taiwan Basin. A dramatic arch “tunnel” leads to the high-ceilinged lobby destination Plume, where I enjoyed a signature cocktail facing an abstract Klimt-like mural depicting blue magpies, Taiwan’s endemic national bird.

Beyond the design and genial service, the hotel’s collection of locally immersive activities for guests is truly superlative. “We believe in forging meaningful connections with the local community,” says Dennis Laubenstein, a Capella veteran and the Taipei hotel’s general manager. “This means collaborating with different local artisans to bring the best from Taipei and Taiwan into focus, from crafted coffee experiences and specially designed accessories to art collaborations with local artists.” On my third day at the hotel, Laubenstein walked the talk—literally—with a Capella Curates neighborhood tour that he personally leads. We ambled through hushed residential streets and into a butter cookie “speakeasy” café. A brief stop along the quietly hip Fujin Street to Words Studio—an eclectic stationery and vintage collectibles shop—turned into an impromptu sketch portrait session when local illustrator (and Capella Taipei neighborhood map collaborator) Ariel Chi unexpectedly entered the store.

For me, the experiences on offer were as impressive as the hotel itself. Read on for what it’s like to stay in one of Asia’s most anticipated city hotels.

The Rooms

Capella Taipei features 86 rooms (eight of them suites) spread across four floors, starting on the 14th level, equipping every room with fantastic city and mountain views from floor-to-ceiling windows no matter the category. The 515 sq. ft. Superior Rooms sport the same look and feel as the top suites, each dressed in refined tones of wooden beige, walnut, grey, and mineral blue. The top suite is the one-bedroom Capella Suite, an impressive 2450 square foot mansion-style pad that comes with its own personal gym, entertainment room, and wraparound skyline views, including from its bathroom wing. However, I felt like I hit the jackpot with the Skyline Pool Terrace Suite, the hotel’s second highest category. This is where Capella’s “urban retreat” aim really lived up to its name: a suite attached to a sprawling, private outdoor deck with a cabana, dining table and sun loungers, heated lap pool, AND a jacuzzi with uninterrupted sights of Taipei 101 skyscraper?? You won’t find this type of luxury at any other five-star hotel offering in Taipei.

All rooms and suites enjoy minibars stocked with complimentary snacks and soft drinks (alcoholic beverages are chargeable), spacious sitting areas, and Bamford toiletry-stocked bathrooms with separate showers and tubs.

Food and Drink

There are four restaurants, a patisserie-style café, and a soon-to-open destination bar called Glasshouse. Plume is Capella Taipei’s beating, buzzy heart, an all-day lobby hangout where breakfasts—both buffet and made-to-order Taiwanese and international dishes—are served as well as lunch and dinner. Count on Plume to be a city hotspot for craft cocktails in the evening hours; its afternoon tea menu to debut in a few weeks post-opening will surely be a hit for the social media-savvy cohort.

Where the hotel’s culinary chops really shine are its specialty restaurants. Cantonese-themed Rong Ju was a feast for my eyes and taste buds; I relished in set menu selects like braised Australian Wagyu beef cheeks in a black bean-garlic sauce and steamed lobster with fried egg underneath a vaulted red terra-cotta-tiled ceiling.

A walk through moody corridors of shoji windows and ryokan-inspired design elements leads to Mizue, Capella Taipei’s all-seafood omakase den. Here, chef Hara Katsunori feeds privileged guests luscious nigiri bites, monkfish rice bowls, and seaweed-wrapped hand rolls atop a 30-foot counter made of solid hinoki wood, an experience upgraded by the sommelier’s curated sake pairings. I didn’t get a chance to dine at Ember 28, an elegant number adorned with twin Preciosa chandeliers and oxblood-coloured banquettes, but the grillhouse’s menu of tableside-carved prime steak cuts and fresh-caught fish sounds quite promising.

Activities and Experiences

I can’t remember a city hotel with such a consummate menu of immersive experiences as this one. If you knew nothing about Taiwan or Taipei before checking in, you might end up a walking encyclopedia by the end of your stay with Capella’s experiences on offer, many of which are complimentary. These are led by Capella Culturists, an enthusiastic and knowledgeable set who facilitate daily-changing Taiwanese workshops (Capella Moments), lead hands-on local history lessons with light bites and beverages (Capella Rituals), and accompany guests to bespoke, off-campus excursions (Capella Curates). I’m not a morning person, but I was glad to have signed up for the 7:30 a.m. Morning Ritual, where local Culturist Constance Sung waxed poetic about the surrounding Minsheng Community’s legacy and fed us breakfast, all underneath a century-old banyan tree on the property.

The guests-only 14th floor contains the outdoor pool—stretched along the building’s edge with bang-on skyline views—and the Living Room, a clubhouse where Capella hosts events like an Evening Ritual hour with complimentary cocktails and canapés. Down on the second floor, a small corridor through the spa reception leads to the Technogym-filled fitness center, where yoga classes and personal training are available.

The Spa

Walking into the second floor-based Capella Spa felt like I had entered a sandstone-tinted portal. The space, dimly lit and curvaceous with organic-shaped vases and an apothecary-style display of natural ingredients, leads to an arched tunnel where five treatment rooms, a relaxation room, and floatation pod awaits. The spa’s ethereal aura is intentional, as its wellness program leans into lunar-themed treatments such as the 2.5-hour New Moon Ritual, comprising chakra alignment, a body wrap, a body and face massage, and energy balancing.

I booked the aptly titled Intuitive Wellness Massage and allowed my therapist to take charge after choosing my organic essential oil. After a calming foot bath and scrub with Taiwanese pineapple enzymes, I settled onto the massage bed as she—intuitively—provided more TLC to my chronically tense shoulders and lower back with extended strokes and a hot towel treatment. Located next to the reception area, men’s and women’s changing rooms contain their own small sauna and steam room facilities.

Family-friendly Offerings

There is no kids’ club here, but school-age children might love Capella Moments’ enriching, hands-on experiences as much as the adults, whether it be an indigenous Taiwanese weaving class or a Hakka paper umbrella painting session. For the young foodies, Plume offers an all-day “For Our Little Stars” menu which includes ham and cheese sandwiches, parmesan-dusted tomato pasta, and chicken and egg fried rice. I should note, though, that most of the rooms contain precious (and fragile) objet d’arts that can be within reach of curious little ones, so a watchful eye for smaller children is recommended.

Accessibility and Sustainability

All of the public spaces and walkways have step-free access. There is one accessible room.

Due to government regulations enforced from January 1, 2025, Taiwan hotels are banned from providing single-use toiletries to reduce plastic waste, and guests are encouraged to bring their own personal items such as toothbrushes, razor creams, shower caps, and combs.

In-room compendiums are paperless, and can be accessed via television, an AI-powered bedside console, or a QR code from one’s phone.

Location

Capella Taipei sits along arguably Taipei’s most beautiful street, Dunhua North Road, its European boulevard-style layout lined with trees as far as the eye can see. The Songshan neighborhood will most appeal to travelers in search of a quieter, less touristy slice of the city, with its charming cafés, art galleries, and tiny parks interspersed between residential mid-rises waiting to be discovered. Ask the hotel team for their illustrated neighborhood map to explore some insider gems.

The hotel is about a 45-minute drive (or 30 miles) from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. The much smaller Taipei Songshan Airport, which also hosts private aircraft, is the most convenient of the two, as guests can go from airport exit to hotel reception in less than 10 minutes. It has great public transport connections thanks to its proximity to the Taipei Arena. Uber is the main rideshare app in Taipei, and its partnership with licensed taxi companies means cars are always available and nearby.

How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay

Capella has teamed up with independent hotel loyalty program Global Hotel Alliance to offer Capella Discovery membership. Members enjoy room discounts of 10 percent or more and other plush perks based on membership tier.

For 2025, the hotel is part of the Virtuoso Preview Program, which will provide $100 food and beverage credit, guaranteed early check-in, and availability-based upgrades upon arrival.

Nightly rates at Capella Taipei start from $616.