The InterContinental Taipei has been making headlines since before it opened — most recently over a trial-stay controversy that had everyone talking. None of it changed my mind: with a new hotel, you book a paid stay and judge for yourself. On October 13, 2026, I checked into a corner Junior Suite at my own expense. Bottom line up front: the hardware impresses, the software is still warming up. Worth revisiting — with caveats.
Lobby and Public Spaces: Everything a New Hotel Should Smell Like
The double-height lobby, anchored by its crystal chandelier installation, sets a grand tone from the first step. Upstairs, corridors run black-and-white geometric carpeting and the elevator halls are properly designed — the new-hotel smell, figuratively and literally, is everywhere it should be.
The Room: A Corner Junior Suite with Two-Sided Views
Our suite sits on a corner, and the layout shows it: light and views on two sides, the room's single best design decision. The king bed faces floor-to-ceiling windows, and sunset from the window — watching the light sink into the city skyline — was the highlight of the room.
The living area holds the TV and the minibar cabinet, with an espresso machine and kettle provided. A pull-out tea tray keeps glassware, porcelain cups, spoons and tea bags in perfect order; the fridge drawer stocks Coke, beer and Evian; the bar tray adds gin, an Evian mist spray and mixed nuts. The TV boots to the IHG welcome screen, a card by the bed explains the smart voice assistant, and the closet holds bathrobes and slippers. As a hardware checklist, nothing is missing.
The welcome amenity is the hotel's own pineapple cake gift box with a welcome card — a thoughtful local touch. And yet: no welcome fruit. At this price point and brand level, that absence genuinely surprised me.
Bathroom: A Soak with a City View
The bathroom pairs a vanity and mirror with a standalone soaking tub set right by the window — after dark, a bath with the city lit up below is the room's second-best hour. Toilet and shower are separated, the flow works, and nothing practical was sacrificed to design.
Club Lounge: The Best Service in the House
Hands down, the club lounge is the best-served space in this hotel. A circular bar with SMEG fridges, desserts that hold their standard, champagne and then a cocktail against the night view — the atmosphere is superb, and this team is clearly the most settled in the building. Small oversights remain, and the staff's familiarity with member benefits is still incomplete; but the flaws don't overturn the verdict. This is currently the most finished room in the hotel.
Lobby Bar: Serious Process Problems
Now the main event. At the lobby bar we ordered two desserts and a pot of tea. It took three reminders and nearly an hour for everything to arrive — and when it did, the tea was the wrong one. Growing pains at a new opening are understandable; a failure in the most basic order-to-table flow is not, and it should top the fix-it list. This is where the score takes its biggest hit.
Verdict
The hardware is genuinely sincere: dual-aspect views in the corner suite, a complete in-room setup, a window-side tub. The software is a tale of two extremes — the lounge already leads the house, while the lobby bar is still fumbling the basics. Sharp Index 70 (3.5 out of 5). We'll be back — and we hope the service has caught up with the building by then.
