Regent vs W Taipei: The Cheaper Hotel Was Better

This Regent Taipei vs. W Taipei comparison turned out more surprising than expected. It’s true that just because a hotel is more expensive doesn’t automatically mean it’s better, but within the same city, I’ve usually found that higher-priced properties deliver a materially better experience, whether through service, amenities, or both.

To be clear, I’m not comparing a Park Hyatt in Cambodia to the St. Regis in Toronto — I’d expect the former to be significantly nicer.

That’s why my two-night stay in Taipei earlier this month really surprised me.

Two Nights in Taipei + Two $300 Amex FHR Credits

Earlier in March, I had 2 nights to spend in Taipei. Additionally, I had a few Amex US Fine Hotels + Resorts to use (Biz Plat gives $300 every six months). Using them in Asia is great due to (relatively) lower hotel rates, often allowing you to cover the entire night’s stay with the credit.

Being loyal to Marriott, I immediately looked at the W Taipei — it was well located, participated in Amex FHR, and was right next to an MRT station. Furthermore, Marriott is running a promo where staying at a new brand would earn 2,500 bonus points and an extra elite night.

I was staying Saturday to Monday, and the cheapest room on Saturday night at the W was $580 USD after fees. Sunday night was a more reasonable $380 USD, or $80 after my credit, so I secured that booking.

In contrast, the Regent Taipei (an IHG hotel) was just $320 USD after fees for the first night on Amex FHR, so I booked this one for Saturday.

Switching hotels is not ideal, but in this case, I’d collect two $100 FHR credits (since it’s per stay), I’d earn Marriott points and elite nights at W, and it’d be interesting to check out two luxury properties in Taipei.

Regent vs. W Taipei

To cut to the chase, Regent was a significantly better stay in almost every way. The only way it was “worse” is the location, as it’s a brisk 5-minute walk from the MRT station. However, I actually prefer Regent’s location as Zhongshan happens to be a district I spend a lot of time in.

Regent Taipei base room

Upon checking into both hotels, Regent had left a nice welcome amenity of fruit and pineapple cakes. W’s note was handwritten, which is a plus, but a welcome amenity of boxed canelés. I prefer the pineapple cakes because they convey more of a local touch.

Regent Taipei welcome amenity

The biggest difference was in service and breakfast. The room sizes were about the same; however, the room at Regent felt bigger — either due to the layout, the use of space, or how much space the bathroom took up, I’m not sure.

Breakfast

The breakfast buffet at the Regent Taipei is among the top three I’ve ever experienced. The selection was literally endless, with multiple chef-led stations: freshly made rice balls (fantuan), noodles, eggs, and grilled meat.

Regent Taipei breakfast — rice ball station

There was an entire Western buffet section with the typical stuff, and then also a Japanese section with soba noodles and grilled fish. It was the only breakfast buffet I had in Taiwan that included Taiwanese egg pancakes (dan bing).

There was also savoury soy milk, a fantastic pastry selection, endless juices, acai bowls, and a dim sum station that included sesame buns made to look just like a mushroom. And a million other things I can’t even remember.

Regent Taipei breakfast – dim sum

W’s breakfast buffet, on the other hand, was a typical “good” breakfast buffet in East Asia. It was about on par with the AC Hotel Tokyo Ginza and Hyatt Place Kyoto (that I visited later the same trip).

W Taipei breakfast

Service

Here’s where the biggest difference was. I had a few concierge requests and reached out to both. Regent replied quickly (even on weekends) and secured me a last-minute Sunday dental appointment at a fully booked clinic. W simply pointed me to a nearby clinic and told me to reach out on my own.

At check-in, Regent had a big line. The lobby is quite large, with many desks, and three staff members immediately walked up to open three more check-in desks. I waited maybe 5 minutes.

Checking in to the W Taipei took 25 minutes when all said and done

At the W, I encountered a similar line, but the check-in area is quite narrow with two desks and I waited some 20 minutes.

W includes two welcome drinks (or maybe it’s nightly) for Platinum members and above, however service at the lobby Woobar was poor. It was maybe 25% capacity, and it took over 30 minutes from being seated to flagging down a waiter to order drinks, and then our drinks and snacks finally being served.

30 minutes for one cocktail + one 7-Up

Both hotels have 400+ rooms (Regent has more), so I wouldn’t expect personalized service at either, but the contrast between the two was stark.

General Observations

I couldn’t help but notice how clientele at both hotels seemed drastically different: Regent guests appeared mostly local or regional, I saw maybe 10 non-East Asians at breakfast. The W was the exact opposite.

I’m not entirely sure why. Regent isn’t a small, boutique hotel as there are 500+ rooms and is part of IHG, but maybe the IHG presence is stronger in Taiwan?

Furthermore — and this is more of a personal preference — I much prefer Regent’s understated, wood-accented rooms over W’s bright, almost obnoxious green-heavy design. The green glass panel by the window, in particular, made the room feel a bit cheap.

The W Taipei features this green glass panel prominently throughout the room

Regent used physical, large metal keys as key cards that added a more premium feel to the stay.

Takeaway

I usually expect higher-priced hotels in the same city to deliver a better experience, but this stay in Taipei proved otherwise. Despite being cheaper, the Regent Taipei was the stronger property across service, breakfast, and overall experience.

It’s a good reminder not to rely too heavily on brand or price, because sometimes the better hotel isn’t the more expensive one.