Review: Hotel Proverbs, Taipei, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s Design Hotels

This is our review of Hotel Proverbs in Taipei.

Taipei doesn’t have a huge amount of big chain hotels. What it does have, however, is a number of smaller boutique hotels, many of which are part of the big chains’ collection brands.

This includes the 42-room Hotel Proverbs which is part of Marriott Bonvoy’s Design Hotels, a brand with a focus on unique and stylish hotels around the world.

Opened in 2016, it has since been joined by a number of other boutique hotels including the Hotel Resonance (part of Hilton), which I reviewed on my last trip.

Marriott provided my stay for review purposes, but HfP paid for all other expenses. The hotel website is here.

Hotel Proverbs Taipei location

Hotel Proverbs is located in the Daan (pronounced Dah-an) district of Taipei. This is a central district and one of the oldest in Taipei and home to many shops, bars, restaurants and universities, making it a lively neighbourhood.

Its central location means you are close to virtually all areas of Taipei with the East-West blue MRT line on your doorstep, which takes you to Taipei 101 in the East or Ximen in the West.

From Taoyuan, the main international airport, it’s about 40 minutes by taxi. Uber works in Taipei.

Inside Hotel Proverbs

Whilst the exterior of the Ray Chen-designed building is blocky, black and industrial, contrasted by the planting around the hotel and in the park next door, the inside is light and airy.

The ground floor lobby consists of a small check-in area:

Communication by the hotel, both during my stay and before hand was exceptional, with a particularly useful pre-arrival welcome email outlining what was included (mini bar, local phone calls) as well as a weather forecast for my stay and an outline of the transportation options.

The hotel embraces the dark room corridors with copper-plated walls, creating a warm, metallic effect and a sense of compression before the release of the large, bright rooms. Frank Lloyd Wright would be proud.

Rooms at Hotel Proverbs

The design of the rooms is very interesting. There are lots of traditional luxury materials, such as the green marble bathrooms and wood panelling, but these are juxtaposed against more rustic and functional elements such as the iron mini bar and wardrobe structures which reflect the industrial mesh exterior.

There are five different room categories but size variance is relatively small, at just 10 square metres, with even entry-level rooms at least 39 square metres. I was given a Deluxe room (about middle of the pack) which is a lovely corner room.

Unusually, the room opens straight into the open-plan bathroom which is clad in luxurious green marble. The idea is that you cleanse yourself before entering the living space.

All the rooms feature a free standing bathtub:

The toilet and shower are next to each other in separate glass cubicles, although there is no frosting on the toilet so you could conceivably be using it whilst your partner is showering next door!

Toiletries are in miniature bottles and are branded Apothicals by DAMANA.

The open plan bathroom is separated from the living and bed room by a curtain. This is where the rustic industrial chic really begins, with warm wood walls, leather accents and warm brown tones:

There’s a large three-person sofa as well as a table and dining chair:

On the left you have the industrial mini bar and open wardrobe which is reminiscent of the exterior of the hotel.

The mini bar is complimentary, except for alcoholic drinks, and features haribo, a variety of crisps, coca cola, juice, sparkling water and the like. A Nespresso coffee machine is also available.

The bedroom features a large king bed with leather headboard:

One side features a low hanging chandelier, arguably Hotel Proverbs’ signature:

There were US-style mains sockets on both sides of the bed, although in an awkward location close to the floor and with no USB ports. I did like the retro light master control board, however.

There are two TVs in the room: one opposite the sofa and one opposite the bed with a Yamaha sound bar:

My room had a balcony overlooking the local park (and with a tiny glimpse of the top of Taipei 101) but it felt like an underused space with no balcony furniture:

Rooftop pool

Hotel Proverbs has a pool on the 12th floor rooftop overlooking Taipei 101. It is a fairly basic offering (bring your own towel!) but offers a nice spot to sit out and soak up the city.

There is no gym, as far as I could tell.

Breakfast and bar

The hotel has a restaurant on the ground floor as well as a bar on the third floor. The restaurant is entertainingly named “L’idiot” and describes itself thus:

“L’IDIOT” means “Idiot” in French, and that’s what we expect our guests to feel at the restaurant – let go of all troubles, indulge in the food, laugh blithely in this characteristic space, and be a happy, carefree donkey.​

Given its French name you’ll be surprised to know that it serves mostly Italian food!

The restaurant is open for breakfast. Whilst occupancy was high, only a handful of guests opt to have breakfast here, I assume due to the limited menu although it may be a chicken/egg situation.

There is no buffet, just an a la carte menu with a choice of four options. :

• German sausage, veal sausage, smoked bacon and scrambled egg
• Pan-fried salmon with porcini cream sauce and scrambled egg
• Shrimp seafood congee
• Maple French toast with baguette

And for kids:

• Potato smiles, sous vide chicken breast, cheese and scrambled egg

I went for the salmon, which I have to say was delicious and I ended up ordering again on my second morning. You get a salad to start:

Then the main:

…. which comes with a choice of tea or coffee as well as a croissant and some bread. All together, it’s NTD600 which is about £14.

The bar on the third floor offers a variety of cocktails. It’s a pleasant space with an outdoor area. Here it is during the day:

Next door there is a lobby lounge for guests with free tea and coffee:

Arguably the best view in the hotel is from here, looking down into the first floor restaurant with a number of mirrored chandeliers:

Conclusion

Hotel Proverbs is exactly what I look for in a city hotel. For me this means well designed, stylish rooms; friendly service; and a few basic amenities. I am not looking for a hotel with all the bells and whistles, a spa, multiple restaurants etc etc. Something like Hotel Proverbs is, to take a phrase from a fairy tale, “just right”.

That’s not to say it’s perfect, of course. Whilst delicious, the breakfast offering is basic and explains why so few guests choose to have it, and offering towels by the pool would be a help. But overall, it’s definitely a hotel worth considering.

Room rates start around NTD7,000 (around £165) per night, with redemptions from 41,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. You can find out more, and book, on the hotel website here.

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