As the driver dropped me off by the road where my hotel was, I was a little taken aback by how inconspicuous it was. You basically wouldn’t know there was a hotel in the building, on the 11th floor, if you weren’t looking out for it. The building was old, slightly dingy. So I wasn’t expecting much as I went up in the lift.

Hotel reception was nice and warm, though the reception area was very basic as well.

Thankfully, I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the door to my room…

Room #1113. LOL. Ominous, no?

Ooo… I liked what I saw… There are just some rooms that make you feel at home, right away. And this was one of them. I loved it immediately.

The bed was sooooo comfy! The feather/down doona (comforter) was awesomely thick and soft. Pillows were feather/down as well. bB approves! The worst thing in a hotel is a bad bed/bad pillows.

Cute window seats, and free snacks provided which they topped up everyday.

Little desk with electric kettle and drawer with no lock. I left my valuables in here and nothing went missing.

Tiny, compact bathroom but served me well. The shower cubicle was teeny weeny but even so, they managed to fit a rain-shower in there. LOL! Good one. Hot water ran reliably and constantly. The next worst thing in a hotel, other than the bed, is a bad shower/bathroom. The only thing I have to comment on is the leaking problem. Water would seep out on my bathroom floor from possibly poorly constructed water-proofing. Hotel management was apologetic but couldn’t do anything about it except give me big towels to put on the floor. Apparently my room wasn’t the only one with the problem. I hope they fix it eventually.

One big plus was the good quality hair dryer they provided! Highly approved! bB brought her own hair dryer just in case, but due to voltage differences, mine did not function as powerfully as it does in Singapore.

Useful spots for putting things on. I loved these wooden bench areas. Very, very handy for bags, shopping etc.

So, this was how bB packed. All my clothes etc were in my little cabin trolley, and into the big trolley it went. Total weight was 17 kg. I had a 15 kg check-in allowance on Jetstar. They probably closed an eye because I had no hand-carry trolley, only my Sorbet Classic Pompon.

Expanded. LOL! This is how we will go home.

Totoro settles in.

And he likes the view too. We are facing a super busy street (Zhongxiao East Road), opposite Ming Yao Departmental Store. But there wasn’t much noise at night, surprisingly. bB slept very well.

After settling in, it was time to meet my BFF, Vi! I took a little stroll to Howard Plaza Hotel, where she was staying with her DH Mike. And I got a little lost. LOL! But it was okay. There were cute things to see along the way.

We hung out, ate and shopped around the Sogo area. Supper was a selection of yummy bread from a Japanese bakery in Sogo, where I found mentaiko bread!

I also bought a new friend from Sogo. It’s Shappo of the Sentimental Circus, mine and Vi’s new obsession!

Shappo and Totoro ready for bed.

As it turns out, Taipei was heaven for Sentimental Circus fans. Lots of Shappo-love coming up! <3

http://www.eaststarhotel.com.tw/

x o x o
bB