SKY'S TIiE LlI]IT:Japanese archi+"eclFumlhiko Maki isdesigning twoskyscrapers as pariol a revamp andexpansion forTalpei Station,du-- for completlonin 2012.

FF,S'IIVAI, FAME:The Urban NomadF11m Festival hascome a long ilay.Fr"om humble originsin 2002, thew-aeklong event nowattracts younglilmmakers lromaround the globe.

OverviewTaipei is a city that hasbeen under the radar fortoo long. Perhaps it wasa lack of confidence,but the city never reallyknew how to talk up itsgood qualities. TheTaipei of today hascome on leaps andbounds, humming withrestaurants, shops,caf6s and bars.

A hosi of newhotels, including LeM6ridien and W haverecently opened, addingto the air of confidence- this is a city on themove and one that visi-tors can enjoy fromcomf ortable f irst-classpropedies.

Although scootersare still a favourite modeof transport, the city ispushing rts greenercredentials with newbicycle-stands acrossthe city - the air in Taipeiis today cleaner and thetree-lined streets andlanes are a pleasure towalk along.

Instead of trying tobe like other cities,Taipei seems to havegrown into itself and iscarving out its ownidentity. The city isspacious enough fornew and old to live side-by-side - from the low-rise world of nightmarkeis and temples tothe gleaming towerblocks of Xinyi. As theeconomy grows andmore people travel, anew Taipei is emerging -proud of its heritage butready to welcome theworld.

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Top six hotels

Les SuitesTaipei's pioneeringboutique brand contin-ues to lead the way withits two hotels, the 84-room Les Suites ChingCheng and the smallerLes Suites Da An.

-::'!i12 Qingcheng Street,Songshan District, + 8862 8712 7688; 135 Da'anRoad, Da'an Dsitrict,+ 886 2 8773 3799,/essulteshote/s. com

W TaipeiThe €20m W hote (abover,ght) opened last month.Among its features, the405-room hotel has a1 oth floor open-planlobby and restaurant,connected to a poolsideterrace overlooking busi-ness district Xinyi. The Wis among the top hotelsin the city. - 1.1,

1 0 Zhongxiao EastRoad, Section 5,

+ 886 2 7703 8888,starvvoodhotels.com/whotels

Grand Hyatt TaipeiThis is a reliable luxuryhotel situated, like manyothers, in the Xinyidistrict near Taipei 101 .

Has 850 rooms com-plete with spaciousbathrooms plus an out-door heated pool and a24-hour gym. There's awide range of western,Chinese and Japanesedining and bar options.

2 Songshou Road,Xinyi District,+ 886 2 2720 1234,tai pei. g rand. hyatt. co m

The Grand HotelThis unique hotel (far/eft) was built in 1952 atthe behesi of ChiangKai-shek who wanteda luxury hotel to houseforeign guests. A promi-nent city landmark withits distinctively Chinesegolden roof and redcolumns, it has wel-comed countless digni-taries over the years fromNelson Mandela to theShah of lran.

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1 Zhongshan Nofth

Road, Section 4,+ 886 2 2886 8888,grand-hotel.org

Hotel QuoteDesigned by TaiwaneseRay Chen, this boutiquehotel has 64 rooms,all kitted out with Bosesound systems, freewiJi and Nespressocoffee. There is also akitchen-style, 24-hourlounge area and the333 Bestaurant & Bar.The hotel is conve-niently located nearTaipei's SongshanAirport.

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333 Nanjing EastRoad, Section 3,+ 886 2 21 75 5588,hotel-quote.com

Palais de ChineOpened in May 201 0,the Palais de Chine livesup to its name, offeringopulent accommodationand equally luxuriousdining.

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3, Section 1,

Chengdu Road,pal ai sd ec h i n e h otel. co m

Le M6ridien's keys to local culture

Opened at the end of 2010, Le M6ridien's 160-roomfive-star hotel focuses on culture - room keys givefree access to the Museum of Contemporary Ad andMy Humble House Art Gallery. -38 Songren Road, Xinyi District, + 886 2 6622 8000,I eme ri d ie n -tai pe i. co m

Q&A

Cary M GrayW generaf manager

Why is now a good timeto open a W in Taipei?The city is blossomingright now. lt's simply agreat place to live.

How is Taiwan's hospi-tality shaping up?The Taiwanese popula-tion is highly educated,cosmopolitan and well-travelled - that givesthem a competitiveedge. Many of the 400Taiwanese people we'vehired have returned towork here from Toronto,Geneva or Macau -they're all coming backhome.

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012013

IATWANTRAVET GUIDE