Parachute Hostel (Closed)

Sep 30, 2014 Mar 27, 2015

I was planning for a night start at Taipei, before I depart to Puli on the following day. I sourced for a private room, and I’m very thankful that I booked a private room instead of a bed, as I had a very bad headache after landing in Taipei. The headache requires a couple of pain killer and an hour rest to recover.

Getting there
The location was awesome. It was mere 4 stops away from Taipei Main Station (台北車站), where the airport bus dropped me off. I transited to metro and alighted at Taipower Building (台電大樓), then walked for another 5 mins to Parachute Hostel. It might be easier to look out for Paper Plane Café (紙飛機), which was on the ground floor and hence more noticeable.

Facilities
The hostel occupied the 2nd and 3rd floor. The rooms, toilets, and showering facilities are on the 2nd floor, and the common area, lounge, pantry, etc. are on the 3rd floor. As like most hostels, there wasn’t any lift within the premises. The hostel provide free drinking water, utensils/cutlery, and had a small basin for washing. Laundry is possible, there’is a huge balcony to air the laundry. I spotted some lockers, which most likely catered for dormitory.

Cost
I paid TWD 720 for a night, air-con private room with shared bathroom. I considered the price to be reasonable as a bed in the dormitory will cost about TWD 500.

Room/Bed
The room was clean and very basic, equipped with a tatami-alike bed and a table. It was spacious for one person. There’s a small window in the room, no worries about feeling claustrophobic.

The streets were quiet at night but occasionally you might hear some car honks, since the room is on level 2. These noises might disturb your sleep a bit but it wasn’t too much of an issue for me. The only concern I had was the tatami mattress; I guess the mattress was a bit overused and I couldn’t feel much cushioning at the center of the mattress. I need to shift my body to rest on the extreme side of the mattress for better sleeping experience.

Shower/Toilet
There were 2-3 toilets and 2 shower rooms, shared between all the guests. There’s an area outside of the toilets and shower rooms with basin instead for simple wash up (e.g. brushing of teeth, washing of face, and drying your hair). Toiletries were available for free. The toilets and shower rooms were all very clean.

Sights Nearby
Shida Night Market was nearby, it will takes about 5mins – 10mins of walk to reach. WenZhou Street is in close proximity, about 15mins – 20mins of walk. The cafe, Paper Plane Café (紙飛機), on the ground floor might worth a try too as the reviews were good.

Other Reviews
Hostel World – Parachute Hostel
TripAdvisor – Parachute Hostel

The staffs were friendly and helpful but they weren’t available 24/7, which was common for most hostels. If you’ll be arriving late, be sure to drop them a note. It would have been 4 stars, if not for the bed.

Updated May 10, 2018

It seems that this hostel has ceased operations.

Verdict & Information

Parachute Hostel (Closed) (3/5)

Address

台北市中正區師大路148號 | No. 148, Shida Rd, Zhongzheng District
Nearest Train Station: Taipower Building (台電大樓)
Exit 4 (Stairs Only) - Turn right and walk straight
Exit 5 (Lift) - Cross the road to Exit 4, turn right and walk straight