About the host : Newz as she preferred to call herself was very quick in her communication. She kept a track of us landing at the airport and was on time for our check-in for the apartment. She provided suggestions for food options as we are vegans and a lonely planet guide of Taiwan which helped in planning our trip. She came with two bubble teas for us to try.
About the location : The apartment is housed in an old building in the central area of Ximending. It is very close to the night markets and shopping area. The bus stop and train station are very conveniently located. It is a little away from the hustle bustle and is quiet. The city view from the apartment is good.
About the apartment:
The GOOD: The provisions featured in the pictures,for example, body wash, shampoo, hand wash, toilet paper, earbuds and hair dryer were all provided. On request, the host also provided an iron to iron my clothes. The bath and hand towels provided were clean. The pocket wifi that came with the apartment was very handy to travel with and access wifi when in the city. There are travel plugs provided are helpful as Taiwan has the two vertical slot pin similar to US and Canada. There are two umbrellas provided by the host that came in handy. The locking mechanism to the door is good.
The BAD: We found the apartment to be very moderate for the price we paid. The pictures give a sense of space and airiness to the apartment but these are professionally taken pictures. The apartment furniture is a little old. The stools provided for sitting are not comfortable. The sofa bed in the living room was quite itchy after sitting on it. The carpet looked a little worn out. The kitchen had utensils that didn't look so clean and functional. The mattress is quite flimsy and felt itchy after sleeping on it.
Few points to notice : For people who wake up in the night to go to the loo, the steps can be tedious and unsafe to go down during the night. For tall people, my husband is about 5'11'', the shower stall is quite cramped and small.
For ladies who want to put makeup on, there only one mirror inside the washroom. There is no full length mirror in the apartment.