citizenM Taipei North Gate — smart design, dead-centre Taipei, steps from the MRT
citizenM Taipei North Gate is Asia's inaugural citizenM property, launched in 2017 with the Dutch brand's trademark promise of "affordable luxury" — delivering a five-star sleep experience at a four-star price by stripping out the parts of hotel stays that nobody actually needs. It sits just 5 minutes' walk from Beimen MRT and 8 minutes from Taipei Main Station, the city's best-connected transport hub.
citizenM is a Dutch hotel brand that quietly rewrote the rules of mid-range stays. Their formula is brutally logical: spend the budget on what guests actually use — a proper mattress, rain-pressure shower, high-thread-count linen, insanely fast Wi-Fi — and eliminate what they don't, like a bell-desk with four staff, a lobby shop selling overpriced mints, and a breakfast buffet no one leaves feeling good about. The Taipei North Gate property opened in July 2017 as the first citizenM in all of Asia, and a decade on it still ranks among the highest-rated hotels in the district.
Guests describe it like this: "The room felt small at first glance, but everything you need is perfectly placed. The XL bed is enormous, the shower is incredible, and the iPad to control everything — lights, blinds, temperature, TV — means they never had to get up once. This is what a modern hotel should feel like."
Every one of the 267 rooms comes with the same XL king-size bed — no upsell required — dressed in fine European linens with cloud-soft pillows that guests reliably mention in reviews. A powerful rainfall shower, full-size AM/PM body wash, and blackout blinds complete the picture. The room tablet (or the citizenM app on your own phone) puts every control — lights, blinds, curtains, room temperature, the TV — at your fingertips without moving from the mattress. Self check-in kiosks in the lobby mean the whole arrival process takes under three minutes.
The communal spaces punch well above the room count. The ground-floor Living Room fills a double-height atrium with Vitra designer furniture, rotating contemporary artwork, and the energy of a boutique hotel lobby — a great place to work or decompress before heading out. The canteenM runs 24/7 through three personalities: barista-brewed coffee and hot cooked breakfasts in the morning, fresh salads, sandwiches and warm plates for lunch and dinner, then cocktails and craft beers on tap once the evening crowd arrives.
The location suits transit-first travellers perfectly. Beimen MRT (Blue and Green lines) is a 5-minute stroll; Taipei Main Station — with its Airport MRT link to Taoyuan International Airport — is 8 minutes on foot. The historic Beimen (North Gate), one of Taipei's last intact Qing-dynasty gates, stands just 3 minutes away, and the lively Ximending entertainment district is a 10-minute walk. Staying here you are equidistant between the city's historic core and its most vibrant nightlife neighbourhood.
In full transparency: rooms are small by conventional four-star standards. citizenM engineers the space cleverly — the bed takes precedence and storage is optimised — but if you're travelling with multiple large suitcases or need a sofa, this is not the right fit. There is no swimming pool or gym in the building. Breakfast is a paid add-on at the canteenM (approx. NT$460 per person); it is not bundled with the room rate.
In summary, citizenM Taipei North Gate earns its 8.7 on Booking.com (3,000+ reviews) by delivering precisely what design-forward, independently-minded travellers want: an extraordinary bed, a great shower, seamless technology, a beautiful communal space, and a location that makes every sightseeing day easy to start and easy to end. For solo travellers and couples, it is one of the best-value four-star stays in Taipei.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Unbeatable location — Beimen MRT and Taipei Main Station both within 8 minutes on foot
- ✓ XL king bed with premium linen — the best sleep of many guests' trip
- ✓ iPad room control and self check-in kiosks make everything seamless and fast
- ✓ canteenM coffee is excellent; staff are warm and genuinely helpful
- ! Rooms are small — large suitcases are a squeeze
- ! No pool, no gym — not a resort-style stay
- ! Breakfast costs extra; not included in the room rate
- ✓ Spotlessly clean rooms with smart, efficient design — feels more expensive than it is
- ✓ Rainfall shower is excellent; bed is enormous and supremely comfortable
- ✓ Self check-in kiosk is genuinely fast — in the room in under 5 minutes
- ✓ Living Room is a great space to relax, work, or meet other travellers
- ! Room size is compact — tight for more than 2 bags
- ! iPad room controller can be sluggish to wake from sleep — takes 20–30 seconds occasionally
- ! No on-site parking — plan to use the MRT or taxis
- 💡If you're travelling as a family or with children — all rooms have a single XL king bed; there are no connecting rooms or roll-away options → citizenM works best for two adults; families should look at larger hotels nearby
- 💡If you want breakfast included in the rate — canteenM breakfast is a paid add-on (~NT$460/person) → budget for it in advance, or explore the many breakfast cafés in the neighbourhood
- 💡If you need a gym or pool — citizenM Taipei has neither → this is a city-break hotel for exploring, not a resort-style retreat