Grand Hotel Taipei

The Grand Hotel was built in stages from 1952 and reached its present form in 1973: fourteen storeys in the manner of a Chinese palace, with a sweeping red and gold roof, on the hillside where a Shinto shrine had stood. Two curving escape slides were built into the fabric, running from the upper floors down to the grounds, and they were kept secret for decades; one is now shown on a booked tour. The lobby with its coffered ceiling is open to anyone.

What you actually see

• The palace exterior - fourteen storeys under a sweeping red and gold roof.
• The escape slides - curving tunnels from the upper floors to the grounds, shown on tours.
• The lobby - a coffered and painted ceiling above the main hall.
• The hillside setting - the building visible across much of northern Taipei.

When to go

Year round; the lobby is open through the day and tunnel tours run to a booked schedule. Evenings when the building is floodlit are the best exterior view. Weekends book out for tours.

Honest expectations

The tunnel tour must be booked in advance and places are limited. The building is a working hotel and access beyond the public areas is restricted. Getting there without a taxi is awkward.

Nearby

The Shilin night market is north, and Songshan is southeast.