I booked this hotel for a last minute trip to Taipei with my mother. We were looking for something reasonably priced, clean, safe location, near an MRT stop and with good service. We got exactly what we wanted.

The hotel offers a wonderful car service to and from the airport for an additional fee. We paid NT1680 each way, which is approximately 56 USD. This was totally worth it because we got picked up via Mercedes Benz and the price is not much more than you would pay for a cab. We were surprised to find out that the cabs do not have working seatbelts in the backseat and since the trip from the airport is approximately a 30-40 minute drive to the hotel and most of it is on the highway, this was a big advantage to using the car service over a cab in our minds.

The Mediterranean restaurant in the hotel offers a wonderful breakfast buffet in the mornings. Because we booked directly with the hotel, this did not come included (I didn't see that other people got breakfast included when they booked via other websites until after we'd booked). It cost us NT445 per person for breakfast (approx USD 15 pp) and we thought it was completely worth it. They always had a selection of Japanese style breakfast (eg. sushi rolls), hot lunch-type foods, a wonderful selection of very fresh fruits, all kinds of breads/pastries, cereal, juices, eggs or omelettes to order, breakfast meats, yogurt, cheeses, etc. Coffee was very good. Tea always available. It was a bit tough to find places where a lot of fresh fruits were available so we welcomed this opportunity to load up in the mornings.

The rooms were wonderful. Very clean, not big but not small. The bathrooms came with shampoo, single use toothbrushes, body lotion, soaps. The shower water pressure and temperature were perfect and the shower head was a perfect height for me (I'm about 6ft tall) but adjustable to be lower if preferred. They also provided 2 bottles of water everyday. The views were nothing special, but we didn't spend much time in the room. The beds were very comfortable. We booked a double twin room with 2 twin beds. It was not noisy at all despite our window facing the street. The only criticism is that the clock in the room was just a little travel clock that was not actually on the correct time.

All of the staff were extremely helpful and friendly. They ask you to leave your key at the front desk when you go out but provide you with a card to show to the front desk when you return to retrieve your key. Often one of the front desk staff would recognize us when we returned and have the key in hand anyway. All of the front desk staff speak English.

The hotel is located across the street from a park and down the street from the Taipei Museum of Fine Art. It is approximately at 10 minute walk from the Yuan Shan MRT subway stop. There are plenty of Small Eat stands and convenience marts nearby, like 7-11 and Family Mart. Cabs are easy to hail if the 10 minute walk to the subway is too long for you.

Overall, I would recommend the Riviera to anyone looking for a reasonably priced hotel with better than average rooms and wonderful service.

Hotel is clean, staff friendly, but interiour style is really old fashioned and the rooms show wear and tear. The walls are also VERY thin, you can follow every conversation in the room next door. I was unfortunated to have a neighbor who had conference calls all night long with his US counterparts. If you need a silent room, ask for one with no neighbors.

We booked this Hotel after having read the reviews of previous guests on Tripadvisor. We were not disappointed. From the moment we arrived at TPE, to be met by the Hotel rep. and driver, to the time we left Taipei 12 days later we received excellent service in all areas. From Bellmen to Front Desk, from Housekeeping to Restaurant staff - all of those we came into contact with performed their duties in a friendly and efficient manner. Nice additional touches included a complimentary newspaper each morning (the International Herald Tribune); coffee and cookies in the lounge behind reception between 7 & 11 each morning and the free use of strategically located hotel computers. The nearest MRT station is a pleasant 10 to 15 minute walk across a park or, if its raining, a couple of minutes by bus #208. The MRT 'Smart Card' can be used on both the subway and bus. Two 7 Eleven stores are within easy walking distance for the purchase of MRT 'Smart Card's or Telephone cards and other 'necessities'.

We were going to Taipei on a last minute trip to visit family. Our first night in Taipei would've been 2/9 - which is the 3rd night of the Lunar New Year. This translated to solidly booked hotels.

We usually book elsewhere due to financial reasons, but because our hotel of choice was booked for the night of 2/9, we had to book our hotel room elsewhere. I searched on Expedia and based on price, location and amenities, I chose the Riviera Hotel on Linsen N. Rd in Taipei.

Prior to departing, I called the hotel to arrange airport transfer, which cost 1680NT (roughly $54USD) per trip (not per passenger). This was a reasonable price as taxis from Taoyuan Airport are metered and would probably cost a little under $50, give or take. Also note that during the Lunar New Year, you have to add an additional 20-40NT depending on the time of day you are travelling.

After picking up our luggage, we walked out of the terminal into the general waiting area and right there was a sign with my name on it. The guy waved us over and gave us all the information we needed in a very accomodating and polite tone. The pick-up car was a Benz 320 and the driver had soft music on as he drove.

When we arrived at the hotel, the receptionist hurried out to meet and greet us and even lugged our heavy luggage herself even though my husband was perfectly capable of doing so.

Upon check-in, she handed me an awaiting message as well as our room key. She notified me that since the hotel was solidly booked for our room category, we were upgraded to a junior suite, room 405. She took us up to our room and showed us where everything was in the room and politely left. 5 minutes later, another member of the staff came and handed me a box full of female amenities as well as a soft robe. I found out afterwards that the hotel was mainly furnished for male travelers and thus the shampoo/soap/lotions were more masculine. I thought this was extremely thoughtful of the hotel to think of.

Our room has a mini seating area with a fridge, microwave, flat panel tv, fax machine and data ports. There is also wireless internet available within the property. Our room was a decent size, with a double bed and a plush sofa seat and another flat panel tv.

The MRT station (Yuan Shan) was about a 10 minute walk and definitely doable. Shilin Night Market is only one stop away (don't get off at Shilin, get off at Jiantan).

Check-out was a breeze and the bellhop hailed us a taxi to send us off to our next hotel.