I was searching for the best hostels in taipei and I came across a hostel called, “Pillow Hostel.” It was the first time that I would be staying in a hostel…and when I booked the reservation there, I heard a very tiny voice reminding me of all the horror stories I had heard of young people staying in different hostels around the world. Remember those? Yeah. BUT, I ignored it—it had pretty positive reviews, the pictures were nice, and it was well within my (very) limited budget (about $20/night). YAY!

Pillow Hostel was, without a doubt, an excellent first-time hostel experience for me. And it can be for you too, if you’re thinking about a trip to Taipei! It has dormitory rooms, so you don’t get a whole lot of privacy or space, but that wasn’t a huge deal for me. It also has a cute little lounge when you walk in, to the left of the front desk. There are appliances to prepare food, brochures about Taipei, and a table where you can sit and chat with fellow travelers. If you’re like I was at this time and not the most outgoing or social person, my advice is to open up a bit and get out of your comfort zone. Click here to read about what happened when I got out of my comfort zone!

The most important reasons why I loved Pillow Hostel were these two points: the location was super convenient and the front desk staff were both friendly and helpful. It’s located in the Zhongzheng District, which has a ton of restaurants and little markets within walking distance—definitely something I always look for when choosing a place to stay. It’s also only about a 10 minute walk to Taipei Main Station, which is the main transportation hub in the city and most of northern Taiwan!! Like I said, super convenient location to stay! Not only is Taipei Main Station a transportation hub, but it’s got little convenience stands and other restaurants if you need to grab some food or kill some time.

Note: I didn’t eat at any of the restaurants there, but I did make use of the
convenience stands plenty of times.