RF Hotel — Hotel in Taipei

The RF Hotel in Zhongxiao Dunhua is not a hotel. It is a government health inspection waiting to happen. It is a cautionary tale wrapped in mold spores and misrepresentation. If you are looking for an experience that simulates the living conditions during a Victorian-era cholera outbreak, congratulations. You’ve found it.

We booked a room that looked, online, like something out of a budget lifestyle magazine. What we got looked like a set from a low-budget zombie film minus the charm. The photos were bait. The room was the switch. Even the room names were different on their website versus Agoda and Booking.com, possibly to create just enough confusion to legally gaslight you into accepting any random closet they assign.

No safe, despite being listed. Breakfast was advertised as “great,” but somehow wasn’t part of our booking. Clarity? Transparency? That’s for amateurs. The room itself was a masterpiece of decay: wallpaper peeling off like a bad sunburn, wood trims splintering like they gave up on life, and a side table so misaligned it looked like it had survived a minor earthquake. And the lighting? Grim. The room had a few pin lights, but it was still dark — nothing like the bright, welcoming room in the pictures. There was no lamp, no bedside lighting, no warmth. It was the kind of gloom that makes you question your life choices.

And the smell. Oh, the smell. It hits you the moment you enter the floor. Think wet laundry left inside a gym bag during monsoon season, then lovingly fermented for three days. Inside the room, you get a momentary illusion of cleanliness, shattered the instant you move anything. We pulled apart the twin beds, awkwardly bolted to a shared headboard like some weird marital punishment, and discovered dust bunnies the size of small rodents. Clearly, that area hadn’t seen a vacuum since the before times.

The bathroom? Regrouted, yes. But mold proudly made its appearance on the ceiling, likely because the shower’s “ventilation” is a decorative suggestion. Water droplets from a shower taken eighteen hours ago were still clinging to the walls, like survivors.

Now let’s talk about the air-conditioning, that invisible assassin. Centralized, and clearly never cleaned, it distributed dust like it was seeding a new civilization. Every morning we would wake up sneezing and coughing, which would magically vanish the moment we stepped outside, where the air was miraculously cleaner. And thanks to the pin lighting, you could literally see the dust suspended in the air, dancing like triumphant pathogens.

As for the “free drinks,” those were restocked with the regularity of a lunar eclipse. The staff? Getting their own from a filthy backroom that made me reconsider every communal space I’ve ever trusted. Speaking of communal areas, don’t bother. If you’re not inhaling mold, you’re swatting mosquitoes like it’s an Olympic sport. Staff watched us struggle and did nothing. Maybe they were placing bets.

When we asked for an extra pillow, you know, the bare minimum in the 21st century. It was handed over with the enthusiasm of a civil servant one week from retirement. The only person who ever smiled was the cleaner, bless her heart. But even she was no match for the sheer entropy of the place.

The price? Decent. The damage to our health? Extensive. We went through allergy pills, cough meds, and an existential reckoning. This place is not just unsanitary. It’s a deathtrap. A biohazard masquerading as accommodation. The Taiwanese government should inspect it immediately. Or better yet, condemn it.

If you’re booking this place, consider this your warning....

I feel deceived. Not recommended.

Upon check-in, we were suddenly informed that our room had been changed. The front desk staff “kindly” told us that we had been “upgraded” to a room with a larger bed. My companion and I expressed our gratitude and checked in. However, we later realized that this new room was actually of lower quality compared to the one we originally booked! The only difference was a slightly larger bed.

This room had no windows, the bathroom was extremely small with an unpleasant odor, and, worst of all, the ceiling was very low and covered with water pipes. In the middle of the night, there was a "very loud" sound of water flowing through the pipes, making it impossible for us to sleep. We were repeatedly woken up throughout the night. Then, at 4 AM, loud chatter and laughter, accompanied by a crying baby, came from the neighboring room and lasted for a while. At that point, we felt it was necessary to report the situation to the front desk.

The late-night noise was so excessive that it even woke up a baby, yet the guests continued laughing, which made me worry that something might be wrong. I went to the front desk to explain the situation and clearly expressed how terrible our experience had been. I specifically booked a room “with a window,” and rooms without windows are generally cheaper. The hotel deliberately swapped our room for a lower-tier one under false pretenses, without even informing us about the noise issue from the ceiling pipes. This is a serious act of deception.

Although the front desk staff maintained a smile throughout, his words and actions lacked sincerity. He gave scripted responses like, “There are no available rooms for you to switch to,” and, “If you noticed the lack of windows, you should have informed us immediately.” Their statements were contradictory—If our original room was already unavailable and there were no other rooms to switch to, then would there have been a room available if we had immediately reported the lack of windows upon check-in in the afternoon? He was clearly lying.

Upon further questioning to him, I also learned that the rooms on the third floor were located in the building’s main utility shaft area. If the hotel “knew” these rooms were noisy and had poor conditions, they should not have tricked guests into staying there! On purpose to change the room and say No other rooms available!

I told the male front desk staff that if we hadn’t reported the issue, we would have just left a negative review afterward. However, after a few minutes of talking to him, I could tell their approach to handling complaints was “completely standardized and dismissive,” showing no real concern for our experience. In the end, He offered a "two-hour late checkout" as compensation, which was completely insincere since we already had plans. We have an important annual exam tomorrow and will leave in the morning.

Not wanting to waste more time, I asked for a pair of earplugs and once again requested that they have to address the noise from the neighboring room, especially the unsettling situation where the baby was crying while the adults continued laughing.

Before I left, I overheard the staff calling the guests next door. However, instead of mentioning the crying baby, he just simply told them to “lower their volume” as they were disturbing...

I stayed 3 nights in a standard double room at RF Hotel. Overall, I’d say it’s a decent option for budget-conscious travellers who want a convenient, no-frills base in Taipei.

Check-In & Lobby: The lobby was clean and inviting, with a pleasant vibe. Check-in was smooth and straightforward and my room was ready on arrival. Staff were friendly and accommodating throughout the stay.

Room: The room was of standard size, clean, and functional. It may have been retrofitted at some point. There was a desk, a chair, a small bar fridge (that didn’t really work), and a TV with local channels. The aircon was strong and cold. Some light switches were almost broken and could use maintenance.

Noise levels were reasonable, but it’s worth noting that although the hotel is non-smoking, someone was clearly smoking on one of the mornings. The bathroom was serviceable, though the toilet’s fan ventilator brought in a sewage smell at times and switching it off helped.

Location: This is where RF Hotel shines. From the airport, you can take the express train to Taipei Main Station, then walk through the underground mall to the blue MRT line and ride just four stops. The area has plenty of food, convenience stores, an underground mall, and cafés all nearby.

Facilities & Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi was a major downside as it was almost non-existent in my room (which faced the back of the building). Phone reception was terrible too; I had to go down to the lobby to get decent signal and Internet.

However, there’s a useful common area with a microwave, water dispenser (cold and hot), coffee machine, instant beverages, and occasionally some snacks. Luggage is stored in a communal space under surveillance. Housekeeping, if requested, usually happens in the late afternoon. The shared study area is a plus, with ample power points for laptop use.

Would I Stay Again? Probably, especially if I’m travelling on a budget and the price is right. It’s good value for money, given the prime location and friendly staff. Just don’t expect fast Wi-Fi...