The Flip Flop Hostel (FFH) is as if a meaningless, motivational platitude was manifested as a small chain of hostels. It is a synthesized approximation of youth culture which has been commercialized, sterilized and euthanized. It is certainly not the cheapest hostel in Taipei but the location is good if you need to have an adequate place to stay between a late arrival and an early departure from the city.
I personally stayed in the FFH ‘Main Station’ for three nights and the FFH Garden for one. I will speak mostly about the FFH Main Station for the purposes of this review but I can say that staying in the FFH Garden is much more private than at the main station location and includes a free, but very basic breakfast. Staying at the FFH ‘Garden’ however is like living in an Instagram nightmare.
On to the pros and cons of the FFH Main Station location…
Overall the FFH Main Station location is a very average hostel experience, far from the best as well as the worst. It is clean, the staff is cordial, and it is probably the hostel closest to Taipei Main Station. Its location makes it an excellent choice for quickly coming to and leaving the city and it is pretty convenient for shuffling between the northern and southern districts of the city. As its location is right in the center of the city, it is a pretty loud place to stay with the street noises being very audible even on the fourth floor of the hostel and the area surrounding the hostel is pretty boring (though my favorite beef noodle <牛肉麵> and rice ball <飯糰> are within 10-15min walking distance). The common area of the hostel is quite small but often empty of people and there is usually some sappy (sickly sweet) music playing there. There is an advertised games night on Wednesdays which includes a free beer which sounded interesting but unfortunately I stayed there during the weekend. The common area of FFH Main Station also has a book exchange shelf, a box of abandoned toiletries as well as snacks, free tea or instant coffee as well as a small collection of games.
As an overall experience, the FFH Main Station is a mediocre hostel experience with a convenient location best suited to travelers just passing through Taipei and who do mind paying a bit extra.
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