Top 11 Gay Friendly Hotels in Taipei

Tranquil, yet trendy, the capital of Taiwan, Taipei is an alluring blend of Chinese, Southeast Asian, Japanese, and American cultures. This 300-year-old city is akin to a living museum; think Japanese-era mansions, Taoist temples, and delectable fusion cuisine. However, you’ll be most surprised to know that Taipei, staid as it might seem, is one of the most exciting gay-friendly cities in Asia. There is no shortage of gay hotels in Taipei where the LGBTQ set is given a friendly and warm welcome. But that’s not all. Gay marriage? Check. An exciting and large gay scene? Check? Asia’s largest gay Pride? Check! Above all, a gay god to worship and pray for your dream man? Major check! That’s true; Taipei is the world’s only place with a temple dedicated to Tu’er Shan, the gay god. It’s no wonder that Taipei is considered the gayest place in all of Asia.

But, that’s not all. The city is home to a slew of jaw-dropping attractions that LGBTQ travelers can explore during the day. For instance, there’s Taipei 101, one of the World’s Tallest Skyscrapers. If you’re visiting the city around Chinese New Year, don’t miss the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival, one of the best Annual World Festivals Worth The Trip. What’s more, there are many other Top Things To Do In Taipei, such as hot springs, night markets, temples, and more. So, what are you waiting for? Pack your bags and pick one of the top 11 gay friendly hotels in Taipei to stay on your Asian gay sojourn.

GS Gay Hotel

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GS Gay Hotel is one of the most fiercely proud and fabulous gay hotels in Taipei and is the city’s official gay hotel. Honestly, it’s more of a hostel, with lots of common areas where you’re encouraged to mingle with beautiful-looking fellow guests – enjoy! All in all, this is a great spot for single gay travelers and even older queens who’re looking for fabulous company. What gay travelers love here is the relaxed clothing policy, which is unique to this hotel. So, there’s a lot of eye candy around with everyone just walking around in their birthday suits! The hotel has a great sauna where you can unwind in the company of good-looking men.

Choose from a host of simple but immaculate rooms and suites at the Gs Hotel, all of which have gay erotica splayed across every wall! What’s more, you can choose your own private quarters or a dorm setup with shared bathrooms where you can turn up the heat. The real perk here, however, is the slew of free erotic amenities, such as condoms. The hotel might be a 20-minute subway ride to the Ximen Red House and the gay district. But, with all the erotic ambiance, there’s a good chance you might not leave the premises at all!

Ximen Wow Hostel

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Few places are as exciting as Ximen Wow Hostel, a gay friendly hotel in Taipei. A hostel rather than a hotel, the name says it all; it lies a stone’s throw from Ximen Red House! This trendy and super-hip place is a gay favorite for more reasons than one. Besides being right in the heart of the action, the hostel is a modern hub on the inside. Think a lounge, terrace, and a shared kitchen all done up stylishly with contemporary appliances and decor. It’s the kind of place where you’re bound to make lots of new friends. Of course, the real fun is when you all head out into Taipei’s gay scene together!

The fabulous terrace overlooking the city is a great place to hang out at the end of the day. When it comes to rooms, choose between immaculate shared dorms and private rooms. The dorms even have seating areas and chic bathrooms, which are spotless. If you want privacy, then go for the private room, one of the chicest in the area.

NK Hostel

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Yet another of the best and most affordable gay hotels in Taipei is NK Hostel, which lies in the Songshan District. Just a 20-minute subway ride from the Red House, this hostel is a relaxing and comfy space for LGBTQ travelers who’re on a budget. As soon as you enter, a warm LGBTQ-friendly sign greets you right at the door, immediately making you feel nice and warm. Meet your fellow travelers over the homestyle breakfast table, complete with a hearty breakfast to accompany a delightful conversation. It’s a great way to get to know them before heading on an LGBTQA Friendly Tour of Taipei.

That said, the real ticket here are the rooms and suites, which are unlike you’ve seen at any hostel. Choose from well-designed pod-style dorms or private rooms with gorgeous cityscape views. In fact, some rooms even have hot tubs and balconies with views of the city! Furthermore, dorm rooms are mixed and female-only, depending on your choice, and have many facilities. Think shared bathrooms, bed linens, towels, storage lockers, and free Wi-Fi. Meanwhile, private rooms even come with kitchenettes.

San Want Residences Taipei

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LGBTQ travelers looking for long-term accommodation in the city should consider San Want Residences Taipei. An excellent gay friendly hotel in Taipei, this Zhongshan hotel lies a mere 15-minute ride from the city’s gay scene. So, a cosmopolitan vibe aside, gay travelers will love this discerning place for its location as well. On the inside, the boutique digs blend opulence a la Paris or Venice with Taiwanese traditions. Spend hours getting ready in front of the huge mirrors in the rooms, which feature soft golden-hued color schemes. Minibars, coffeemakers, and flat-screen TVs are standard, but what you’ll love are the spacious and hedonistic bathrooms. For, they all come with lush rain showers and huge sunken baths, both large enough for two. So, if you come across a cutie you want to impress, this place certainly is it.

One of the unique elements about this hotel is that it has an on-site art gallery that showcases the best of local Taiwanese talent. A tour desk and business center aside, the hotel boasts a dining lounge that serves both local and international fare and drinks. The best bit? They welcome you with cookies, water, and tea!

Amba Taipei Ximending

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Located right in the heart of Ximending, Amba Taipei Ximending is one of the best gay hotels in Taipei. Red House is just a stone’s throw away from this boutique hotel, which is out-and-out gay friendly. This is evident in the fact that the Pride package is available throughout the year. What’s more, the hotel has a special welcome amenity and delicious and complimentary Rainbow shots at the bar for LGBTQ travelers! Coming to the rooms and suites, all of them have sexy additions such as huge mirrors and mood lighting with unique lightbulbs. Additions such as Taiwanese tea, free bottled water, and free coffee are surely great perks. The all-black bathrooms are especially sexy, with the shower area being large enough for two. Mini fridges, electric kettles, and free trendy Amba flip flops make up the rest of the amenities.

The rest of the hotel is equally impressive, especially the trendy bar and delicious restaurant with the most innovative cocktail collection. A buffet breakfast with Taiwanese and western specialties aside, the hotel also has free Wi-Fi, tour services, laundry services, and currency exchange services for travelers.

Westgate Hotel

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Located in the street next to the Red House, Westgate Hotel is yet another sensual gay friendly hotel in Taipei. You’re welcomed with complimentary pineapple tarts, which are a specialty in Taiwan. Mirrors are one of the design epicenters in the rooms, as the sink mirror revolves 360 degrees to face the bed too! So, if you guys wanted a visual of your – ahem – activities in bed, then the mirror allows it! Besides that, there’s even a full-length mirror designed as much for risqueness as it was for its usual use.

However, it’s the bathroom where stuff gets interesting. The shower here has not one but five functions – a rain shower, a showerhead, and three separate nozzles spraying water from the waist, chest, and head heights! If you were to indulge in long and amorous bathtimes, it’s understandable. Enormous beds with pillows make up the rest of the room.

You’ll love the elegant modernity of the rest of the hotel, right from the sleek rooms to the dining area. What’s more, you’ll also find laundry facilities, a business center, and a gym, in case you’re here for work or would love to stick to your workouts. Begin your day with a hearty buffet of cereal, buns, porridge, fruits, and coffee at the swanky in-house cafe.

The Tango Hotel Taipei Linsen

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The Tango Hotel Taipei Linsen is one of the chicest gay hotels in Taipei. The sleek, four-star hotel in Zhongshan gets top marks for class and elegance and is a favorite with discerning gay travelers. The rooms and suites at this hotel are exceptional, as they all come with jacuzzi baths! Besides this sensual and amazing amenity, they all boast some amazing views of Taipei, which is a boon considering most Ximen hotels have no views. It’s what makes this hotel so popular, especially with LGBTQ travelers who love leafy neighborhoods and don’t mind staying around 10 minutes from the gay scene.

Once you get out of your room or suite, the hospitality of the gay-friendly staff here will amaze you. In fact, they’re not just super professional, but even discreet, especially if you have companions over after a night of revelry at Red House. Modern business and fitness centers aside, the hotel has free Wi-Fi and a lounge where you get free tea and coffee all day long. Finally, the amazing western buffet breakfast is the perfect way to start a day in the city.

The Grand Hotel

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LGBTQ travelers who want to stay in luxury will love the gay friendly hotel of Grand Hotel in Taipei. This Zhongshan hotel is one of the most opulent in town. You’ll feel like Eastern royalty here, especially since traditional Chinese palaces inspire the hotel’s design with red columns and golden roof tiling. The rooms are similarly elegant, complete with classical elements. Besides being spacious, they have gorgeous floral decals, soft lighting fixtures, and glass doors that open onto a large patio. Settle yourself on the alfresco seating and enjoy a cup of Taiwanese tea with sweeping views of the city.

Elsewhere, this hotel continues to wow and impress, especially the seating area on the serene outdoor terrace that overlooks the lush grounds. However, one of its most impressive features is the huge outdoor pool, where you can swim and enjoy a lay on the loungers. Workout fanatics will love the state-of-the-art gym, post which they can unwind in the sauna. Finally, choose from four amazing restaurants to dine at, which serve some of the best Cantonese cuisines in the city.

Brother Hotel

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With such an amazing name, it’s no wonder that Brother Hotel is one of the best gay hotels in Taipei. Gay travelers who’re on the lookout for mid-budget hotels will love this value-for-money place in Songshan. Besides, Ximen Red House is merely 10 minutes away by subway! The staff here is very welcoming towards LGBTQ guests, but the rooms are the best bit here. Comfortable and super-modern, the rooms have some unique features, such as abstract designs on the floor and quirky lighting! Blackout blinds, plush beds, and vanity-like mirrors in the bathrooms only add to the sexy nature of the rooms. The biggest plus-point? A deep-soaking tub where you and your partner can settle with a bubble bath and spend a very romantic time.

One of the best features about this hotel is that it has not one or two but no less than seven dining options! Nothing cures a hangover spending a night partying at Ximen Red House like Taiwanese cuisine, served in the Orchid Room. While there’s a gym on-site, we highly recommend the in-room massage services in the city after a long day or night.

Star Hostel Taipei Main Station

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Few hostels are as well-located as Star Hostel Taipei Main Station, an excellent gay friendly hotel in Taipei. Not only is the city’s main MRT station a five-minute walk away, but also Ximen Red House is a 10-minute train ride. This modern and hip gay hostel offers a slew of sleek female-only or mixed dorms and private rooms. Plush bunk beds, free Wi-Fi, and spotless shared bathrooms are what make staying in the dorms as fun as it’s affordable. Private rooms, on the other hand, have ensuite bathrooms and flatscreen TVs.

The rest of the hostel overflows with common facilities and amenities, such as a well-equipped shared kitchen with all appliances you need for cooking quick and cheap meals. The STAR lounge is the perfect place to swap stories with fellow bedmates and travelers and relax and unwind. Thanks to the coin-operated laundry, travelers can even stay for longer times without any issues. Wrapping up the amenities here is the mini store that sells refreshments, beverages, and snacks.

W Taipei

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From the world-famous gay-friendly brand of W comes the W Taipei, one of the most luxurious gay hotels in Taipei. The motto of this buzzing hotel is ‘word hard, play harder,’ and it lives up to it. In fact, the entry to the hotel via a disco-lit lift, which sets the tone and mood for your fabulous stay here. Rooms and suites range from Wonderful to Extreme Wow – yeah, those are their names! While all rooms are great, the Spectacular rooms offer gleaming views of Taipei 101 and the surrounding mountains from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Nevertheless, all rooms have swanky mod-cons such as white noise machines, iPod docking stations, and bath products by Bliss. The in-room cocktail kit and open-plan bathrooms lend the rooms an absolutely sexy vibe.

The rest of the hotel embodies W’s ‘Whatever/Whenever’ motto. So, you have everything from concierge services arranging swimming with dolphins and scoring impossible dinner reservations to the decadent AWAY Spa. We recommend the detoxing scrubs that are sure to wash off any hangover you might have had at the Red House. The best place on the property is the 10th-floor WET pool deck with sun loungers, which hosts the hottest parties in the city.

Best Gay Neighborhoods in Taipei

Taipei is a sprawling city, with pockets of fun present everywhere. That said, the undisputed gay neighborhood in the city is Ximen. Lying on the banks of the Tamsui River, this hotspot is where you’ll find the famed Ximen House. It’s a historical building packed with the city’s best gay bars, clubs, sex shops, saunas, bathhouses, cruising places, and what-not. It’s also home to the iconic rainbow crossing, a.k.a. Gender Crossing. Most of the gay-friendly budget options to stay lie here. However, for LGBTQ travelers looking for a bit more luxury, you might want to head to the surrounding neighborhoods of Xinyi, Songshan, and Zhongshan.

An interesting snippet: did you know that Taipei even had a racy, all-male, all-nude, Japanese-styled hot spring? Yes! The Huang Ding Hot Spring, which lay in Taipei’s famous hot springs district of Baitou, was one of its most popular ‘unofficial’ gay hot springs. It’s a shame it closed down, but you never know – it might just spring back up – pun intended!

Best Gay Bars / Clubs in Taipei

• Shibuya Gay Bar: This cute little gay bar that sports a Japanese theme is the perfect place for the younger LGBTQ set to gather and mingle. Popular with young things and twinks, it’s also famous for having sexy go-go dancers set the stage on fire later in the night.
• Hunt Gay Bar: This underground Taipei gay bar is a haunt for everyone that’s muscular, young, and totally beautiful. The bar is very well-known for its sexy themed nights such as Bondage, KY Wrestling, and Gay Underwear. For those who want to experience the eclectic gay subculture of the city, this bar is quite the experience.
• Commander D: This gay cruise fetish bar is focused on exploring the BDSM and fetish culture. Gorgeous and friendly bartenders aside, the place also has great drinks and host themed experience nights and live weekend shows where anything goes.

Best Gay Saunas in Taipei

• XL Club Taipei Gay Spa: This clothing-optional cruising club and gay gym boasts of some of the best male massages in the city. What’s more, the place has a slew of extensive facilities including tanning booths, a steam room, and a maze. Moreover, you’ll find a nice lounge serving snacks and drinks and where performance shows are often held.
• Sauna Taipei I/O: A brand-new modern cruise club and gay sauna in Taipei, this one is sea of hedonism spread across three stories! You’ll find a cruising area, a dark room, karaoke, steam room, lounge, sauna, and a gym, and the place is particularly popular with local bears and their admirers.

Best Gay Events/Shows/Tours in Taipei

• Taiwan Pride: Hailed as one of the World’s Biggest Pride Parades, Taiwan Pride has always taken place in Taipei since the inception. In fact, the 2019 parade made it East Asia’s largest gay pride event, even larger that Tel Aviv Pride, which is one of the most massive in the world! Interestingly, Taiwan holds its Pride events in October to avoid typhoon season, so make sure you plan your visit around that time if you want to participate.
• WERK!@Triangle: Outside of Pride, this is the biggest gay event that takes place in Taipei, usually on the third Saturday of every month. It has everything from international DJs to drag queens and go-go dancers.
• LGBTQA Friendly Tour Taipei Hipster Nightlife: If you’re new to the city and want to get a tourist’s taste of it before delving into its gay life, consider joining this interactive tour. It takes you on a tour of the hipster neighborhood of Dadaocheng, the Chinese Cupid God’s Xia-Hai City God Temple, and onto delectable local fare at the Ningxia market. The tour ends at the iconic Red House, the city’s LGBTQ outdoor bar district.