A place to call home

Staying overseas doesn’t mean having to give up the comforts of home. Gloria Residence, a luxurious serviced apartment in Taipei, offers travellers a tranquil, refreshing sanctuary, the perfect ingredient for a comfortable holiday in Taiwan.

Stunning design, inside and out

First impressions count and Gloria Residence delivers spectacularly. This masterpiece is the brainchild of renowned architect Atsushi Aoki, famous for designing flagship Louis Vuitton stores in New York and Asia.

Aoki used the concept of “heaven” as the starting point for his breathtaking design. This is especially evident when the building is viewed in the day, with dappled sunlight reflected from a simple yet vivid exterior, creating a dreamy, iridescent facade.

Renowned interior designer Ray Chen has worked his magic on the inside of Gloria Residence, using a warm, tranquil colour scheme to create a calm and relaxing ambience.

Oak-timbered Asian furniture helps create a homely vibe in each room, and careful planning ensures that every square inch of floor space is maximised.

Housekeeping mission

Gloria Residence prides itself on offering its guests oustanding service, which is reflected in Gloria Residence director and general manager Betty Weng’s approach to serving guests.

Ms Weng believes in prompt service and expects herself and her staff to deliver the highest standards. It’s an attitude that’s seen in the way they look after their guests, like one American family that had checked into Gloria Residence for a month’s stay. It was their first visit to Taiwan and the mother was wheelchair-bound. All staff members paid special attention to the family and helped ensure that the family had a comfortable stay.

Ms Weng said: “Whenever the mother came out of her room, our staff would immediately take an elevator upstairs to support her and help her come down. When she returned to her room, our staff would accompany her upstairs.”

For Ms Weng, it was a simple matter of putting herself in her guest’s shoes.

A part of the family

Staff at Gloria Hotel Group make it a point to treat all guests as part of their extended family, and receptionist Pary Lin is no different. He has worked at the Gloria Prince Hotel Taipei for more than 10 years, starting out as a bellman. His enthusiasm, highly spirited nature and welcoming smile always leaves a deep impression on many guests, so it was no surprise that he was transferred to Gloria Residence and promoted to a receptionist when it was opened.

Mr Lin aims to ensure guests enjoy a cosy and comfortable stay, exemplified in the way he helped an elderly guest.

The 90-year-old guest moved slowly and had poor memory. He often forgot what he had eaten for his meals, so Mr Lin memorised his breakfast menu and patiently served him each day.

“To me, they are just like members of my family,” said Mr Lin.

A good night’s sleep

To ensure guests have a good night’s rest, Gloria Residence offers a Pillow Options service. Guests can choose from four pillow types: Latex, memory, buckwheat and anti-snore.

One Japanese guest’s travel agent had informed the hotel that he was prone to allergies and was sensitive to pillow fabric. The housekeeping department replaced the feather pillow in his room with a Japanese-made, natural buckwheat pillow, which would be less likely to afffect his allergies.

The morning after the guest checked in, he was in high spirits and smiling broadly. He told the reception staff that he had enjoyed a good night’s sleep because the buckwheat pillow had allowed him to sleep peacefully — just as if he had been home in Japan. He thanked the staff for their caring attitude and said that he intended to stay there during his next business trip to Taiwan. Gloria Residence had gained another long-term customer, thanks to its staff’s attentiveness and warmth.

Replenishment 24 hours a day

The exclusive lounge at Gloria Residence is open 24 hours a day. Located in a cosy space at basement one, The Lounge offers a wide selection of books, newspapers and magazines. Snacks, fruits and beverages are stocked round the clock so guests can pop in for bite any time — just like they do at home.

With fantastic facilities and attentive staff, Gloria Residence offers a cosy home-away-from-home, just what you need on your next trip to Taipei.

Visit www.gloriaresidence.com/zh/index.html or call +886 2 2531 0699 for more information and reservations.

Produced by the TODAY Special Projects team