Best Kaohsiung Hotels Guide (Taiwan) For All Budgets

Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s third biggest city is one of the most popular places to stay for visitors to Taiwan. Located just 1.5 hours away from Taipei by Taiwan High Speed Railway and 45 minutes from Taichung, there are lots of affordable hotels in Kaohsiung.

Located on Taiwan’s west coast, Kaohsiung is a sprawling coastal city with a vibrant arts scene, beautiful outlying islands and incredible street food and night markets.

From chain hotels to budget accommodation, this our Taiwanderers guide to the best Kaohsiung hotel accommodation in 2026. We last stayed in Kaohsiung for a week in October 2026 at Holiday Garden Hotel SKM Park Kaohsiung, Grand Hi Lai Kaohsiung and Kindness Hotel Kaohsiung Station.

This article was originally published on 26 April 2025.

Taiwan checklist

We love using agoda.com (use the code TAIWANDERERS for a discount), expedia.com and booking.com for researching and booking all our hotels.

For booking tours, transfers and buying SIM cards/eSIMs we recommend Klook, Get Your Guide, Viator or KK Day.

For booking rental cars visit Discover Cars. For private drivers and taxis, check out our Transfer guide >

Find safe storage spaces across Taiwan with Bounce (and get 5% discount).

For more recommendations, check out our Taiwan travel booking resources page >

All set for Taiwan? Do one final check with our Taipei first timers guide and our packing list guide. Travelling with kids? Check out our Taipei For Kids eBook >

Why stay in Kaohsiung?

We’ve visited Kaohsiung on several occasions (most recently in autumn 2026) and would totally recommend visiting this part of south western Taiwan as part of your next Taiwan itinerary.

Our own personal highlights include Weiwuying Street Art Village, one of Kaohsiung’s most colorful neighborhoods, Monkey Mountain, Pier 2 Arts Center and meeting Kaohsiung’s famous station cat, Mikan.

We also love exploring all the themed 7-Elevens in Kaohsiung including Hello Kitty and the famous Pokemon 7-Eleven.

Many travellers to Taiwan just make a rushed trip to Kaohsiung but it has so much to do and the hotels near Kaohsiung station are surprisingly inexpensive – plus hotel prices are often cheaper than the likes of Taipei, Jiufen and Alishan.

From the super-cool Yancheng neighbourhood (complete with a new Godzilla themed cafe) to Kaohsiung’s famed Dome of Light, likely the most beautiful station in the world, here is our guide to the top things to do in Kaohsiung, Taiwan >

Join our Facebook Taiwan Travel Tips (TTT) Group!
Need help with your Taiwan itinerary or have any questions? Head on over to the most fun and fastest growing Taiwan Facebook group with 200,000+ members and ask the experts!
Click here to join our group >

Or if you just want to see more of our Taiwan photos, follow our Taiwan Facebook page or our Taiwan Instagram account

Travelling to Kaohsiung, Taiwan

As Kaohsiung is Taiwan’s third biggest city (after Taipei and Taichung), plus the most populated place in southern Taiwan, there are many transport options to get here.

Going to Kaohsiung via Taiwan High Speed Rail (HSR)

Kaohsiung can be reached by high speed rail (HSR) from Taipei and other cities.

You can buy discounted high speed rail one way tickets between Taipei and Kaohsiung (plus other stations) via this Klook HSR booking link >

Please note these discounted Taiwan High Speed Rail tickets are exclusive to overseas tourists and you will need to show your passport upon redemption.

If arriving from Taipei you should take the Taiwan High Speed Rail from Taipei Main Station to Kaohsiung’s HSR Zuoying Station.

The journey takes around an hour and a half, however Kaoshiung’s HSR station is located slightly out of town – you can connect to downtown Kaohsiung City by taking a short MRT ride.

There is an alternative and cheaper TRA train from Taipei (Tze-Chiang Limited Express train). The journey time is much longer at around 4-5 hours, but you arrive at Kaohsiung station which is in central downtown Kaohsiung.

Booking Kaohsiung hotels – top tips

Once you are ready to start booking your Kaohsiung hotel(s), there are a few general rules and tips:

• Peak season in Taiwan is generally classed as the summer months but you’ll also find room rates are likely higher in the winter because of Christmas in Taiwan, Taiwan Lunar New Year and cherry blossom season.
• We find agoda.com has the best room rates for Taiwan / Kaohsiung hotels plus booking.com is also quite good.
• Online rates for Taiwan hotels are generally better than booking in person. We even had a situation where we tried to extend a Taipei hotel booking at reception and the staff kindly informed us we should book it on Agoda instead as it would be cheaper!
• If possible, book your Kaohsiung hotel rooms several months in advance as the room rates tend to increase in the months before you arrive – also consider making use of the ‘cancellable’ room options that some hotel booking sites have like Agoda.

We stayed here for several nights in October 2026 and enjoyed our hotel experience, from our marvellous MRT themed room and the racing themed communal areas to the big breakfast buffet. Plus there are fun playrooms and family suites available for children and their grown-ups. 

It is a great base with ample parking and the hotel is very close to Caoya Station on the MRT Red Line (just one stop away from Kaohsiung International Airport).

From facilities to food, attractions to our awesome room, here is our review of Holiday Garden Hotel SKM Park Kaohsiung >

This hotel is located near to the Sanduo Shopping District red line station and Kaohsiung Exhibition Center Light Rail stop.

The best hotel pool in Kaohsiung, a swim at TAI Urban Resort will take you to infinity (pool) and beyond! The gym also has amazing views of downtown Kaohsiung.

Grand Hi-Lai Kaohsiung

We stayed here in October 2026 in a 36th floor Standard Harbor View Room with an amazing view of the Kaohsiung Music Center and port; we could also see Cijin Island in the distance.

It is a 5 star hotel but it is over 30 years old and less modern / slick than than other luxury Kaohsiung hotels, but still a very comfortable stay. It is also just a 5 minute walk from Kaohsiung’s newest mall Focus 13 on the waterfront.

Whilst the room felt a little dated in parts (especially the bathroom), the room was clean and we spent a lot of time staring out the window at the incredible view.

The hotel has many restaurants onsite and an outdoor swimming pool – sadly the pool was closed during our visit due to the Typhoon Champi.

Some of the fittings and furnishings seemed to have been recently updated including a big TV that has in-built streaming apps like Netflix and Prime. Grand Hi Lai Kaohsiung is also connected to a mall with lots of luxury brands and a food court downstairs – so very handy in bad weather!

InterContinental Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung’s newest 5 star hotel, the InterContinental Kaohsiung opened in 2021 and is one of the most luxurious hotels in the whole of Kaohsiung.

Located near to Kaohsiung this stunning and sumptuous hotel has an indoor swimming pool and five restaurants, including the Japanese WA-RA, which is famous for its digital art installation. Treat yourself to Taiwanese afternoon tea in their BL.T33 Lobby Lounge.

Kaohsiung Marriott

A 5 star Kaohsiung hotel with a pool and sauna, this is a great Kaohsiung accommodation choice if you want to have a little luxury doing your stay.

Located in North Kaohsiung and connected to the rather plush E-sky mall (with a CostCo next door!), the rooms are clean and modern with large TVs, mini-bars and are very well appointed (many with Kaohsiung city views).

There are 10 restaurants at the Kaohsiung Marriott to suit all tastes from the Kyo Kyo Vegetarian Restaurant to the M-Chef Steak & Teppanyaki (plus a French bistro).

The nearest station is Sinshang Elementary School Light rail stop and the hotel is around a 12 minute drive from the Zuoying Kaohsiung HSR station.

Kaohsiung Chateau de Chine Hotel

Located on the banks of Kaohsiung’s Love River, many of the rooms at Chateau de Chine have waterside views and you can see the nightly light-show that emits from the Kaohsiung Music Center by Pier 2.

The hotel has three restaurants and cafes (Japanese, Cantonese and international) plus all rooms have a bath-tub. Some of the guests also rave about the happy hour drinks for guests on level 7 with unlimited beer, drinks and snacks served for free from 6pm to 10pm.

As well as modern and clean rooms, Chateau de Chine offers a free shuttle to the train station or airport, and a laundry that is open 24/7.

Fullon Poshtel – Kaohsiung

Close to the Liouhe Night Market (one of our favourite night markets in Taiwan), Fullon Poshtel is a 4 star Kaohsiung Hotel with a 24/7 gym, laundry facilities plus a restaurant on a high floor with amazing views.

Opened in 2023, this is one of the newest Kaohsiung hotels so all the fixtures and furnishings are still quite fresh.

Hotel Nikko Kaohsiung

A newly opened Kaohsiung hotel (in December 2024), Hotel Nikko Kaohsiung is a Japanese style chain hotel with a rooftop pool, sauna and hot tub.

Guests love the buffet breakfast, and as you’d expect from a modern Japanese hotel, there are automatic and heated toilet seats.

Better still, upon check-in, we discovered they had a small Jim & Dad’s craft beer bar which guests were entitled to one free beer per night.

There is also a modern lounge area with free tea / coffee plus snacks like ice-cream, chips and crackers and a large laundry room with free to use washers and dryers.

This is also one of the best Kaohsiung buffet breakfasts we’ve experienced (lots of choice), albeit it can be quite busy when coach trips stay here.

Airline Inn – Kaohsiung Station

On our last couple of trips to Kaohsiung, we stayed at the Airline Inn – Kaohsiung Station.

It is a budget hotel located less than 5 minutes walk from Kaohsiung station.

We like it for its location plus the free laundry facilities – on our latest visit in February 2025, our room was much lighter and more modern than our first trip so they may have had a refurbishment.

The buffet breakfast served in the basement is also pretty good (compared to a lot of Taiwan hotels we’ve stayed in) – there are several hot dishes, salads, toast, tea and juices.

Hotel Midtown Richardson – Kaohsiung Bo’ai

Similar to Midtown in Ximending, Taipei, this 3* hotel is all about the location, just 1 stop from Kaohsiung Station and a couple of mins walk from MRT Houyi Station.

There is lots to do and eat in the surrounding area but some guests have said the rooms at Hotel Midtown Richardson – Kaohsiung Bo’ai are on the small side.

However, if you are busy doing lots of things in Kaohsiung, the prices when we last looked for this hotel were surprisingly cheap for a mid-range hotel.

City Suites – Kaohsiung Pier2

Industrial chic and no-nonsense rooms, City Suites – Kaohsiung Pier2 is near the LRT green line and the Pier2 Art Center.

Many of the rooms have no windows and are quite small, but the prices are pretty good and the 24/7 laundry is a bonus.

The location is great as it is close to Wufu 4th road which has many small restaurants and bars including the Michelin Bib Gourmand, Duck Zhen, renowned for its divine duck dishes and nice rice and pork dishes.

Green Inn Kaohsiung

One of Kaohsiung’s smaller guest-houses, this is an inexpensive place to stay very close to the famous Dome of Light / Formosa Boulevard MRT station and Liouhe Night Market.

With a small terrace and friendly host, this guest-house also has family rooms and disabled access facilities.

Given the Kaohsiung harbor location, many of the capsule style KW2 HOSTEL have waterside views and the shared facilities / bathrooms are all decked out with MUJI fixtures and fittings.

The hostel is next to many bars and restaurants, plus artisan shops – you can also get a ferry right outside the front entrance of the hostel straight to Cijin Island.

Single inn – Kaohsiung Lisen

If you are travelling to Kaohsiung on a budget and are considering dorms, Single Inn has shared rooms as well as privates and singles. Dorm beds start from £9 / $12 USD / NT$400 per night.

Uno Backpackers Inn

A stone’s throw from Kaohsiung’s Central Park, Uno Backpackers Inn is described by many reviewers as Kaohsiung’s best hostel.

5 minutes walk from Central Park Station, this hostel also offers single, double and quad rooms with a bed in a shared dorm starting from £13 / $17 USD / NT$550 per night.

You can follow Taiwanderers on: 
Instagram
Facebook
TikTok 
YouTube
Pinterest