Sweet escapes for couples traveling together: Taipei’s capsule hotel with “double beds”!

Text & Photos /By Bu Zuei Wei Dao (Not Absolutely Taste Buds)

Capsule hotels are all the rage, offering budget-friendly stays that make spontaneous trips a reality.Dongmen No. 3 Capsule Hotelis conveniently located right next to Exit 3 of Taipei Metro’s Dongmen Station. Thanks to its prime location, there’s also an Ubike rental station at Exit 4. That’s why, not long after opening, the Dongmen No. 3 Capsule Hotel has attracted many foreign backpackers. Nini met quite a few foreigners on the day she visited. The best part of traveling? Meeting friends from different cultures — don’t you think?

Nini’s quick review: Cozy and comfortable, with great transport links, plus thoughtful double bed options.

Exit the Dongmen Station Exit 3 and turn left; the black building you see is the Dongmen No. 3 Capsule Hotel. On the first floor is a trendy little café. The first time Nini came, she walked right past the café and couldn’t find the capsule hotel.

Actually, the entrance to the capsule hotel is right next to the café — you can even go in directly through the café.

When you catch the scent of coffee in the air, you know you’ve arrived at Up!. It’s pretty romantic... arriving in this corner of the city greeted by an olfactory feast.

The owner is a passionate and adventurous young man who once carried the Taiwanese flag to the summit of Machu Picchu. With his own experience as a backpacker, having stayed in many youth hostels during his travels — some good, some not so much — he was inspired to create a comfortable place for backpackers to rest. Step by step, that vision became today’s Dongmen No. 3 Capsule Hotel.

The check-in counter. When you check in, you’ll receive a room card that grants access to the building gate, elevator, your room, and your luggage locker. Everything is controlled via the card, so you won’t be disturbed by non-guests.

The main gate’s access control is active from 21:00 to 9:00. If you’re out at the night market late, just use your room card to get back into Up!.

It’s worth mentioning that the Dongmen No. 3 Capsule Hotel has a legal hotel business registration. Many lodging operators, including guesthouses, aren’t legally registered. Aside from being properly licensed, it’s also disability-friendly, with solid fire and safety compliance.

A cute hand-drawn city map.

It scored 9.1 on Booking.com in 2016.

You can pick up info on airport transfers and attraction discounts here. AirPoPo Airport Transfer: Shared ride one-way is $299 per person, private 4-seater car is $799 one-way. You can also ask the hotel to book for you. Download the KLOOK app — you’ll get $100 off tickets to Taipei 101. More attraction discounts are available inside the app.

The elevator to the upper rooms is also disability-accessible.

The elevator requires your room card for entry to ensure only guests can use it, keeping things safer.

Your Wi-Fi username and password are listed here.

The Dongmen No. 3 Capsule Hotel has four floors, each with shared bathrooms. The second floor has mixed-gender capsules, the third is for women only, and the fourth floor features family rooms that sleep up to four. The rooms at Dongmen No. 3 are arguably among the largest in Taiwan, and they even offer double beds — so couples don’t have to be separated while traveling.

Second floor – Mixed-gender capsules

On the left is a single bed, on the right a double. Each unit has curtains for privacy.

It’s rare for a capsule hotel to offer double beds, letting couples enjoy sweet, uninterrupted time together.

The luggage lockers can be opened by tapping your room card. They fit a 28-inch suitcase.

The locker is under your bed, making it easy and reassuring to access your belongings.

Good sleep sets the tone for a great journey the next day. With his backpacking background, the owner is very particular about mattress quality. The hotel uses well-known American Serta mattresses — even though each one costs over NT$10,000, ensuring guests sleep soundly is worth it.

The beds are sized with Western guests in mind — even someone 180 cm tall will have plenty of space. Nini rolled around and didn’t want to get up XD

Each unit has hangers, a small desk, power outlets, and reading lights. The double bed units even have four outlets. If you need a universal plug adapter, the front desk can lend you one.

This wall lamp looks quite distinctive—does it seem familiar? Its design draws inspiration from ship lanterns, inevitably evoking thoughts of: "Maple leaves on the river glow with fishermen’s lights, as sorrowful sleep comes hard; midnight bells reach the guest boat from afar." The glimmers from fishing boats mirror the emotions of travelers in a foreign land.

To ensure every guest enjoys quality sleep, after the fluorescent lights turn off at 10:30 PM, the wall lamps automatically illuminate.

In addition to prioritizing accommodation quality, Dongmen No. 3 Capsule Inn also places great emphasis on safety. The stairwells are equipped with fireproof doors, and the partitions meet fire safety regulations, providing one hour of fire resistance. Rigorous fire safety inspections ensure greater protection for guests' lives.

Capsules for Women on the Third Floor

Regardless of room type, disinfected slippers are provided at the entrance. Authentic Taiwanese style—“red-blue-white slippers”!

The women’s capsules are a soft apple green.

Family Room for Four on the Fourth Floor

The foyer has tables and chairs where guests can eat or socialize.

There are two family rooms on the fourth floor.

They are divided into two sets of bunk beds, totaling four beds. Groups of four travelers can stay together in a family room.

Each floor has shared bathrooms that are regularly cleaned by staff and are quite clean.

The bathrooms are divided into two shower stalls and two toilets.

Nini noticed that all bathrooms have eco-friendly energy-saving labels—it’s truly commendable to contribute to Taiwan’s environment in this way.

One particularly thoughtful feature is the dry-wet separation in the shower stalls. Many capsule hotel shared bathrooms lack this, so clothes hanging on the wall often get just as wet as you do. The storage options are also considerate, with plenty of hooks and baskets for your belongings.

The bathrooms provide basic toiletries, and the showerheads have strong water pressure with sufficiently hot water. This is important—Nini hates weak, lukewarm, or inconsistent water during showers.

After a long, exhausting day of travel, you can unwind in the lounge in the evening with a cup of coffee. Enjoy the slow pace and open spaces of your journey.

Dongmen, as the name suggests, refers to the eastern city gate—Jingfu Gate. So, a depiction of Jingfu Gate is painted at the entrance of the lounge as a symbol. Nini thinks this idea is very creative and helps foreign guests learn about the local history and culture.

I also love this wall—it’s incredibly well-made. They even included the Central Mountain Range. Nini saw on the website that many foreign guests enthusiastically take photos while placing flags. So, wherever you see flags, they mark the commemorative spots of travelers from around the world.

The lounge includes an accessible restroom.

The inn provides facilities such as a water dispenser, microwave, oven, rice cooker, refrigerator, and coin-operated washing machine. Craving instant noodles or a late-night snack? No problem. There are also games available for borrowing.

Besides the exciting Jenga blocks, the pie-smashing machine and Buddha head are also adorable, right? The owner said they wanted to let foreigners experience Taiwanese culture, which is why they prepared the Buddha head. It’s both humorous and thoughtful. If I were in Venice, I’d be thrilled if the hotel offered Venetian masks for photos too.

There’s a café on the first floor, so naturally, I had to grab a coffee. Sip and play, enjoying the comfort of travel.

Three friends and I ordered a mocha, matcha, and Kenyan AA.

There’s also a graffiti notebook—it’s so fun. You can write “I was here.” When you open it, there are lots of messages from other travelers.

A foreign friend once sang casually right there—how romantic a night.

How long has it been since you took an impromptu light trip? Want to try backpacking? Even on a budget, you can set off right away and easily check into Dongmen No. 3 Capsule Inn. Who knows, you might even make foreign friends.

Dongmen No. 3 Capsule Inn
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Address: No. 110, Section 2, Xinyi Road, Da’an District, Taipei City (Exit 3, Dongmen MRT Station)
Phone: 02-23583299
Business Hours: 9:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Check room rates/book a room:Please click me
Check discounted room rates:Booking.com
(The above information is based on the time of visit. We recommend checking the official website of the establishment for the latest updates before your visit.)

Nini loves food & travel.
Has visited 21 countries so far, enjoys both independent and group travel—any kind of trip is welcome.
Loves to share, and welcomes everyone who loves food and fun.
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