Across Asia, many cities are competing to stand out. Taipei has taken a different path, one where culture, creativity, and character continue to attract visitors from around the world — and give them reasons to return.
“People may arrive because of technology,” says Robbert Manussen, Area General Manager Luxury & Lifestyle, Taiwan at IHG Hotels & Resorts. “What they discover is the culture, the food, the neighborhoods, and the authenticity of the city. Taipei isn’t a city that’s trying to become something else.”
InterContinental Taipei is making its debut with that same philosophy in mind, centered around the Taipei Dome in Xinyi District. The goal isn’t to open another luxury hotel. It’s to create a place that reflects the city around it and becomes part of Taipei’s next chapter. The hotel’s vision is simple, but clearly intentional: “In Taipei, for Taipei.”
“We want to contribute to the area rather than simply operate within it,” says Manussen. “If we can achieve that, then we’ve created something meaningful for both the city and the people who visit it.”
For decades, the Taipei Dome was discussed more as an idea than a destination. Today, that is beginning to change. Concerts, sporting events, exhibitions, conferences, and cultural activities are bringing new energy to the district, and more than 100 event dates per year.
“This is a defining moment for Taipei,” Manussen says. For him, the Dome isn’t just a new venue. It’s a sign of a city that’s growing more confident in what it has to offer.
InterContinental Taipei is being built directly alongside the Dome. For Manussen, one of the location’s greatest strengths is the mix of people the district is beginning to attract. Concertgoers, business travelers, residents, entrepreneurs, artists, and visitors now pass through the same neighborhood, often for entirely different reasons.
Hiring locally, partnering locally, and drawing on local expertise have all been priorities during development. Beyond that, restaurants, bars, public spaces, and events have been planned with the expectation that the hotel will become part of city life rather than stand apart from it. The property will be home to nine restaurants and bars. Internationally renowned chefs like Akira Back are part of the lineup, with each venue bringing its own style and identity.
Guests arrive in Taipei for different reasons, whether for a concert at the Dome, a trade show, a business meeting, or a first visit to the city. Service remains hospitality’s defining pillar, Manussen says, but delivering it means spending more time understanding people and less time on simple but time-consuming tasks. Technology, he believes, could support that goal rather than replace the human side of hospitality.
“If technology removes repetitive work, our teams can spend more time with guests,” he says. “That’s where the value is.”
Artificial intelligence, training tools, and operational systems are being incorporated throughout the project to support guest interaction, employee training, and day-to-day operations.
Workflow design, staff training, and room layouts have all been revisited through the lens of making day-to-day work easier. Manussen points to innovations that many guests will never notice, including beds that can be moved more easily during housekeeping and operational improvements designed to reduce physical strain on staff.
“Innovation isn’t always something guests see,” he says. “Sometimes it’s making somebody’s job easier. Sometimes it’s helping someone get home on time.”
For Manussen, that’s part of what modern luxury looks like understanding individual needs, whether they’re those of guests or the people who serve them.
Visitor numbers and occupancy rates matter, but they are not what will define the project. The larger ambition is to create a hotel that Taipei is proud to call its own.
