OK back from another TW business trip and this time staying at Fullon Hotel Taoyuan Airport MRT A8.
After staying there, I'm beginning to understand Guishan/Linkou better. The economy of this area is centred around Chang Gung Memorial Hospital. The pediatrics department here is well known and thousands of people walk through this hospital.
As a result, this place is the closest you can get to Taipei without staying at Taipei itself. It is also pretty busy but not to the manic business of Taipei.
Over here, you find the Mitsui Outlet Mall at Linkou as I have mentioned before. There are 2 McD's here, a KFC and 2 Starbucks outlets within walking distance to each other. The economy is really centred around the hospital.
It is also the only express stop after the airport before TMS. So it is that important. It is like Jurong East Interchange. The A8 hotel here is good but if you want cheaper, there is the Fullon Hotel at Linkou which is at A9 but it is not an express stop. So to get here fast, take the express to A8 and ride the non-express back to A9 and walk about 900m to the Linkou hotel.
At the A9 station, it is connected to another Global Mall. Same owner as the Global Mall at A8. Not as happening as A8 but the tenants there are just as good.