“Not that bad”

language was the major concern , there was noone at the property who can speak english. otherwise rooms were ok if we compared to tariff. but i think they should employ people who can understand english.

“Will return BUT”

The hotel itself was very pleasant, and the room well appointed and comfortable. There is no restaurant, and it would have been easy for the hotel to have someone assist at breakfast.; but they did not. The TV supplied only received Chinese language channels. My major complaint is that there was on… Plus

The hotel itself was very pleasant, and the room well appointed and comfortable. There is no restaurant, and it would have been easy for the hotel to have someone assist at breakfast.; but they did not. The TV supplied only received Chinese language channels. My major complaint is that there was only one person who understood any meaningful amount of English and he was rarely present. No one could assist with directions, and they had no information or link with any agency providing tours. They didn't even have anyone they could telephone that spoke English either.!A very poor show that reflected no credit on the hotel. The position of the hotel by a lake and close to the Hutongs was first class, and the Forbidden City only a £1 or 10 Yuan ride away. Nonetheless, I am sure they will overcome the language problem, and if they hold their prices, I would be happy to recommend it.

Moins

“New hotel, good value, lovely location in Beijing”

This hotel was build sometime in the Summer of 2008 and hence the rooms and furniture etc are all in great condition. I stayed during China's low season, and that coupled with the hotel being new and little known meant it was virtually empty. I initially booked via Agoda for two nights and then g… Plus

This hotel was build sometime in the Summer of 2008 and hence the rooms and furniture etc are all in great condition. I stayed during China's low season, and that coupled with the hotel being new and little known meant it was virtually empty. I initially booked via Agoda for two nights and then got a deal directly at the hotel for the rest of the week. I recommend dealing directly for the cheapest rates while they're still so quiet. I paid 308y a night for a standard room. Tip: the standard and deluxe rooms are the same apart from the size. For a single traveller the standard was perfectly adequate. For two people it'll probably also be fine unless you like lounging around in your room. In which case, even the deluxe is probably not big enough. The location, for me, was fantastic. It's the only hotel, so far, on Houhai (a lake NW of the centre), and you can potentially see the lake from the room window. I've spent quite a bit of time in Beijing previously so know my way around, and this is my favourite area for staying, and also for eating and drinking. However, if you're in Beijing on business then this is the wrong side of town. The hotel is on the east bank of Houhai and you can get to it by walking along the lakeside or cutting through a (real and interesting) hutong. I walked from the nearest metro stop, but you're better off taking a bus/train from the airport and then getting a taxi unless you're comfortable with finding your way and dealing with the public transport. For those who are, the 635 bus will take you there, from Dongzhimen, for 1y (or 0.4y with a travelcard!). The rates generally include breakfast but I wasn't at all impressed. They have a fantastic espresso/cappuccino machine (which you can use all day) and fresh fruit juice, but apart from that I recommend grabbing something to eat elsewhere. The staff try hard, and do speak enough English, but they're inexperienced so don't ask for anything if you're in a hurry! Although marketed as 4-star, and the rooms do live up to this (the bathrooms are great), there are no ameneties such as gym, pool, restaurant, room service etc. For me, especially in Beijing, this suits me perfectly. I'd rather not pay for things I'll never use. In summary: if you want to stay around Houhai then this place, at the moment, is fantastic value for money for a very comfortable hotel; about the same price as nearby hostels.

Moins