Beijing Sihe Yuan Courtyard Hotel

Being new to Beijing, the hutong surprised me as I wasn’t expecting walking through a neighborhood that resembled an alleyway, but I quickly learned it was a bustling neighborhood community. This hideaway little hotel was very lovely, had a beautiful courtyard, and a very comfortable room. I visited solo and the staff were very helpful to me, even if we needed to use a translation software to communicate (my Chinese is TERRIBLE and they were very kind). I really enjoyed the breakfasts of traditional chinese food, with a few euro/american things thrown in there. But I preferred to have the Chinese food because I can get toast anywhere. It was also lovely meeting some of the fellow guests, and hilariously discovered that one of the guests (German) and I (American) had a colleague in common (American). I love places like this because it gives the opportunity to be more in local culture, and also meet people from around the globe. If you’re looking for a regular “hotel”, go to one of the extra expensive places where none of the other guests converse and the only people to talk to are the attendants. Five stars to this lovely hotel. I am happily recommending this place to a friend.

We enjoyed our stay. It was basic but comfortable. The staff were pleasant but we barely spent any time hanging out at the hostel/hotel. It’s location near Xisi train station was awesome and we found some great cheap local places to eat. The subway is brilliant and easy to navigate and the fact we could go everywhere for 4-5 yuan was amazing. Would recommend it to the adventurous not people looking for massive comfort. In saying that we slept well and found the bedrooms were purpose fit.

I see a lot of reviews that seem to think this place should be like a Hilton, but... I think they're missing the point. This is a traditional siheyuan that has been (barely) converted. There are basically no amenities outside of a simple breakfast. It's at the end of a very long alleyway that your cab driver will probably refuse to drive down, and your room is probably best described as "authentic". But wow, what an incredible experience it was. As you walk down the hutong, the sounds of the city all but disappear, and walking through the door of the siheyuan is like entering a perfect, beautiful cloister. The rooms are appointed in antique furniture and embroidered silk, the courtyard is decorated with red lanterns. If you're a business traveler or someone who wants a lot of comfort, skip it. But if you're looking for a legitimately authentic slice of what Beijing life used to be like, this is absolutely worth it.