Hill Lily Courtyard — Attraction in Beijing

We stayed at the Hill Lily for 5 nights during our recent trip to China. This was by far the worst place we have stayed in during extensive travel through Asia. On arrival we were offered to upgrade to their largest room and we would pay the difference. After declining the offer they then offered us one night in the larger room for free. The large room was good, space on both sides of the bed, sitting area and large bathroom, however does need some maintenance eg new paint, repair plaster, wall paper and wood work. The next night we were put into the room that we booked, which was tiny. These rooms are really only suitable for one person as the bed is pressed right up next to the radiator heater so you can only enter the bed from one side. There was no clothes storage and no room for luggage so my husband and I had to take turns getting our clothes out of our suitcases every day, after moving them around so we could get to the bathroom, exit the room etc. There doesn't appear to have been any maintenance on the property for a very long time. The wall paper was peeling off of all the walls and the exposed plaster behind was showing signs of significant water damage. Our tiny room was underneath the bathroom of the larger room upstairs and you could hear the water from the toilet running down pipes in the wall, which just happened to be right besides my head when laying on the bed. Not a nice scenario when trying to go to sleep. ||Housekeeping was minimal while we were there. Staff did not wash the coffee cups or appear to have cleaned the floors properly, other than maybe a cursory sweep. On the last night we were only left one hand towel and one bath towel for 2 people. As it was difficult to find someone to arrange another we made do. On check out we were questioned about where the 2nd towel and hand towel were, like we had taken them. After explaining that we had to make do with only the one between us, there was no apology for the inconvenience etc, They were just happy we hadn't taken them (no one would even consider taking them, they were so old and grey).||The western breakfast was minimal with only one fried egg, a piece of toast, cookies and some extremely sweet juice. If we were lucky there would be coffee brewing, however we mainly had coffee in our room while getting ready (take your own supplies though and wash your cups). We tried the asian breakfast which seemed more substantial however after not being able to eat the "porridge" we went back to the western.||There are a few redeeming qualities. The location is great, close to Tiananmen square, Forbidden city, subway, restaurants etc. You also experience the daily life of the locals that live in the Hutong. As others have mentioned it is difficult to find at first. We thought our taxi driver was going to cry because he couldn't find it. Of all the staff only Paul had good English skills and he was a great help during our stay, even acting as our driver/guide for a trip to the Great Wall at Mutianyu. Paul is a valuable asset to this hotel and really is the only reason I am giving this place a poor rating instead of a terrible one. Do think twice about staying here. If you do decide to stay, make sure you book the...

We stayed at the Hill Lily for 5 nights during our recent trip to China. This was by far the worst place we have stayed in during extensive travel through Asia. On arrival we were offered to upgrade to their largest room and we would pay the difference. After declining the offer they then offered us one night in the larger room for free. The large room was good, space on both sides of the bed, sitting area and large bathroom, however does need some maintenance eg new paint, repair plaster, wall paper and wood work. The next night we were put into the room that we booked, which was tiny. These rooms are really only suitable for one person as the bed is pressed right up next to the radiator heater so you can only enter the bed from one side. There was no clothes storage and no room for luggage so my husband and I had to take turns getting our clothes out of our suitcases every day, after moving them around so we could get to the bathroom, exit the room etc. There doesn't appear to have been any maintenance on the property for a very long time. The wall paper was peeling off of all the walls and the exposed plaster behind was showing signs of significant water damage. Our tiny room was underneath the bathroom of the larger room upstairs and you could hear the water from the toilet running down pipes in the wall, which just happened to be right besides my head when laying on the bed. Not a nice scenario when trying to go to sleep. ||Housekeeping was minimal while we were there. Staff did not wash the coffee cups or appear to have cleaned the floors properly, other than maybe a cursory sweep. On the last night we were only left one hand towel and one bath towel for 2 people. As it was difficult to find someone to arrange another we made do. On check out we were questioned about where the 2nd towel and hand towel were, like we had taken them. After explaining that we had to make do with only the one between us, there was no apology for the inconvenience etc, They were just happy we hadn't taken them (no one would even consider taking them, they were so old and grey).||The western breakfast was minimal with only one fried egg, a piece of toast, cookies and some extremely sweet juice. If we were lucky there would be coffee brewing, however we mainly had coffee in our room while getting ready (take your own supplies though and wash your cups). We tried the asian breakfast which seemed more substantial however after not being able to eat the "porridge" we went back to the western.||There are a few redeeming qualities. The location is great, close to Tiananmen square, Forbidden city, subway, restaurants etc. You also experience the daily life of the locals that live in the Hutong. As others have mentioned it is difficult to find at first. We thought our taxi driver was going to cry because he couldn't find it. Of all the staff only Paul had good English skills and he was a great help during our stay, even acting as our driver/guide for a trip to the Great Wall at Mutianyu. Paul is a valuable asset to this hotel and really is the only reason I am giving this place a poor rating instead of a terrible one. Do think twice about staying here. If you do decide to stay, make sure you book the...

There is no better way to learn about the Hutong people and live like a real Beijinger than to stay in the Hutong! Everyday I was walking amongst real Beijingers, buying boazi fresh from the steamer in the morning, shopping at the neighborhood grocery, and eating with the locals at dinner.||||This hotel is really, really nice for being in the hutong. It is like staying at a bohemian, boutique style B&B. One staff member spoke pretty good english, the other staff not so much. But they did have laundry service, a bike you can rent, and connections for tours around the city and to the Great Wall. It felt very safe and the front door of the hotel was always locked, and the front desk person was always there to open the door, even late at night.||||The hutong is very safe, I always felt safe every where in Beijing for that matter.||||This place is a 10 minute walk to Tienamen and Qianmen, 15 to 20 to forbidden city. 5 minutes to the Hepingmen metro stop. It is a great location. Lots of restaurants all around filled with locals. Over the week I stayed, I don't think I encountered another western person while I was in the neighborhood getting dinner, shopping for groceries, etc. ||||The other guests at the hotel were a mix of chinese, american, and european travelers.||||If you want a western style full service hotel, with english speaking staff, within nice and tidy environs, this place is not for you! Yes, hutong men sometimes sit around shirtless (hey the weather is hot!), women are chilling on a stool having a beer, folks are slurping noodles, little kids pee in the storm drain. ||||Some of the things you will see in the neighborhood will surprise/shock a western person. But maybe we need to ask ourselves what makes us right and them wrong? If you want to dive into the full experience, live like the locals, and be part of the neighborhood, this is an...