When you stay in Beijing, you can either stay in a large, somewhat characterless hotel, or you can choose to stay in a more boutique offering. The Orchid is a slightly funky boutique hotel located within a hutong. You get a different sense of the city staying in a residential area with all the sights, smells, and sounds of local life.

We bracketed our trip to China at the Orchid, staying in two different rooms. The first was a large room with two separate sleeping areas, with a kitchenette and projection movie screen. The second room was a more basic Courtyard Room, though it had a small outdoor seating area, behind a beautiful antique Chinese door, outfitted with a classic brass Chinese lock. Definitely the most unique room key I have ever had. Both rooms had a modern Chinese look. Beds were comfortable and bathrooms adequate.

There are two standout things about the Orchid, the friendliness of the staff and the choices for breakfast. We interacted primarily with Lisa, who helped orient us to the technological mystery of visiting China. She helped us book Didi's, and made other recommendations that improved our stay.

For breakfast, you have two choices, either the Mediterranean restaurant Toast, or a Chinese breakfast at Furongji. We tried both, but I tip my hand to Furongji. So nice to get a good cup of coffee and very good Chinese food. We sampled both there excellent Congee, dumplings, steamed buns, and youtiao and soup with shrimp wontons. Everything we tried was great.