BEIJING SIHEJU COURTYARD HOTEL — Hotel in Beijing

I don't know how to rate this property as the male receptionists were so friendly, helpful and welcoming but the hotel itself is not a hotel, it's a hostel. If they marketed itself as a hostel, then I would have no problems with the dirt, bugs and smelly toilets. ||||Pro's /Advantages: ||||-located right across the road to the train station, a fruit shop and a 7/11 store||-it is an authentic old home, over 100 years old||-male receptionists all very friendly with ok English skills||-nice courtyard space||-simple breakfast offered||-cute decorations||||Now, the cons/ disadvantages:||||-very hard to find and the area a bit sketchy for newcomers, especially at night as dark||-it is an old home so it is OLD so the rooms are very dark||-friendly reception guys but their lack of English skills show up when you have a problem (as we did) ||-courtyard is dirty and packed to the rafters with junk. It's used as a storage area and it's very hard to get around and would be problematic for elderly people||-breakfast offered but it was strictly between 7-8am only and very minimal (plain congee and veggie bao which we balked out when a few flies hovered over the food. For Westerners you get two slices of white bread/toasted with half a teaspoon of jam spread on in for good measure and juice. Coffee is an extra charge) On top of this, the Dragon-lady owner hovers around you whilst you're trying to eat. ||-there are loads of clutter and decorations around (from Chinese New Year but that was in Feb). Hence, there is dust everywhere. ||-the Dragon-lady owner only turns on the air con in the breakfast area/lobby if she feels it's getting hot so it's very stuffy in the dark,little room||-the family room is not safe for little kids as the 2 single beds are in the attic. Not only is it stuffy up in the attic, the stairs are too steep for toddlers or elderly to navigate. ||-the attic also has a window which is covered by a thin sheet so the sun streams in at 5.30am when the sun comes up||-the air con works but it is turned off during the day whilst your out sightseeing. This results in you returning to a boiling room||- there are mosquitoes everywhere||-we found bugs in our bed (dont' think they were bed bugs, just regular bugs)||-the toilet and shower were in the same room. I know this is common but there was no shower screen or plastic screen to stop the water from going all over the toilet||-the toilets were smelly so we turned on the fan all night. The communal toilets were putrid and smelt of urine ||-the whole place was dirty and needed a huge wash||-housekeeping is a farce - they don't do anything except to turn off your air con and empty your bin. No new towels offered.||-the towels were stained, yellowing and smelt of cigarette smoke. We had to ask for new ones but they weren't any better. ||-the Dragon-lady owner tried to push us to purchase a tour to the Great Wall through her contacts (commission-based obviously)||-there is not so-called tour desk. The Dragon-lady owner is the tour desk and she doesn't speak much English and only offers one tour||-Beds were rock hard (but this is common in Asia so I can't complain about this one)||-there isn't much sound proofing so don't expect a good nights sleep||-the family room was soooo small that we couldn't really move around and it really affected our stay and experience in Beijing. Actually , I think it really ruined it.||||Please read all the reviews here. I have tried to remain objective in my review but I really can't recommend this place unless you're a backpacker , on a budget and need somewhere close to city and the sites. Even then, I think for US$150 per night you can find something much much better. Sorry Siheju, you really should read your reviews and clean up your act (no...

I don't know how to rate this property as the male receptionists were so friendly, helpful and welcoming but the hotel itself is not a hotel, it's a hostel. If they marketed itself as a hostel, then I would have no problems with the dirt, bugs and smelly toilets. ||||Pro's /Advantages: ||||-located right across the road to the train station, a fruit shop and a 7/11 store||-it is an authentic old home, over 100 years old||-male receptionists all very friendly with ok English skills||-nice courtyard space||-simple breakfast offered||-cute decorations||||Now, the cons/ disadvantages:||||-very hard to find and the area a bit sketchy for newcomers, especially at night as dark||-it is an old home so it is OLD so the rooms are very dark||-friendly reception guys but their lack of English skills show up when you have a problem (as we did) ||-courtyard is dirty and packed to the rafters with junk. It's used as a storage area and it's very hard to get around and would be problematic for elderly people||-breakfast offered but it was strictly between 7-8am only and very minimal (plain congee and veggie bao which we balked out when a few flies hovered over the food. For Westerners you get two slices of white bread/toasted with half a teaspoon of jam spread on in for good measure and juice. Coffee is an extra charge) On top of this, the Dragon-lady owner hovers around you whilst you're trying to eat. ||-there are loads of clutter and decorations around (from Chinese New Year but that was in Feb). Hence, there is dust everywhere. ||-the Dragon-lady owner only turns on the air con in the breakfast area/lobby if she feels it's getting hot so it's very stuffy in the dark,little room||-the family room is not safe for little kids as the 2 single beds are in the attic. Not only is it stuffy up in the attic, the stairs are too steep for toddlers or elderly to navigate. ||-the attic also has a window which is covered by a thin sheet so the sun streams in at 5.30am when the sun comes up||-the air con works but it is turned off during the day whilst your out sightseeing. This results in you returning to a boiling room||- there are mosquitoes everywhere||-we found bugs in our bed (dont' think they were bed bugs, just regular bugs)||-the toilet and shower were in the same room. I know this is common but there was no shower screen or plastic screen to stop the water from going all over the toilet||-the toilets were smelly so we turned on the fan all night. The communal toilets were putrid and smelt of urine ||-the whole place was dirty and needed a huge wash||-housekeeping is a farce - they don't do anything except to turn off your air con and empty your bin. No new towels offered.||-the towels were stained, yellowing and smelt of cigarette smoke. We had to ask for new ones but they weren't any better. ||-the Dragon-lady owner tried to push us to purchase a tour to the Great Wall through her contacts (commission-based obviously)||-there is not so-called tour desk. The Dragon-lady owner is the tour desk and she doesn't speak much English and only offers one tour||-Beds were rock hard (but this is common in Asia so I can't complain about this one)||-there isn't much sound proofing so don't expect a good nights sleep||-the family room was soooo small that we couldn't really move around and it really affected our stay and experience in Beijing. Actually , I think it really ruined it.||||Please read all the reviews here. I have tried to remain objective in my review but I really can't recommend this place unless you're a backpacker , on a budget and need somewhere close to city and the sites. Even then, I think for US$150 per night you can find something much much better. Sorry Siheju, you really should read your reviews and clean up your act (no...

Excellent experience. Located in a converted Hutong, this place is a mix of a hostel, a hotel and home. The location is fantastic. Xisi subway station almost outside your door. Lots of food and restaurant options, plus a supermarket nearby.||Hotel staff were lovely. When I told them I’d lost my passport, and asked if I could stay additional nights, they upgraded me to a nicer room at no extra charge. Keep in mind that the bathrooms are “wet style”, which means the whole bathroom is going to get wet when you shower, so don’t forget to remove the toilet paper first. It’s annoying yes, but pretty common in China.||I stayed here in winter. The rooms were not quite as warm as more modern hotels, and housekeeping was not as efficient. There were a few tiny bits of mound here and there in the corners. Overall though, the place is clean, if a little dusty in the the hard to reach places. Keep in mind you’re staying in a hundred year old building. Don’t come here with unrealistic expectations. It’s not modern, five star accommodation, but’s it’s really lovely. This place was not built as a hotel, it was build as a home, and you can feel that when you stay here. ||This Hutong area is not in the touristy hotspot near the Forbidden city, which is a good thing because it’s nicer and much more affordable and there are real locals living all around you. And it’s still super close to everything you’ll need.||If you‘re keen for a piece of history, and a comfortable place to stay, near the subway, with LOADS of character, I highly...