Beijing Hutong Culture Inn - Beijing

My boyfriend and I stayed here for five days. 1. their location on the map is wrong on hotels.com so we got dropped off at completely different location with our big luggages. 2. We paid extra money for a king bed and city view on hotels.com. When we arrived they gave us a room with no window and two twin beds and we went down to ask at the front desk […] and they said they don't have any other rooms with king bed and showed us other rooms with worse condition. The staffs were not very understanding the situation and they spoke very limited english. We had to argue with them for almost an hour. 3. The rooms were not clean and the bed is very bad quality that you can feel the bed spring. 4. Their main heating system is plug in radiators and that thing broke in the middle of the night. It was painfully cold at night in November. 5. Hot water is unrelaible, the temperature goes on and off and it once completely stopped int he middle of the shower. We had really really bad experience. I wish I paid little more and went to a better place. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

I enjoyed this hotel, but my room smelled pretty dusky. As people wrote on trip advisor, it is difficult for taxi drivers to find and impossible for anyone to find on their own, but once you find it, the atmosphere is very, very interesting! While I never felt unsafe, this type of environment can look very scary when arriving after dark and I am glad […] I didn't let me taxi driver let me out on Drum Tower Street like he tried to! I'd have never found it, or dared to walk past the Super8 in the dark! I'm glad I found it, though! It was a multinational-type hostel. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Everything was broken down. Charged me for food and water I didn't eat. Very un-willing to attempt to communicate in anything but the perfect Mandarin.

Genuine Expedia guest review

I loved our stay at the inn. The room is a little small but manageable. The tv is a bit old- but you can get that at home. If not, what a great tv! right? The beds seemed a little hard. But I slept wonderfully. Maybe I need a harder bed at home. The shower is hot. The toilette is fine, sink is fine...look, you're on vacation probably. Are you really […] going to spend all your time in the inn? I hope not. For the little price we got a nice private room, not too noisy, nice and clean, pleasant people and atmosphere- and very safe! We left the laptop, camera, cash- everything was respected. Even if you hear a little noise and are bothered- you aren't playing hard enough on vacation. Wear yourself out more. Before you go- get Great directions. The front of the inn is down an alley. You definitely can NOT see it from any main road. Even from the main alley road, you go down a side alley. Then turn. If you arrive during the day, you might see a large sign (Hutong Inn). When you know where it already is, the signs are obvious. There is a Chinese/Language School. Easy to find. They teach English too. Actually, they are developing curriculum for small classes to teach foreigners about Beijing life- how to take the bus and subway, how to barter, how to order food and special accommodations (vegetarian? fork?), tips and advice for pleasant traveling, how not to get scammed etc. Follow the signs to the language school. They can easily tell you where to go. They also have excellent tea. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Front desk was helpful with the information they knew; however, they did not seem knowledgable with some vital information; for example, the desk did not have a map of Beijing to sell and could not inform us on where to obtain one.

Genuine Expedia guest review

The hotel is clean but it locates close to smelly public toilet, at the narrow road far from main road and difficult to find. No taxi will go to the hotel. We were got out from the taxi on the main road in the midnight, luckily there was someone who can speak english helping us to another hutong inn hotel in that location and they helped us to call […] the hotel. Good point, the hotel picked us up with a ricksaw for free from that hotel. There are plenty muslim restaurants nearby with tasteful food better and cheaper than the food in Wangfujing area. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

This is a high-quality goods Courtyard! This hotel has a history of years Was once a private residence of an elite Beijingnese family dating back to 1911 when Dr. Sun Yat Sen first founded The People Republic of China (PRC). Hotel service is very characteristics， The hotel's breakfast points both Chinese and western, Chinese style is old Beijing characteristics […] snacks is given priority to, suggest you choose, and see that is made of very attentively！ Hotel has a ticket, convenient and quick, also save money！ The hotel distance tiananmen square only five minutes on foot，Very convenient The hotel room decorate a style more chic, sweet！ Advice to Beijing friends choose this hotel！ Hotel receptionist English 24 hours service is really convenient Next time you go to Beijing will also choose Elite Hutong Courtyard！ Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Location is great and hotel staff were very friendly. If arriving at night, bring a map printout and the hostel phone number because taxis can't go all the way to the hostel. There are signs to the hostel on either side of the hutong but they're hard to see at night if you're coming here for the first time.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Perfect!!! If you are Prissy Paul or Paula you may be a little disappointed, but I like at least average accommodations and this hotel exceeded them. For the price, you cannot beat this location. You experience Beijing and China in general from the inside out. You can walk to all the important sites except the great wall from the hotel if you are an […] avid walker. It is 3 miles to the Tian'amman Square but you pass the Bell and Drum Towers, Jingshan Park, the Forbidden City, and Beihai Park on the way. Must pay the whopping 2 Yuan to enter Jingshan Park; the views are Incredible!!!! Also the views from Beihai Park are breath-taking. If you have a group and can hire your own taxi to the Great Wall, you will be soooo pleased. When an official tour guide takes you to the wall, they are required by law to take you to a number of high-pressure tourist sales spots also. You may like the silk factory, the pearl factory, the "free" foot massage, the pottery factory, etc, but they are Totally all out for the sale. The hotel is about a mile from the nearest subway; the subway system is soooo easy to use. Press English, if so desired, press number of tickets on the left, and insert your money. It is 2 yuan regardless of where you are going and how many times you transfer. Easiest system that I ever used and I've used many. I Reccommend getting a subway map and putting an x everywhere you want to go and GO! Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

We had to find a hotel in Beijing for just one night, and the Beijing Hutong Culture Inn & Hostel had a good rate. Beware, it's pretty hard to find unless you know the name of the Hutong and which turn to take. They did hang signs around the hutong, though, so keep your eyes open for those. Many cab drivers said they didn't know where it was, so maybe […] learn the nearest large intersection for them to drop you. We booked a room with a double bed, but got one with 2 singles. We didn't make a big deal though, as it was just for one night. One very strange part of the room was the bathroom- only enclosed by glass. It didn't offer much privacy, but you could pull a curtain, so no one could see you using the bathroom or showering. Overall it was a good place to stay, and staff was helpful. We were hoping the bar might have a few more people hanging out, but it may have just been a quiet night. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Location is good: close to Drum Tower, Hou Hai, Lama Temple. Location is also a bit of a challenge: the alley is a bit hard to find, and the surrounding neighbourhood is rather run-down. Room was good size, comfortable bed with clean sheets, good size bathroom (though need to move toilet paper away from shower spray). Helpful staff.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Ask for Wallace at the front desk. He tries hard to provide extra service!

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

This is a great affordable little hostel in the hutongs. You might want to bring a map or at least the number to the hotel as it is difficult to find and both taxis and rickshaws didn't know it. But all in all, everything you could ask from a hostel. Clean room, clean bathroom, arranged my Great Wall trip with them it was fantastic. If you want to do […] the city tour, you would be better off trying to get a group of 2-3 people and just hire a card for the day. Staff was exceptionally nice and helpful. A great inexpensive place to stay in Beijing! Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

I'd recommend this place to anyone who's a budget traveler and interested in staying in the hutongs - where you really get to experience the life and culture of old Beijing. The rooms are simple but have everything you need - kettle, towels, cleaned daily, relatively spacious, not too noisy, etc. Very nice rooftop bar. Close to restaurants, drum and […] bell towers, Lama temple, Andingmen subway. Friendly staff. Only two complaints would be a slightly smelly bathroom and a not so comfortable bed, but those are just minor complaints as everything else was great. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

It was a challenge to find this place (recommend you post a 'cut and paste' for directions to the hotel in Chinese to hand a taxi driver!) but it was oh so rewarding. If you want to experience CHINA and NOT the sanitized, Americanized, insulated from reality that people pay more to get, then stay here at the Beijing Hutong Inn. The Staff is top-notch, […] they're the nicest people in the business. The rooms are very comfortable and clean. We felt completely safe there and when we go back to Beijing, we'll certainly stay there again. Thanks for a great experience, guys. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Loved the neighborhood the hostel is situated in, but it was a little difficult to find since the taxi will drop you off on the main street. The hostel was cute and the staff were extremely friendly and helpful. The front desk spoke impressive English. The only thing that was lacking was the wifi. We were getting wifi signals from the bar upstairs […] but it was pretty slow and unreliable. My sisters stayed on the floor below us and was able to link onto some free tp-link wifi, but that was also slow. Our rooms were cleaned daily the 3 days we were there. The neighborhood was quiet and old school China style, which we thought was nice at the end of the day, after touring around modern Beijing. After checking out and flying out of Beijing to Xiamen, I realized that I had left my brand new bag in my hotel room. I called up the hostel and they offered to mail the bag to me! I was a little skeptical, but in a few days, my bag arrived! I was very impressed. I would definitely go back here to Beijing Cultural and Inn - location superb and close to many of the attractions, great helpful staff, clean rooms (and SOFT beds!), and when we left, we had alot of luggage - they had their guy put their all our bags in one of those rickshaw bikes and pedaled it all the way out to the street for us, where a cab was waiting for us. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

The room wasn't cleaned for three days. I didn't have hot water or TV for two days. The staff were very embarrassed about this. Rather than loosing face over the whole issue, they bent over backwards to fix the problem. Ultimately, I am vary satisfied with the efforts they went to in fixing the siuation. The staff are fantastic. The location is idyllic, […] and the access to all the sights around Beijing couldn't be easier. I'll stay here again. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

I went to Beijing knowing that it would be frigid in December.  I was prepared to deal with this, and brought the appropriate outdoor clothing.  When I stay in a hotel/motel/inn/hostel I expect a certain level of comfort.  While the room was clean and the bed was comfortable, they did not turn the heat on during the day.  We would come back from a day […] of touring the city and just wanted a warm room to come back to after being in the cold.  We were shivering and miserable until about 6:30pm every evening when it would finally warm up (a little).  I realize that the hutong's are old and do not have good central heating, but the heater did not even do much to warm up the room. The water in our toilet actually froze a little during one day. We finally had to ask for another comforter and slept with layers of clothing and two duvets. The staff at the front desk were friendly and spoke English, but they did not have appropriate maps of Beijing or the area.  If you stay here make sure you have the location mapped out exactly as it could be extremely hard to find if you try to trek out from the subway on your own. The bar area advertised various drink specials and what not.  On New Year's Eve we went to the bar to enjoy the advertised "Mojito Special" but the staff looked at as if they did not even know what a mojito was. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

This hotel is great value for your money. I stayed for 9 nights. It's like a hotel/hostel and there were guests of all ages staying there. It's cool to stay right in a hutong..I probably would never have ventured into one otherwise. Make sure you have the address and phone number to give to taxi drivers especially from the airport .The hotel is about […] a 10 min walk from a subway station, so it's convenient to sightsee. Also close to the drum and bell towers and Nanluogo xiang hutong. The hutongs can be confusing, but by the second day I had adapted. The only complaint about the room is the bed was really hard and the bathroom is totally glass..mine had a curtain but my friend had a glass door and no curtain..not great for privacy but it was fine because I was alone. The staff was great and most spoke limited English but it wasn't a problem. The hotel bar is a great place to meet fellow travelers; they have drink specials on the weekends. There is also a desk to book tours; I used it for a great wall tour and a peking opera night. But if you're used to luxury hotels, this isn't the place for you. It has alot of character though, and I felt I got to experience more of everyday life amongst the residents of the hutong rather than just being a tourist Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Hotel is nice, located in a hutong quite close to Andingmen subway station (less than 10 blocks). Front desk people speak acceptable English, so it is easy to communicate. Neither the room nor the hotel were impressive at all, but we spent 10 days visiting Beijing and went to the hotel only to sleep, so it was enough. The only BIG ISSUE we had during […] our stay was that internet in the hotel was not working half of the time, and more than half of the time we didn't have internet in the room and had to go either to the bar or to the lobby to get connected. Since we used internet both to check work e-mail and call through Skype, this was quite annoying. Nearby we didn't found an internet bar (they couldn't recommend anyone either). Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

The Beijing Hutong Culture Inn is in a labyrinth-like neighborhood. There are signs in English to direct you into the maze and some signs once you get in the neighborhood to direct you. The subway is a 10-15 minute walk from the inn. I took a taxi from the airport and was fortunate to get a taxi driver who called the inn for directions three times during […] the trip and then someone from the inn met us to take me the final few turns. However, another taxi driver just threw up his hands so I asked him to drive me to the subway stop and found my way back from there. I would recommend arranging a ride from the airport through the inn which is probably $30-35 but may be the easiest way to get there. I was there during a heat wave in July and was thankful for the AC in my room. There is a computer in the lobby with free internet which is shared by all the guests. I went to the roof-top lounge one night for a beer and dumplings and really appreciated the convenience. The staff speaks some English and were very helpful. The guests are primarily Western tourists but other than that, I saw very few Westerners in the neighborhood. Very vibrant bustling area full of families. If you need a luxury hotel experience, this may not be for you, but I would recommend this hotel to anyone I know going to Beijing. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The Hotel is located in the Hutong area and surrounded by apartments. You can really see just how poorly people live in the Hutong areas of Beijing when you stay here. I like the area, plenty of shopping and places to eat! Bell and Drum tower are within walking distance as well as a nice lake area (can't remember the name) that has tons of bars, some […] shops, restaurants and Starbucks! And yes at Starbucks you CAN order your drink in English! The lake area is just hopping with people at night!! I'm talking the place is packed! Also within walking distance (a mile or so) are nice Confucius and Buddha temples. The Buddha temple houses the largest wooden Buddha in the world, like 85 feet tall! Back to the hotel: The rooms are small and the beds are a little hard for my liking. A/C works good. Staff is friendly, food at the hotel (very limited brunch) sucks and is OVER priced, do your self the favor and walk to the main road and get some real food. Oh, there is a Mexican restaurant near the hotel and the food is pretty good! Hotel has a travel guide, but she is Worthless, seriously she couldn't give me directions to the Bell tower and is was 1/2 mile down the road!!!! Packaged tours are available at the hotel, again OVER priced! They do NOT change the sheets on the bed every day or even every couple of days. In closing hotel offers basic service and comfort at unbeatable prices. If I was to visit Beijing again, I would stay in that area but at a different hotel. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

This was my favorite hotel in my month-long trip to China. It was the cutest little hotel in the best location in Beijing, right in the Hutongs. The staff was the best. The made my entire family feel like they were at home. At the desk, ask for Will. He can make anything happen. Book excursions with Laura. They are terrific and affordable. We will never […] stay elsewhere in Beijing. Also, the owner told me he might open in Suzhou and/or Xi'an. I miss you guys already, Bradley Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Staff was very helpful. Lara at the travel agency will help you with planing your trips.

Genuine Expedia guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

This was the cheapest out of the three places we stayed in China. The others weren't that much dearer but there was quite a difference. The only two main things I have to complain about were the Bed which was really hard and uncomfortable and the water temperature in the shower, which was unreliable.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

It was a very nice experience, the hotel is a bit difficult to find since its inside the allies, so be sure to write down the phone number and ask the taxi driver if you are taking one to call them. The alley is nice, it gives you a glimpse of normal life in Beijing. There are some public restrooms around so you might find some interesting smells, but […] I think its part of the whole experience. But the hotel is very clean and safe, which I think are the most important things to have. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Hotel is really hard to find as it's among hutongs. Staff is helpful, but some of them need to practice English. Room was clean and pretty well stocked up with toiletries.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Ok for 1 night to experience the hutong atmosphere, but wouldn't stay longer.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Quite difficult to find, partly my fault as I got directions at the last minute from a site whose road map didn't seem to link up to the satellite picture, which should have rung alarm bells. Basically it's an excellent hotel, well worth the price you can get online but if you have to extend your stay, book the extra nights online as it's quite a bit […] more expensive to pay at the front desk. The bar's not expensive - you can get several times more for your money by venturing outside but that's standard for anywhere in China. Basically it's clean, safe and not overpriced if you book online. Just make sure you know how to find it - Andingmen (安定门) is the nearest metro station, once you're there head south on the main road, take the 4th or 5th right turn onto Fensiting Hutong (分司听 胡同) and there are signs after that. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

.. In a true old-Beijing near Forbidden city, finest restaurants & bars. If you wanna understand how people lived 5 ages ago - that's your point

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Helpful and friendly staff! Excellent location! Beds rock hard but thats China. just make sure you have the hotel address in chinese!!! And a detailed map would be helpful

Genuine Expedia guest review

Great location, although the taxi driver found it hard to find. The staff were friendly and the bar is great. Bed linen was clean, but the floor was a little grubby. The Hutong is a very interesting and quiet place to stay.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Bad english spekaing staff, but lovely rooms and great atmosphere/decoration in the whole place.

Genuine Expedia guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Good luck finding this place! You can find better places in Beijing for price. For an emergency night ok, otherwise find elsewhere - shabby room - not too clean - especially rude service from the bar guy, and too hard to find.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

I really enjoyed my stay here. For the price, it was a clean, simple room and the staff was very helpful. Most of the people at the desk speak English, which is rare in Beijing, so they can help you with information and directions. There are lots of little shops and places to eat cheaply. Its about a 20 minute walk from the metro stop. It's a little […] tricky to get here, so take the andingman line 2 subway stop and cross the highway through the traffic stop. Continue on that main street for a couple blocks and turn right at what looks like a hello kitty milkshake shop. There are signs for the hotel, but they are called Hutong inn, so dont be confused. Continue on this alley and make the second left, then the first right onto beixiawazi hutong. Then walk to the end of the street and turn left and the hotel will be on your right after a fee steps. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

It's a motel in a big city with such an affordable rates so our expectations have to be adjusted accordingly. It's overall condition is okay but could be better if attention is put on rooms' maintenance eg. bathroom and corridor's lighting. Hotel's location is convenient (easy access to subway & bus stations) but it's hard to be located by taxi driver […] even Chinese address has been given out during arrival.... Nevertheless, I still recommend this motel because it represents Old Beijing and good pricing in a central location. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

I arrived late at night and although I was holding am Expedia booking (and paid for it ) no room was available. I booked a standard room (no city view) and this one was fairly good. It was quiet at night :) (I got my booked room in the following night). The breakfast buffet is quite ok, you get bread, eggs, jam, coffee, tea, orange juice, muffins and […] some fruits. Be aware that you have to pay for all additional stuff you take from the room (e.g. coffee or soup - this is listed as chargeable items in the room - BUT AS WELL for shampoo etc - which IS NOT listed as a chargeable item). Hotel has a bar with a roof teracce. Quite nice and very convenient to end the day. Staff speaks English - just talk slowly to them ;-) The hotel can book tours for you, but tours are expensive and cost 20-30% more than in other hostels! Be aware, that on the trip to the Great Wall you spend 50% of your time in tea houses, silk factories etc where they are trying too sell stuff. DON'T BUY here, it is ridiculous expensive. Better go for a privately organized taxi. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

Considering the star rating and price, I was very impressed by the Hutong Culture Inn. The staff were excellent, especially the cleaners. The hotel is slightly difficult to get to by taxi, but is only a 5minute walk through the hutongs from the main road. There was quite a bit of building work going on in the surrounding area but if I ever go back to […] Beijing, even with a much bigger budget, I would want to stay back in the same hotel. I spent 2 weeks here and had no complaints. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review

This is a great little inn. What stands out is that it's clean. In China it is rare to come across an inexpensive small, locally run hotel/inn that is clean like this one is. The only complaint I had was that the internet was at times very slow. But aside from that this is a place I would recommend to anyone like myself who often prefers the environment […] where you're able to really live with the locals (smack in the middle of their backyard, and this is indeed an oasis within their often not overly clean way of living, to put it mildly) to the five star hotel. You will be able to see little children laughing and keeping themselves busy with the most simple of objects, i.e., a couple bricks, some broken plastic basins, .... I spotted a duck scurrying down the street just beside the inn. I never saw such a dirty duck in my life; so that, too, was an experience I am glad I had. Overall, I would recommend this hotel to my best friends. And if the above is not enough, this is a place where you can easily meet people as I did from all over the world, whether over a beer int heir bar, or waiting to check out at noon. And for those of you without any Chinese, there is a kind girl at the front desk who can communicate in English. Enjoy your stay. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

This hostel is in a mess of hutongs (alleys) which make it hard to find and I could not get a taxi to the door. Not ideal as a lone female traveller arriving late at night. The metro station was really far and also difficult to find. I had 2 rooms here, the first had the most unpleasant smell emanating from the toilet so I asked for it to be thoroughly […] cleaned. I came back later that day to find my room hadn't even been touched. I insisted on a room change and they 'upgraded' me to a window room. Don't pay extra for a window btw as mine looked on to the corridor. The second room was better but I had a constantly leaking pipe in the bathroom and the door frame was rotten so smelled this was due to the bathroom being a wetroom. Reception weren't that friendly or helpful. Once you get on to the main street it's a lively area with a good mix of restaurants and shops but it's not especially well located for sightseeing. There are nicer places to stay in Beijing for the money that are better located. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

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Genuine Hotels.com guest review

it is not easy that We could find a place on line that looks exectly like the pictures in China. This place is located on the right location for everything as long as we could find how to use the public transportation. I only booked two nights yet extended to two weeks. Very good value on the money, and it is cheaper to book on the Hotel.com than on […] other chinese website. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The location was good, but the Hutongs were difficult to navigate at first, after a day or two it got easier.The rooms were clean and the bed were comfortable; hotel staff are very helpful and full of smiling faces; internet was available in your bed room and if you choose use wifi the connection not that stable.

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

Just arrived back from here after 13 nights. It is hard to find but worth it. Only complaint is that For the 1st five nights I had prebooked and paid for a superior room but ended up in a standard one, and they would not admit there fault. however I booked another 8 nights and paid 210 yuan for each night in a superior room. The best prices here are […] to pre book on this site , if you turn up you will be charged walk in rates that are much higher. This hotel does not offer refunds so if you book and do not show for your allotted nights you will lose your money. All in ,I was happy here, and if you like bars there are some only 10 mins walk away. I would stay here again, which for me is unusual, so there you have it. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

The Hotel itself had all modern amenities. The rooms were very clean and the beds were very comfortable. The bar upstairs was nice to relax in in the evenings. Internet was available in the hotel bar, but there were no printing facilities. The location was good, but the Hutongs were difficult to navigate at first, but after a day or two it got easier. Even […] though the hutongs were a little intimidating at first we felt very safe in this location after a few days. Read more

Genuine Hotels.com guest review

I chose to stay at the Hutong Culture Inn because of positive reviews found in Expedia. I was not dissapointed. The hotel was clean, rooms a reasonable size, free internet was provided and the staff were very friendly. Due to being in a small Hutong it is very quiet at night with no cars nearby. They have a great bar which is very comfortable and I […] was encouraged to join in with a staff BBQ and fed beer and food for several hours while chatting as best I could with the staff. I thought the room rates were very cheap and I would love to stay here again. Read more

Genuine Expedia guest review