“Neat Hutong neighborhood = Great staff”

Although young, the hotel staff went out of their way to help us with directions, tours, tickets and were always pleasant and cordial. The breakfasts were okay if you like Chinese dishes for breakfast. However, you could order eggs, make toast and there was fruit. Coffee was not that great, but tea was wonderful. The best way to get to sites was by the subway or bus and the hotel staff were able to give directions and write down information in Chinese and English for you. People on the bus were friendly and helpful. Subway maps at the stations were easy to read. Taxis were not an option as they most of the time would not stop for foreigners or would not go to the destination we wanted as they were not part of their route in our Hutong neighborhood. We had no problem with the bus and subway which were convenient and accessible to the hotel.

“Great place to live like the locals”

If you want to feel like you are living where the locals are, and not like a Westernized tourist, stay here. This place makes you feel like you live here. The staff is nice and friendly, and gives you everything you need for a great vacation. However, if you want to stay somewhere less authenticate and feel just like you are in US, I wouldn't stay here. You are smack in the middle of a neighborhood where the people actually live. No other hotel is around you. Walk out the front door, and locals are playing cards and doing their laundry. For me, this was exactly what I wanted.

“Nice Hutong, if you don't expect too much luxury”

Great location, NIce personnel, good local breakfast, clean and modern bathroom small rooms, only warm water for 10 min at a time

“Loved Our Family Trip in Beijing's Hutongs”

The SiHe Hotel is an oasis of tranquility in the middle of an authentic hutong neighborhood. If you are interested in experiencing this part of Beijing you should not miss this opportunity. We stayed for a week with our two boys that are 7 and 6 years old. The boys loved it! Rooms are very nice with western bathrooms and comfortable beds. The staff is EXTREMELY accommodating. We rented the hotel car one day to visit the Simatai section of the Great Wall. The price was reasonable and service was excellent. Breakfasts are not what you would get in a 4 or 5 star western hotel, but they are more than adequate. The hotel staff actually went out an bought oatmeal for us just so that we might feel more at home. Overall the rooms are very nice, the location is ideal, and the staff is fabulous. We will stay there on our next trip.

“Terrific place if you don't expect a "luxury resort."”

FINDING this hotel was hard. If you look it up on Google Maps, the location is off by a block. The *correct* lat/longs (if you're using a GPS) are N39°55'12" E116°24'55". But first you must find the entrance to the alley. Go to N39°55'11", E116°24'42", which should be the entrance to Deng Cao hutong on Wang Fujing st. It's just across from a building under new construction. If you took a taxi to the Peninsula Beijing hotel, then continued north on Wang Fujing st about 1/3 mile, it’s about there. You can also get there by taking the purple (#5) line on the Beijing subway to the Dong Si stop, then going out the South-East exit and walking south (away from Wu-Mart, on the northeast corner) about 425 yards to the entrance of the Hutong. Once you find Deng Cao Hutong, the rest is easy: walk 350 yards down the alley; when it zig-zags, you’ll see the big “Hotel” sign. Checking in was a snap. Provide passports for the standard Xeroxing and soon you're led to your room. We got the VIP suite as it was off-season and relatively inexpensive. The room was VERY nice; beautiful furnishings, western-style bathroom. Far more room than you’re likely to get elsewhere for the money. The complimentary breakfast was mostly Chinese with the option to order an omlet. Don’t expect much from it. Also, room service does not deliver after 8PM. See the neighborhood section for options. This hotel is not the most convenient, but we’re glad we tried it!

“Great experience”

Everything was perfect about this Chinese equivalent of a Bed and Breakfast. I would encourage everyone to give it a try. I had only one complaint - in the dead of winter, when I was there, there just wan't enough hot water to take a shower. (In all fairness, I have to say that throughout China I found that the water was not hot enough for my tastes.)

“Nice hotel in nice neighborhood”

Staying in a traditional "hutong" neighborhood in a traditional "sihe" courtyard house was great (but with a/c). (Hutongs are narrow alleyways in Beijing.) The staff was nice and very helpful, and arranged a trip to the Great Wall for us. The location was great; a long walk to the Forbidden City, but a short walk to a main street, and the staff can get a cab to the door for you if you want. Much more of a local feel than in a big intl hotel.

“Unique Traditional Courtyard Hotel”

What a wonderful place. In the midst of the roaring, churning, incredible giant that is Beijing, a hutong is home to this gem. After arriving in Beijing at 9:30 PM, their car was waiting for us (great pickup and airport delivery service). As we meandered up the narrow, crowded hutong alley we wondered what we had gotten into. But there, through the front gate,was a colorful, traditional Chinese courtyard with glowing red lamps and a simply amazing room. Of the four large rooms on the main courtyard we had somehow gotten the largest (as for room 18). Double high ceiling, traditional lamps, giant living room with all traditional furniture, hand carved wooden screen separating rooms, tall 4 poster bed with stepup. Ultra modern large bath. In the morning, a terrific breakfast either Chinese or western, or both. Hotel restaurant deliciously open all day. Great, helpful staff. Free bicycles to explore (we did, every day). Wow. A very special high point of our stay.