The width of the entrance was no wider than the length of my arms. (My apologies for your eyes. When I travel, I roll like a bag lady, haha). When visiting Beijing for the very first time, aside from seeing the Great Wall of China, what tops my list? Stay inside an alleyway (Hutong) of course. We were intrigued- because well, how often does one stay inside an alley...willingly?
Sure, the entrance is tiny and the surrounding areas can be a bit smelly from the many public restrooms nearby. But once you step inside, it's got all of the modern comforts you would need of a 4-star hotel and amazing service.
Entry way into the Orchid.
Hotel grounds with bamboo and greenery.
Small sitting area in reception/ check-in.
Wines at the Check-in/ bar area.
Orchid Beijing Check-in area which doubles as a bar. There's a tiny luggage storage area to the left corner (not pictured).
We were drawn to the hotel's quirkiness exude on their homepage and free usage of local cell phone which ended up being very helpful. The Subway and attractions map was also very handy. My friend loved the postcards.
Free wi-fi, check. Apple TV, check. Air Purifier, unlimited fruits, free tea, free bottle water, comfy bed, rain shower-- all check. Come to think of it, we also scored a free bottle of wine (special promotion at the time).
The rooms are a good size. We stayed in 2 rooms over the course of 3 nights since they were fully booked (the hotel has 10 rooms total but now offers alternative lodging of residences).
I LOVED our spacious Garden room (though you may be assigned one with an outdoor garden instead and with a lower ceiling since there are 2 other rooms in this style). The gentle light peeking into our private indoor garden made for a unique wake up call. If we had an extra day in Beijing, I would have just lounged around on the day bed while sipping on tea.
The rooms are a good size. We stayed in 2 rooms over the course of 3 nights since they were fully booked (the hotel has 10 rooms total but now offers alternative lodging of residences).
I LOVED our spacious Garden room (though you may be assigned one with an outdoor garden instead and with a lower ceiling since there are 2 other rooms in this style). The gentle light peeking into our private indoor garden made for a unique wake up call. If we had an extra day in Beijing, I would have just lounged around on the day bed while sipping on tea.
When it was time to move to the Lookout Room (there's only one at the hotel), we were quite sad. Yes it has great views of the Drum and Bell towers, but we weren't there in the day time to see it.
We didn't think the room size would matter too much since the pricing difference was minimal (100 RMB/ $16 usd less than the Garden Rooms). But it certainly felt like the room was way smaller.
We didn't think the room size would matter too much since the pricing difference was minimal (100 RMB/ $16 usd less than the Garden Rooms). But it certainly felt like the room was way smaller.
We did see the hotel's white cat roaming around every so often.
Small shared courtyard outside of Garden room #8 (hiding behind tree of right corner).
Stairway to breakfast. Actually this is the same way to go up to the "Lookout Room" too.
Rise and shine. Time to eat breakfast! Seating at breakfast is free for all. You can choose any place you like as long as it's open.
Indoor breakfast room.
Outdoor breakfast area (faces the kitchen which is hidden, and the "Lookout Room" in the far right corner).
View from entrance of Lookout Room. It's adjacent to the Kitchen but not noise is not a problem.
When blessed with nice weather and clear skies, it's definitely worth sitting outside.
Before arriving, I was a little bummed since I had e-mailed the hotel to change our pick-up from the airport. We had to cancel since we no longer needed it, but didn't get a confirmation until weeks later though a second follow-up email I sent. I thought it was strange as I received the hotel's auto-stay reminders. If you need an answer fast, I recommend just calling the hotel directly (via Skype).
Once we arrived, customer service was really excellent. The staff was wonderful and everyone was so kind and caring. They can set you up with tour guides, car service, recommendations, and directions. They are very accommodating-- to the point where when we got lost, we would just ring up the hotel and they would talk to the taxi driver or give us directions. While they don't do currency exchange, they allowed me to pay using some of my remaining Hong Kong dollars.
While the location is not the best for us (2 girls traveling alone), the nearest subway was still around 15 mins walk in unlit areas (especially via the Hotel's recommended stop at Gulou station . We preferred the Shichahai subway stop instead even though it's a slightly further walk (+ 5 mins; ~20 mins total). It felt safer since all of the shops on this side close late so there's lots of pedestrian traffic coming and going . Yes, we learned this the hard way...close to being approached by male strangers. So we ran..fast. Not fun late at night in an unlit and unfamiliar area.
Source: Explore Beijing. I've used it for planning in Hong Kong and Taipei. Excellent free app download from the Apple store or use online. Makes planning your way around Asia simple and easy.
I don't know if we were just unlucky but the hardest part was getting a willing taxi to take us back to the hotel. We found that majority of the law abiding drivers would decline us rides due to the location (they feel it's a hassle to drive through to the alleyway).
Other things to consider is that the housekeeping/ cooks are only there during the day time (breakfast-lunch), so there's no food at the hotel at night. Though no fear, steps away from the hotel there are 2 branches of Mr. Shi's Dumplings that's open until 11:30pm. It's highly rated on TripAdvisor and it sounds like it's constantly featured in the media so we were looking forward to staying at the Orchid just to try it (as otherwise, it was out of the way).
Other things to consider is that the housekeeping/ cooks are only there during the day time (breakfast-lunch), so there's no food at the hotel at night. Though no fear, steps away from the hotel there are 2 branches of Mr. Shi's Dumplings that's open until 11:30pm. It's highly rated on TripAdvisor and it sounds like it's constantly featured in the media so we were looking forward to staying at the Orchid just to try it (as otherwise, it was out of the way).
One of two branches of Mr. Shi's Dumpling House-- almost directly opposite of the Orchid Hotel.
How do you like your dumplings? You can get it broiled or fried.
The former Idaho Governor loved Mr. Shi's. Don't get me wrong, the food at Mr. Shi's is good. The flavor combinations are creative and the menu is pretty diverse. Though it's more fusion than authentic.
Deep fried banana with fudge? Good, yes. Authentic, no. It didn't live up to the "amazing" hype so I was a little disappointed. Personally I've had better dumplings but when you are starving, it's pretty good. You can order your meal with wines too if you feel like it.
Deep fried banana with fudge? Good, yes. Authentic, no. It didn't live up to the "amazing" hype so I was a little disappointed. Personally I've had better dumplings but when you are starving, it's pretty good. You can order your meal with wines too if you feel like it.
Overall, If you are looking for an alternative to the everyday hotel experience, you will have a unique and memorable stay at the Orchid if you can get past the location.
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