Hutong Culture Inn

Great service and staff, very informative and helpful. Most of the staff spoke at least some English. Website is a little misleading, in that the breakfast served in the restaurant/bar is 18Y per person/day. Their Great Wall tours and night shows are a good value, and transportation is included. Location is a little tricky for taxis to get to, but if you figure out the local bus/subway routes, getting around can be very easy. We would absolutely go back again!

a very well placed, and very reasonably priced hotel. Staff are extremely friendly and very helpful, but please note this is not an expensive hotel and therefore does not have the amenities facilities one would expect from an international chain.

Taxi's can't get to the hotel. Our cab driver called the hotel and they came in a bicycle-rickshaw and picked us up and took us to the hotel. The hotel was friendly, modern, and clean. The bathroom walls of glass was a bit unusual. The hotel represented good value. However, the hotel's bar/breakfast did not represent very good value. Spending time in a hutong is a very interesting experience, but perhaps not for the faint of heart.

This was a great value hotel in a very handy location. The service was very friendly.

At the Hutong Culture Inn, I relaxed and went to the 3rd floor bar for free Chinese lessons everynight at 8pm. I couldn't open the windows in my room, and the doors were a little noisy when opening and shutting them. The room was a little dim, and there was no open air draft so it smelled a little like mildew. Otherwise, it was a great experience to have a private room in Beijing. I was there in November, kind of a down season for tourists, so the hostel was quiet. This is a nice place to relax.

Tucked away in the hutongs of the Dong Cheng district, it seems at first a bit out of the way -- which just adds to the experience. It's but a short walk to E. Bell Tower St. (Gulou Dongdajie) and Nanluogo Xiang, and within easy walking distance to most other Dong Cheng area sights. The staff was extremely helpful and pleasant. The rooms are clean, well kept, and pleasant. Our room faced across the alley from a small neighborhood center where locals came for Mah Jong nights -- a bit noisy, but it quieted down after 10:00 p.m., and just added to the sense of hutong life. About 50 yards down, early in the morning, young families dropped off their children at the day care center fronting onto the alleyway. Halfway to E. Bell Tower down the other access hutong is an elementary school where parents drop off their children in the mornings, and where the community held a couple night time events. Staying at the Hutong Inn enables a real sense of the daily lives, and the comings and goings of the people living in the hutongs. In all a really pleasant stay. We really enjoyed the experience and will stay there again when in Beijing.

We had two rooms. Both very basic but clean but one was small and no windows. Staff had poor english but most tried to be helpful. The daytime guy was the worst. If he didn't understand he just ignored you. They require 100 yuan key deposit at check in and issue you a receipt. Keep the receipt as they refused to return my friends deposit when he returned the key as he didn't have his receipt. Total rip off. Also don't use any of the lotions, soaps and products they have in the bathroom as they charge for these. Only free soap supplied was from a dispenser in the shower. Wouldn't recommend even though it was clean because of there dishonest key deposit policy.

The room I booked was very small, but had a private bathroom, king size bed and tv. The location is prime as there are so many bars, coffee houses and shops within walking distance. Many famous, sight-seeing attractions are also just within walking distance. Taxi's are easy to find on the main street and Sanlitun's Village is only about a ten minute ride away. This hotel is definitely worth the stay considering the cheap price and the awesome location. If your intention is to spend more time outside your hotel room, this is a great place to choose. The bar offer's drinks, coffee and free internet-although, you can also just walk five minutes in almost any direction and find better choices for these options. Bilingual staff are available usually at every hour of the night. They will assist you in almost any requirement that you need, including providing you with laundry and ironing needs.

Everything you ask in a hostel. Limited English by staff, and refused to take a message for me. Hard to find, but decent location in Dongcheng district, about 1.5-2 kilometres to the subway. Make sure your map is comprehensive and you have the street names in Chinese. There is a tourist bureau near the drum tower who knows the way if you get lost.

The Hutong Inn is a little dark, especially the halls and stairwells, and unwelcoming at first glance. The rooms are basic, though clean and plenty comfortable. Though I don't know what the other floors are like, I would not recommend staying on the first floor because of pedestrian traffic in and outside of the hostel. The bar is unnecessary, but a nice place to hang out if you're tired of venturing out. The front desk staff was efficient and friendly. The staff helping to arrange tours and distributing general information were indispensable and very courteous, informed, and helpful. The location is fabulous. It's within walking distance of most of the major tourist attractions, the subway, great little hutongs jam packed with great restaurants and little shops and bars. The location was certainly the highlight and why I would recommend this hostel.