Description: Among all the hostels I researched online, I chose Beijing Backpackers for the following reasons: (1) it had a single room with an en suite bathroom (at an incredibly affordable price of 160 yuan per night), (2) it offered a free airport-pickup service for guests reserving entire rooms for four consecutive nights (essential, since I was flying in at midnight), (3) it was well-reviewed.
I was not disappointed at all. Despite the fact that my flight was delayed by an hour, Andy was patiently waiting for me when I got out of baggage claim. Between his basic English and my broken Mandarin, we managed to have a pleasant conversation about Beijing and Asian cuisine during the 40-minute or so drive to the hostel.
The hostel itself was in one of the centuries-old old mazes of alleys (called "hutong) in Beijing being protected and restored by the Chinese government. It was along a wonderful and famous alley called Nan Luo Gu Xiang (南 锣 鼓 巷). In the day time, the area is generally quiet, but in the late afternoon, it comes alive as cafes, bars, and quaint little shops open for both tourists and hipster locals alike. Every evening, then, dozens of pedestrians walk through the hutong, searching for food to eat or knick-knacks to buy. Vehicles are allowed to pass through Nan Luo Gu Xiang, but are not allowed to park. Despite the fact that the area is pulsating with life in the evening, I didn't find my alley-facing room noisy at all. If anything, the fact that the window faced an alley mostly for pedestrians rather than vehicles meant that my room was quieter than many a hostel room that faces a street. One afternoon, a street musician was playing beautiful saxophone music outside my window, but he wrapped up his performance before dinner time.
The hostel itself is basic--as one would expect of a hostel--but clean. The room comes with free liquid soap and shampoo, available in a dispenser in the bathroom, but towels have to be rented and toilet paper has to be bought (though my toilet paper dispenser still had a roll in it). The room had a small television, an air-conditioner (both heat and cold), and the shower had piping hot water. The sheets were clean, and the available sockets were both the double-flat American-style socket, as well as the Chinese socket standard (which looks a little like a letter-Y, similar to but not exactly the same as the Australian standard). The walls are a little thin: not so thin that you can hear conversations in other rooms, but thin enough to hear people stomping on the staircase as they go up or down.
There is free Wifi near the reception area, and three Internet-ready computers that you can use for a small fee, a small pingpong area, and a common room with books, a TV and DVD player. An excellent feature, which I used a lot, is a set of lockers in the basement with an electronic locking system where you can leave your valuables if you are leaving for the day. I also used the shower room in the basement after my Great Wall tour, because I had already checked out, but I wanted to take a shower before my flight.
The 160 yuan per night that I paid included free breakfast at the cafe next door: three slices of toast, butter, jam, a fried egg, a glass of Minute Maid orange juice, and a different kind of meat each day (sausage, bacon, or ham).
The hostel also arranges several tours and evening shows; I joined one of the Great Wall Tours (I describe it in another review), and it was excellent value for money.
The staff speaks halting English, though sometimes, if you ask a question they will check the dictionary in their phone first before giving an answer. They have, however, thought of many things to make your stay in Beijing easier. Cards with names of tourist attractions in both Mandarin and English are available at the reception, to make it easier for you to take a taxi or to ask the conductor if you're riding the correct bus.
The only complaint I have about the hostel is that it is far from the nearest subway station. Taxis are easy to get at either end of Nan Luo Gu Xiang, though, and there are bus stops within a short walking distance of the hostel.
Bottom-line: This isn't the Hyatt, of course, but I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for hostel-like (and hostel-price) accommodations.
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