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Beijing Jintai Hotel Bamboo Garden Branch

3.5 star property
Historic Beijing hotel in Downtown Beijing with 2 restaurants
your current months are December, 2024 and January, 2025.
December 2024
January 2025

Photo gallery for Beijing Jintai Hotel Bamboo Garden Branch

Interior
Miscellaneous
Interior
Interior
1 bedroom, premium bedding, Tempur-Pedic beds, minibar

Reviews

8.0 out of 10

Very good

Popular amenities

  • Bar
  • Breakfast available
  • 24/7 front desk
  • Parking included
  • Housekeeping
  • Room service

Explore the area

Map
No 24 Xiaoshiqiao Jiugulou St. Xicheng, Beijing, Beijing, 100009
  • Houhai Lake
    6 min walk
  • Houhai Park
    6 min walk
  • Bell and Drum Towers
    9 min walk
  • Beijing (PEK-Capital Intl.)
    36 min drive

Room options

Single Room

Highlights

Garden
Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Fridge
HDTV
Blackout curtains
Premium bedding
  • 10 sq m
  • Sleeps 1

Economy Twin Room

Highlights

Garden
Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Fridge
HDTV
Blackout curtains
Premium bedding
  • 15 sq m
  • Sleeps 2

Standard Room

Highlights

Garden
Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Fridge
HDTV
Blackout curtains
Premium bedding
  • 16.5 sq m
  • Sleeps 3

View all photos for Standard Suite

Standard Suite | Bathroom

Standard Suite

Highlights

Garden
Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Fridge
HDTV
Blackout curtains
Premium bedding
  • 31 sq m
  • Sleeps 3

Economy Double Room

Highlights

Garden
Individually furnished
Individually decorated
Air conditioning
Fridge
HDTV
Blackout curtains
Premium bedding
  • 26 sq m
  • Sleeps 2

View all photos for Deluxe 2-bed Room

1 bedroom, premium bedding, Tempur-Pedic beds, minibar

Deluxe 2-bed Room

  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Single Beds

View all photos for Standard Queen Room

1 bedroom, premium bedding, Tempur-Pedic beds, minibar

Standard Queen Room

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

View all photos for Standard 2-bed Room

1 bedroom, premium bedding, Tempur-Pedic beds, minibar

Standard 2-bed Room

  • Sleeps 2
  • 2 Single Beds

View all photos for Deluxe Queen Room

1 bedroom, premium bedding, Tempur-Pedic beds, minibar

Deluxe Queen Room

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 King Bed

View all photos for Budget Double Room

1 bedroom, premium bedding, Tempur-Pedic beds, minibar

Budget Double Room

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Deluxe Suite (Tingsong)

1 bedroom, premium bedding, Tempur-Pedic beds, minibar

Deluxe Suite (Tingsong)

  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Queen Bed

View all photos for Single Room

1 bedroom, premium bedding, Tempur-Pedic beds, minibar

Single Room

  • Sleeps 1
  • 1 Single Bed

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Exterior

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includes taxes & fees
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About the area

Beijing

Beijing Jintai Hotel Bamboo Garden Branch puts you in the heart of Beijing, steps from Shichahai and within a 10-minute stroll of Houhai Lake. Highlights at this historic hotel include in-room free WiFi, free high-speed Internet and LCD TVs. .A day of pampering can include facials and body treatments. For a drink, you can stop by the hotel's own lounge bar. Business travellers can take advantage of a conference centre, a business centre and limo/town car service. Other amenities include free Wi-Fi in public areas, a coffee shop/cafe and coffee/tea in a common area. There's also free self parking, along with the convenience of a free area shuttle. .Attractions within a 10-minute drive of this 3.5-property class Downtown Beijing hotel include Forbidden City and Wangfujing Street.

What's nearby

  • Houhai Lake - 6 min walk
  • Forbidden City - 4 min drive
  • Wangfujing Street - 4 min drive
  • The Palace Museum - 4 min drive
  • Tiananmen Square - 6 min drive

Getting around

  • Beijing North Railway Station - 4 min drive
  • Gulou Dajie Station - 15 min walk
  • Beijing (PEK-Capital Intl.) - 36 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪香河肉饼 - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪印象私家菜 - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪新疆天山风味 - ‬6 min walk
  • ‪没名儿生煎 - ‬4 min walk
  • ‪小肠陈饭庄 - ‬5 min walk

About this property

Beijing Jintai Hotel Bamboo Garden Branch

Historic Beijing hotel in Downtown Beijing with 2 restaurants
There are 2 restaurants on site, along with a coffee shop/cafΘ. You can enjoy a drink at the bar/lounge. Business amenities include a business centre and limo/town car service.

WiFi and wired Internet are free in public spaces. A terrace, gift shops/newsstands, and a garden are also featured at the business-friendly Beijing Jintai Hotel Bamboo Garden Branch. An area shuttle and A train station pick-up shuttle are free. Free self parking is available.

This 3.5-star Beijing hotel is smoke free.

  • 52 guestrooms or units
  • 3 levels
  • 3 buildings
  • 2 dining venues
  • Built in 1982
  • Conference centre
  • Business facilities
  • Breakfast available (surcharge)
  • Coffee in lobby
  • Dry cleaning
  • Front desk (24 hours)
  • Express check-in
  • Express check-out
  • Storage area for luggage
  • Car service
  • Wedding services available
  • Terrace
  • Garden
  • Gift shop
  • Beauty salon
  • Newspapers in lobby (free)
  • Television in lobby
  • Bellhop
  • No smoking on site
  • Bar or lounge
Beijing Jintai Hotel Bamboo Garden Branch offers 52 air-conditioned accommodations, which are accessible via exterior corridors, and features computers and minibars. Each accommodation is individually furnished and decorated. Tempur-Pedic beds feature premium bedding. 32-inch LCD televisions come with satellite channels. Bathrooms include a combined bath/shower unit with in-room jetted baths, slippers, complimentary toiletries and hairdryers.

This Beijing hotel provides complimentary wired and wireless Internet access. Business-friendly amenities include desks and complimentary newspapers; free local calls are provided (restrictions may apply). Additionally, rooms include laptop-compatible safes and complimentary bottles of water. A nightly turndown service is provided and housekeeping is offered on a daily basis. Amenities available on request include an iron/ironing board.

Languages

English

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in all rooms: Free WiFi and wired internet
  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi and wired internet

Parking and transport

  • 24-hour return airport shuttle (surcharge)
  • Free area shuttle
  • Area shuttle
  • Free train station pick-up shuttle
  • Limo/town car service
  • Free self parking on site

Food and drink

  • Breakfast available for a fee: CNY 60 per person
  • 2 restaurants
  • A bar/lounge
  • A coffee shop/cafe
  • Coffee and tea in common areas

Things to do

  • Bicycle rentals
  • TV in common areas

Family friendly

  • Free area shuttle
  • In-room refrigerator
  • Rollaway/extra bed (surcharge)
  • Separate bedroom

Conveniences

  • 24-hour front desk
  • Free newspapers in lobby
  • Gift shop/newsstand
  • Hair salon
  • Luggage storage

Guest services

  • Dry cleaning/laundry service
  • Housekeeping (daily)
  • Porter/bellhop
  • Turndown service
  • Wedding services

Business services

  • Business centre
  • Conference centre

Outdoors

  • Garden
  • Terrace

Spa

  • Facials
  • Spa treatment rooms

Room amenities

Bedroom

  • Blackout drapes
  • Premium bedding
  • Rollaway/extra bed (surcharge)
  • Tempur-Pedic mattress

Bathroom

  • Free toiletries
  • Hair dryer
  • Jetted bathtub
  • Private bathroom
  • Shower/bathtub combination
  • Slippers

Entertainment

  • 32-inch LCD TV with cable/satellite channels
  • Computer

Food and drink

  • Free bottled water
  • Limited room service
  • Minibar
  • Refrigerator

More

  • Access via exterior corridors
  • Air conditioning
  • Desk
  • Free daily newspapers
  • Free local calls
  • Individual decor
  • Individual furnishings
  • Iron/ironing board on request
  • Laptop-compatible safe

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2 PM; check-in end time: midnight
Express check-in available
Minimum check-in age - 18

Check-out

Check-out before noon
Express check-out available

Special check-in instructions

Front desk staff will greet guests on arrival

Access methods

Staffed front desk

Pets

  • No pets allowed

Children and extra beds

  • Children are welcome.
  • Rollaway/extra beds are available for CNY 120 per night.

Payment types

Important information

Optional extras

The fees and deposits listed below will be charged at the time of service, check-in, or check-out.

  • Breakfast fee: from approximately CNY 60 per person
  • Rollaway bed fee: CNY 120 per night

This may not be a comprehensive list. Fees and deposits are subject to change and might not include tax.

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts credit cards and cash
Mobile payment options include: Alipay and WeChat Pay
Charges for extra guests may apply and vary according to property policy.
A credit card for incidental charges and government-issued photo identification may be required upon check-in.
Special requests are subject to availability at the time of check-in. Special requests can't be guaranteed and may incur additional charges.
    This property accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club, JCB International, Union Pay, cash, Alipay and WeChat Pay.

National rating

For the benefit of our customers, we have provided a rating based on our ratings system.

Property is also known as

Bamboo Garden Beijing
Bamboo Garden Hotel
Bamboo Garden Hotel Beijing
Beijing Jintai Bamboo Branch
Beijing Jintai Hotel Bamboo Garden Branch Hotel
Beijing Jintai Hotel Bamboo Garden Branch Beijing
Beijing Jintai Hotel Bamboo Garden Branch Hotel Beijing

Frequently asked questions

Is parking available at Beijing Jintai Hotel Bamboo Garden Branch?

Yep, Beijing Jintai Hotel Bamboo Garden Branch has a free self car park.

What makes Beijing Jintai Hotel Bamboo Garden Branch a romantic place to stay?

A lounge bar, plus Jetted bath in the guestrooms, help set the scene for a romantic weekend at Beijing Jintai Hotel Bamboo Garden Branch.

Are there hot tubs in the rooms at Beijing Jintai Hotel Bamboo Garden Branch?

No, but there are Jetted bath in the guestrooms.

Is there a free airport shuttle available at Beijing Jintai Hotel Bamboo Garden Branch?

No, but there's an airport shuttle that runs 24 hours a day for a fee.

Is there a bar or restaurant at Beijing Jintai Hotel Bamboo Garden Branch?

Yep, they've got a lounge bar and 2 restaurants. Pre dinner cocktails anyone?

What time are check-in & check-out at Beijing Jintai Hotel Bamboo Garden Branch?

Check-in begins at 2 PM. Check-out time is noon.

Are pets allowed at Beijing Jintai Hotel Bamboo Garden Branch?

No, pets are not allowed.

Beijing Jintai Hotel Bamboo Garden Branch Reviews

Reviews

8.0

Very good

Rating 10 - Excellent. 27 out of 85 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 37 out of 85 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 15 out of 85 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 3 out of 85 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 3 out of 85 reviews" "

8.8/10

Cleanliness

7.4/10

Staff & service

8.2/10

Property conditions & facilities

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Bamboo Garden Hotel is an oasis in Beijing.
After a long and tiring flight to China, we arrived at the Bamboo Garden Hotel and were greeted by very friendly and welcoming staff. We arrived two hours before check in time but to our relief, we were shown straight to our rooms. The room was decorated in a traditional style. It was very clean and comfortable. The hotel is situated amongst the hutongs. It was originally the house of a wealthy merchant and traditional features have been preserved to give a distinctively Chinese feel. The gardens are tranquil and full of bird song. It is a welcome haven from the busy city which seems very far away. We very much enjoyed the food in the hotel restaurant. The staff were helpful, organising taxis for us, providing an earlier than scheduled breakfast when we needed to make an early morning departure etc.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Mix of traditional architecture and modern amenities to comply with new government requests to conserve water and power. Beautiful garden area and carved furniture even in my economy room. Some things require investigating; the quilts for my bed were stored away inside a cupboard. Reprogrammable safe in the room for locking up valuables. Not all the staff speaks English but they make the effort to understand and meet your needs. I needed a taxi at 3:00 am to make my flight out, and several staff were waiting in the dark at the check-out desk to help me.

2/10 Terrible

Verified traveller

Disliked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
poor service
WiFi available but only allowed use on one device. Not allowed on two device. Location very secluded. Front gate very hard to find. Hide behind other apartment in small dark alley so taxi not willing to enter and have to carry luggage walk 300m quite far to the front gate. Quite scary to walk at night. Early morning to book taxi the staff is not willing and keep telling me to take the mrt but I am foreigner not familiar. When call for taxi have to wait a long time due to poor location of hotel not easy to get one

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Great location in the city, easy to get to by subway. Room is good. A bit strange regarding their wireless internet policy: i could only connect one device, front desk claimed that this policy is not up to hotel, but rather a police bureau policy. That does not seem true to me.

10/10 Excellent

Zassa , Sydney Australia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Themed hotel in classical Chinese Garden style
Good location close to Drum/Bell Tower. Fantastic garden and themed rooms in a hutong environment, when we looked out our window all we saw were trees despite being in the middle of Beijing. Its a little hard to find (including for the Beijing cabbie) but well worth it!

6/10 Okay

James, Madison, Wi

Liked: Cleanliness, room comfort
A cute place to stay near a good part of town
We saw a lot of what others have said about Bamboo Garden. It's in an old hutong, which is pretty cool, but depending on your room location, you may be looking at a neighboring high-rise apartment block, which cuts down on the charm. The restaurant isn't the best, but there are a lot of great eating options near by. It's a great place to stay if you want a hotel experience that has more character than your average place. I really struggled with was the internet at the hotel, however. Each room is only allowed one device to access the internet and the wireless signal in our room was exceptionally weak. If you _need_ the internet on your own devices, this might not be the best option.

8/10 Good

Desiree, Colorado, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great Surprise
This was a wonderful alternative to your typical sterile "airport hotel". The gardens are beautiful and quiet, the neighborhood is in a fabulous location. The staff in the business center, although they had limited English, were very helpful in helping us change a plane ticket. We would have stayed here longer if we didn't have business elsewhere.

10/10 Excellent

Jenny, UK

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Beautiful old Chinese courtyard hotel
Set in the hutongs, not far from Hou Hei Lake - a beautiful courtyard hotel, original and atmospheric, with furniture that fits in the setting. Red lanterns, a genuinely Chinese experience...

10/10 Excellent

bookgirl531, brooklyn

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Lovely traditional Chinese style and affordable
Although a difficult to find the first time (get a taxi driver with GPS!) this hotel is extremely charming with beautiful traditional Chinese decor. It's tucked away from the main road so it's very tranquil once you get inside. The rooms were spacious and clean, and very tastefully decorated. Excellent location, right across the street from a metro stop and just a short walk away from the Drum and Bell Tower. The breakfast is mediocre and overpriced, but there is no shortage of food in the neighborhood so just go somewhere else. Totally recommend if you are looking for a more authentic feeling hotel.

10/10 Excellent

JG, Amherst, ma

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Excellent locally owned Chinese hotel
I was looking for a hotel that was NOT designed with European and American tourists in mind, even though I am American. In particular, I wanted to stay in a place that gave me a sense of Chinese culture, and not simply of the finest that international conglomerates could offer. The Bamboo Garden Hotel did not disappoint.

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

6/10 Okay

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service

6/10 Okay

Amit, Tel Aviv

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
Disliked: Staff & service, room comfort
The hotel is located in a very nice, central, neighborhood. The rooms are old, quite small and uncomfortable, as is the shower (there was no bath). The WiFi works some of the time (usually not) and you must choose one device for surfing and stick to it. The staff is nice but speaks very little English. Breakfast is relatively expensive and not very good.

10/10 Excellent

Christiana, New York City

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
great staff, perfect location, beautiful garden
I very much enjoyed my stay at the Bamboo Garden Hotel - the hotel was just perfect for me - an oasis in the large city of Beijing - looking forward to stay there again

6/10 Okay

Ira, New Zealand

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
What a pity
The reception&restrant service all worst and crazy ~~ kind of feeling ~~ not always The conditions such like furniture / appliances / bathroom all a little bit old~~the hotel location very quiet but the room wasn't sound proofing!!!

8/10 Good

Annie, Washington, DC

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Home Away
As others have mentioned, the concierge was not very helpful. The hotel is set back in a hutong and so you have to walk quite a bit if you want to find a taxi. The hotel cannot/will not call a taxi for you. They send one of the boys who man the front gate out to the main street with you to hail a taxi. They did arrange a driver for us to the Great Wall and to the airport. Have someone write down the name of the main street that the hutong is off of. We had difficulty finding taxi drivers who had heard of our hutong and I think if they knew it was off of the main street, it would have been much easier getting home after dinner. The garden and the decorations are beautiful. It was always nice and quiet. Our room was clean and the AC, etc worked well. Overall, we were pleasantly surprised with how "western" and comfortable the hotel was. After a long day wondering around Beijing and dealing with cultural differences (an important part of any trip to China, in my opinion), it was nice to have this haven to return to. Also, the gift shop has some lovely items.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great Location
Based in a huntong, this is a great place to experience real Beijing life, yet staying in a quiet oasis hidden in a back street. Lovely Chinese feel to the hotel. Breakfast is only 60 yen though there's a MacDonalds nearby when you want a change, and good nightlife steps away. Disappointing there is nowhere to sit in the evening. The (nice) restaurant isn't keen on you using the terrace unless eating, and then shuts at 9pm. Beds very firm.

8/10 Good

KS, Atlanta, GA

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service
Very traditional Chinese feel
This is a local-feeling place. Clean, big rooms, lovely back courtyard. Not new by any means, but you can stay at the big Western hotels if you want that. The classic amenities are a throwback to the old China but kept fresh and clean here.

8/10 Good

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great Hutong setting
The Bamboo Garden is an oasis; despite the noise of subway construction on the main street, we could hear none of it in the hotel. In room internet was spotty at best, and the claim of tempurpedic mattresses is untrue. We got a standard uncomfortable mattress; the best the hotel could do was provide another comforter which we used as a mattress pad. Towels are non-absorbent, but as a plus they do dry quickly. Despite bitterly cold weather, the room was warm.

8/10 Good

M Png

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Traditional hotel in the Hutongs
Classical Chinese courtyard hotel with an internal bamboo garden. Tranquil environment with traditional style rooms around the courtyard and modern rooms in hotel section. Deluxe suite: Booked standard suite but free upgrade. Deluxe suite (50m²) comfortably fitted 2 bunk beds which had good support. King bed was typical Asian comfort. Heating and bedding was fine. Chinese style furniture with ample storage space. No long bath. Shower ok: ample hot water but not powerful. Room had a big window opening onto a quiet street. In room electric kettle, safe, fridge (not very cold). Service: No complaints. Room tidied daily. Price: Moderate. Can accommodate 4 persons in 1 room. Food: Didn't eat at hotel. Many eating places nearby. 京城一锅 along Jiuguloudajie serves yummy lamb hotpot at dinner time (popular with locals) and v. cheap dumplings/wonton for breakfast. Convenience: <5 mins on foot to Line 2 Subway station. Direct bus to Forbidden City/Wangfujin, Temple of Heaven/Pearl Market. Nearby convenience store and McDonald's. Neighbourhood: Felt safe. 15 min stroll to Houhai and Qianhai (lovely day or night). Many lakeside restaurants. Kaorouji near Yindingqiao serves delicious lamb/beef hotplate and lamb kebabs. Nearby: Don't miss Yandaxie Str (pedestrian shopping str). Room Tip: Deluxe suites have traditional feel and plenty of room. Hotel rooms on upper floors overlooking the garden also nice but no lift. Overall: Good hotel, traditional ambience; perhaps not the best value.

6/10 Okay

Julie S

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service
Difficult to communicate with Hotel prior to arrival. Transportation from the airport to the hotel was not accommodated as advertised. Hotel staff unclear about services offered from the hotel. Transportation directly form the hotel very difficult. Hotel shuttle not available on weekends. Clean, comfortable room. Would suggest that you know the neighborhood and are willing to go out of your way for taxi's .

10/10 Excellent

Ryszard

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Hidden gem in Hutong
Really nice hotel in a traditional Courtyard arrangement. Have an authentic look and a nice garden. Rooms are small but nicely equipped, you even have PC in your room with the complimentary Internet access. Restaurant is on site, mostly Chinese cuisine. About 10 mins walk from the nearest subway station, taxis won’t enter the last 150m stretch of Hutong street but the arranged trip cars will. There is a small parking in the courtyard. If you are looking for a traditional look&feel and all modern comforts this hotel is for you.

6/10 Okay

Nataliya, Olga, New York, NY, USA

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Disliked: Staff & service
Green hotel for everybody
Location is close to the subway which may bring you to many attractions in 20-30 minutes. Hotel has beautiful quate rich garden. Staff is pleasant with some English. however do not rely on their services on your request. Example, in the morning we asked receptionist to order taxi to train station at 5pm, OK OK. At 5 pm they told us that hotel does not call taxi from hotel, this is very expensive for them. Porter came out with us around the corner and we were picking up a car for 20 minutes, and in rush hour it takes more than an hour. Never order any tour and excurtion from this hotel due to significant overprice. Nataliya and Olga, New York.

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Thumbs up.
Convenient location. Beautiful Garden. But hotel card needs a more readable direction for taxis (too small chinese letters).

10/10 Excellent

Thng, Singapore

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Great hotel close to some sightseeing locations
We loved this courtyard hotel and were glad that we chose to stay there for 3 days. The Bamboo Garden Hotel is a sprawling complex with many low buildings (think chalet bungalows in sea side resort but tweak it into the chinese courtyard concept). The lobby block was closest to the entrance of the hotel which is nestled inside the Xiao Shi Qiao Hutong made of a long narrow road. We stayed at level two of the Ting song Lou (Listening Pines Block) which is further inside the hotel grounds, away from the alley and the car porch area where vehicles may idle while the tour vans or cars waited for the guests in the morning or evenings, past the restaurant facing the courtyard garden. There is free wifi in our room but it was rather weak. I could only get a strong signal if I sat at the window balcony area or near the room door/toilet area. We liked the quiet, relaxing and peaceful location of our rooms and the courtyard garden with the rock landscaping, mini bamboo forest and the lovely pine trees right outside our block. There is a pond (which is not so nice smelling) at the other side of the garden and I would not recommend at the blocks over that area near the pond unless the water is actually changed and flowing. Also, during our stay, they were constructing a massage room around that area of the garden. While they had the work done during daytime so it wasn't noisy at all during the evening and night, we could smell traces of paint solvent from the construction when we walked past the rock landscape in the morning. The hotel is around 10-15 minutes’ walk to the Gulou subway stn and Andingmen subway stn where the Nanluogu Alley is located is one stop away from the Gulou Station. Walking Directions 1: Turn right at the hotel exit, walk along the hutong alley till you hit the main road with an archway that reads Bamboo Garden in chinese. (i) MacDonalds, Drum and Clock Towers Standing in the direction facing the main road, on the right of the archway is MacDonalds where we get our daily dose of caffeine and if if walk further down from MacDonalds about 10 minutes, you will be able to sight the Drum and Clock Towers and use them for landmarks to reach the sights. (ii) Gulou Subway Station and breakfast shops Standing in the direction facing the main road, on the left of the archway are a long row of shops towards the subway and two convenience stores. The row of shops have many traditional chinese breakfast options ranging from express breakfast buns/bread with soymilk to snack bars, diners and restaurants which we strongly encourage to try them out on your way to the subway. Keep walking down the row of shops past the Soluxe Courtyard hotel till you see a cluster of bicycles parked on the pavement. The bicycles parked there tell you that you have reached the entrance to the Gulou subway station. Walking Directions 2: Shichahai, Wanghailou, Song Chin Ling Residence and Prince Gong Mansion We followed the setting and the flock of birds on the first day of our stay and found the shortcut to Shichahai.while using the buildings under renovations as landmarks for backtracking (still feels pretty proud of our instincts) Turn left at the hotel exit, walk along the hutong till you reach the intersection w/ Da Shi Qiao Hutong. Turn left and walk along Bifeng Hutong till you see another hutong alley - Xinkai Hutong on the left. Walk the Xinkai Hutong where there are some cafe/teashops and diners till the Main road which turned out to be Gulou West St. There is a bbq shop at the mouth of the Xinkai Hutong, a fruit shop, a restaurant specializing in lamb or mutton and a convenience store. At the mouth of the Xinkai Hutong, cross the Gulou West St and follow a path alley that leads to the Shichahai lake. You will see a noticeboard at the end of the path with a map and you can navigate yourself to the various sights clustered around the lake. If you walk northwards following the lake you can see a fitness corner for the residents. Walk further north, you will see a cluster of restaurants including a restaurant you can have your meals there.