The Orchid Hotel - Old Town & Drum Tower

Lovely hutong stay, beautifully designed hotel and room, nice staff, good attached restaurants, incredible location

A wonderful hidden fort full of style in one of the loveliest areas in Beijing. The room was stylish and had a beautiful skylight. The staff speaks perfect English and are very kind and helpful. We loved the décor and the cats.

Travelling with a 13 year old boy, we found the room a bit small, especially the bed, which was on a mezzanine and not very easy to reach. The bathroom had all the necessities but was lacking useful hangers and the sink was a bit small, leaving the area often wet.

One of my favorite spots in the hutongs - fabulous location and authentic stay.

It has aged a little bit and needs a few updates - dim sum breakfast was slow and not as amazing as it used to be.

The location is great, buried in the hutongs in the shadow of the Bell Tower but away from Bell Tower craziness. There are lots of interesting bars and restaurants around and the Metro is very convenient. The middle-Eastern style breakfasts are a big plus and a major feature of why the hotel is attractive. The onsite bakery is excellent too. We were upgraded to a bigger room with a kitchen area with on tap drinking water, which is unusual and great. Underfloor heating and an actual bath in the bathroom were appreciated too. The towels were great.

The upgrade was to a loft apartment, which was a mistake for us. The mattress (not particularly comfortable) was on the floor and up stairs from the bathroom, not ideal for guests who are no longer young enough to scramble in and out of bed easily. The living space had a small sofa but no other comfortable chair (although there was plenty room for one) so we were rather awkwardly perched side by side. The small kitchenette had dishes and glasses but no cloths or towels so keeping them clean and it tidy was a challenge. The room had large windows but looked directly onto the courtyard so we had to keep the blinds down which made it rather gloomy. The main issue is the 5 star price in the absence of 5 star amenities. Pity. I stayed here once before when the prices were half what they are now, and would say that was good value. In my opinion it no longer is.