Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hotel
(24 Songshu Jie, Xicheng district,
什剎海皮影文化酒店, 西城区松树街23号
, tel.
10/8328-7846,
www.shadowarthotel.com
,
from RMB1,200, discounts for advanced book-
ings). This beautiful boutique hotel is buried among the
hútòng
to the west side of Houhai.
It's the perfect spot to wander among parts of old Beijing that haven't quite yet been freight
trained by tourism. If you'd like to get a taste of what it's like to live in a
sìhéyuàn,
among
the locals and within arm's reach of streetside vendors, look into staying at
Templeside De-
luxe Hutong House
(exact address dependent on house chosen, Xicheng district,
广济.邻
国际青年旅舍
, tel. 10/6617-2571,
www.templeside.com
,
from RMB100). Set in two tra-
ditional
sìhéyuàn,
this quaint family-style guesthouse has hostel dormitories through to a
deluxe VIP family room. Though great for the warmer months, it's possibly not the most
comfortable option for winter.
Haidian District
If your company is sending you to Beijing to investigate options up in Zhongguancun, then
let's hope they kindly treat you to a stay at the
Crown Plaza Beijing Zhongguangcun
(106 Zhichun Lu, Haidian district,
北京中关村皇冠假日酒店, 海淀区知春路106号
, tel.
10/5993-8888,
www.crowneplaza.com
,
from RMB1,488). There isn't much entertainment
in the immediate vicinity of the hotel, but being close to Haidianhuangzhuang subway sta-
tion (Lines 4 and 10) gives you easy access to both the technology and university areas, as
well as Olympic Park.
A budget option is YHA hostel
Beijing Heyuan International Youth Hostel
(1 Zhiqi-
angbeiyuan, off Wenhuiyuan Lu, Haidian district,
海淀区志强北园1号, 文慧园路,
tel.
10/6227-7138,
www.yhachina.com
, from RMB65). It's set in a beautiful traditional-style
building and is walking distance from Jishuitan subway station, making it a great central
location between the universities and the city center. If you do want to be closer to the uni-
versities, however, then you could try PekingUni International Youth Hostel (150 Chengfu
While it's not the most stylish place to stay, its facilities are clean and tidy. The major plus
of this hostel is its excellent location near Wudaokou subway station and many of the uni-
versities.
Northeast Chaoyang and Shunyi
When searching for a hotel out around this area, try to stay somewhere in the vicinity of
the New China International Exhibition Center or Tianzhu town, just west of the airport.
This is where the majority of international schools and homes are in Shunyi. It's close to
the expressway and subway, so getting into town will be much easier. You'll find luxury
