Beijing Emperor Guesthouse

Welcome to the Emperor Guesthouse!

Welcome to your new home away from home! Please allow us to introduce the Emperor Guesthouse...

The Emperor Guesthouse is well-known for its colourful history over the last 240 years. In the past, the Emperor Qian Long himself is rumoured to have resided here, along with other famous nobles. In the basement, there is even a secret tunnel that previously led to the Forbidden City (now partially blocked off).

The Emperor Guesthouse is one of Beijing's most famous courtyard structures. It is a protected building, with authentic wood-carved architecture and wood-beam roofing. It is a main feature of all tours around the Qianmen area, with tour groups having to pay a small entrance fee.

Whilst there are many single-storey courtyard hostels around Beijing, the Emperor Guesthouse is one of only a few large 2-storey courtyard accomodations. Nowhere else in Beijing can you find such a great combination of traditional Chinese architecture at such a central location...

Aside from offering a great taste of Chinese history, the Guesthouse also offers a great central location. It is just 10 minutes walk away from Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. The subway & bus center is also just 10 minutes walk away - we can give you a free travel map when you arrive.

The Emperor Guesthouse is set in the Qianmen hutong area, which has over 600 years of history ('hutong' is the name for Beijing's ancient ally-streets). To the East (starting just 100 meters away), a busy hutong market street area, with a large variety of restaurants, shops, and market stalls, leading right up to Tiananmen Square itself. To the North, a residential hutong area, allowing you to take a glimpse into the 'Old Beijing' hutong life (you can zig-zag through the old hutong all the way up to Tiananmen Square). To the West, a bustling fruit & vegetable market, and the famous Liulichang art/culture street, packed with antiques and traditional architecture.

Almost every room at the Emperor Guesthouse faces on to the central courtyard, adding a real historic start to everyone's day...

We offer larger private rooms with inside toilet and shower, and smaller private rooms with outside toilet and shower. We also have budget dorm rooms with security lockers.

The majority of rooms have hot/cold air conditioning. Other rooms have a heater for the winter and a fan for the summer, as some guests prefer.

Although our Guesthouse is over 240 years old, the western toilets and showers are all newly fitted, with a 'green' solar-powered hot water system.

Enjoy the peaceful ambiance of our historic courtyard. Relax with a book or warm up with a few games of ping pong or badminton. Or meet fellow guests in our restaurant/bar over a beer. The internet is free, as is the wireless/WI-FI signal around the whole guesthouse. (btw Facebook is blocked in China but you may be able to access it on our computers ;). We serve a range of chinese and western food, and also cater for vegetarians. We also have hundreds of movies and music videos to choose from.

Facilities/Services:
-Restaurant & Bar
-Tourist Information
-Ticket Booking
-Tours to Great Wall, Beijing Opera, Acrobatics, Kung
Fu, & more (inc. Lhasa/Tibet tours)
-Laundry service
-Bike rental (new mountain bikes with Shimano gears) -Lugage Storage
-Telephone facilities
-Kung Fu / Tai Qi lessons and more...

FREE:
-Internet computers at reception & WIFI signal all around Guesthouse
-Chinese tea in the morning and snacks & rice wine in evening
-Dumpling party
-Ping ping, badminton & darts
-Playstation & many board games
-Local area and subway map
-Luggage storage
-Security lockers (in dorms)

The Emperor Guesthouse welcomes you to enjoy the amazing opportunity to sample a real taste of Beijing's history. Its beautiful wooden structure (and our 2 cats with kittens:) will welcome you from the moment you step through the doors!

(Please note: This Guesthouse is affiliated with Lonely Planet top-rated 'Leo Hostel', just 5 minutes walk away. Guests can enjoy the facilities and services offered at both hostels :)

Directions

DIRECTIONS TO THE EMPEROR GUESTHOUSE

** PLEASE READ THESE DIRECTIONS FULLY
TO AVOID ANY PROBLEMS GETTING TO THE
HOSTEL. PLEASE REMEMBER TO PRINT OUT
THE MAP - IT HAS OUR CHINESE ADDRESS AND
PHONE NUMBERS **

Please note: The Da Zha Lan Xi Jie market street has some
road-construction right now, so please follow the back-alleys off Yang
Mei Zhu Xi Jie - see map for more details)

----------------------

DIRECTIONS FROM THE BEIJING
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT:
1) Book a taxi pick-up from us. We can pick you up at the airport for
240rmb per car (fits up to 3 passengers) (from 10pm to 7am, there will
be an extra 50rmb charge). If you are interested, please provide ALL
of the following details: arrival date, arrival time, flight number,
airline, departure city. Please book your pick-up at least 48 hours in
advance. If your flight arrives within 48 hours, please phone the
hostel to give us your details.
or
2) Take the shuttle bus to the Beijing city
center (the journey takes over 1 hour). There are different shuttle
buses but it is best to take the bus to the main Beijing train station
(16rmb). The bus stops about 200 meters west of the Beijing station.
When you get off the bus continue walking straight (in the direction
of the bus) to arrive at Beijing station. For directions from the
station, please read below.
3) Take the new shuttle train from Terminal 2 or 3 to Dongzhimen
subway station (25rmb).
Then change to subway line 2 and take the
subway to Qianmen and leave by Exit C, then follow the map.
------------------------
DIRECTIONS FROM THE MAIN BEIJING TRAIN
STATION: (trains arriving from Shanghai,
Mongolia, Russia etc…)
1) Take the bus. Leave the station by the north exit, walk right
(east) about 500 meters to the bus park and take bus 20 or 59 to Da
Zha Lan (1rmb). The Da zha Lan stop is around the 5th stop (wait for
the bus to completely pass Tiananmen Square and then get off at the
next stop). When you get off the bus, walk north (in the opposite
direction to the bus) and take the second left on to Yang Mei Zhu Xie
Jie and follow the map to the Guesthouse. Please remember to print out
our map, or even make a hand-copy!
or
2) Take the subway. The subway is outside of
the train station, 500 meters to the left (west). Take the subway to
the Qianmen subway station - 3rmb. Leave the subway by Exit C and head
towards Meishi Jie Road (you can see the 'GUANQI HOTEL' on the
corner). Walk south on Meishi Jie Road about 500 and turn right on to
Yang Mei Zhu Xie Jie and follow the map to the Guesthouse. Please
remember to print out our map, or even make a hand-copy!
or
3) Take a taxi to the hostel - around 25rmb.
(ask the driver to phone us for directions)
ATM money machine: 100 meters left of the
station north exit.
Bank of Beijing: over the footbridge outside the station north exit
------------------------
DIRECTIONS FROM THE BEIJING WEST TRAIN
STATION:
(trains arriving from Xi'An, Chengdu, Pingyao, Datong, Hong Kong etc…)
1) Leave by the North exit & take bus 67 from in front of the station
(opposite a KFC). You need to get on at the front of the bus and put
1rmb in the drivers box. The bus ends at Qianmen (next to a KFC!).
When you get off the bus, continue walking East for about 200 meters
(in the same direction as the bus). Follow the road round to the right
and look for Meishi Jie Road (you can see the 'GUANQI HOTEL' on the
corner). Walk south on Meishi Jie Road about 500 meters and turn right
on to Yang Mei Zhu Xie Jie and follow the map to the Guesthouse.
Please remember to print out our map, or even make a hand-copy!
or
2) Leave by the North exit, walk 10 minutes
North to the Military Museum (Junshi Bowuguan) subway station. Take the subway
to the Fuxingmen station and then change to
subway line 2 and take the subway to the
Qianmen station - 3rmb. (see above for
directions from Qianmen subway station)
or
3) Take a taxi to the hostel - around 25rmb (ask the driver to phone
us for directions)
Bank & ATM money machine: leave the station
and walk to the right (east)
------------------------
DIRECTIONS FROM THE BEIJING SOUTH TRAIN
STATION (trains arriving from Tianjin etc)
This is a new station so there are not any good bus/subway connections
to the Guesthouse yet. Please take a taxi (costs around 20rmb) and ask
the driver to phone us for directions.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
PLEASE NOTE: If you have any problems or get lost, please phone us -
many small newspaper shops have a phone you can use. Taxi drivers do
not always know the best way to reach the hostel, so it is best to ask
them to phone us, or you can get out at Tiananmen Square and follow
the map yourself.

Facilities

Restaurant, Airport Pick Up, Bicycle Hire, Linen Included, Credit Cards Accepted, Bar, Towels, Luggage Storage, Swimming Pool, 24 hour reception, Travel Desk/Travel Info, Bureau de Change, Common Room, Breakfast Not Included, 24 Hour Check In, Air Conditioning