Red Lantern House

北京西城区新街口南大街正觉胡同5号仿古园红灯笼主院/ 西单北大街西四北二条12号红灯笼西院
WINNER OF ASIA NO. 1 HOSTEL AND MOST CHARACTERISTIC HOSTEL IN HOSTELWORLD 2005


...SEVERAL GENERATIONS LIVING UNDER THE SAME ROOF...

IT IS HARD TO PLEASE EVERYBODY BUT MORE THAN SEVEN HUNDRED GUESTS HAVE REVIEWED OUR HOSTEL!!!!!

The best and most charming in-hutong area Chinese Courtyard Hostel in the heart of downtown Beijing... 100% traditional and unique. This business is actually the first courtyard hostel open to travelers in Beijing, not newly built copies... We like to call it 'a slice of heaven everybody can afford'
See and experience the real core life of Beijing and stay in our Beijing traditional courtyard house within your budget. In the sense of home, Red lantern House is the closest while you are traveling.

Behind the busy streets of Central Beijing, Red Lantern House is quietly located in the best part of the largest preserved Hutong area of downtown Beijing, which used to be the homes of royal and noble families. The main building was built in the eighteenth century in a traditional courtyard house attached to the famous Zhengjue Temple. This hostel aims to give iti s guests an opportunity to experience Chinese architecture and culture with local style by actually staying with a local family who provides guests with affordable private and shared rooms of many types and styles.

To meet increasing demand of more and more international guests of different requirements, two more locations have been put into operation and the fourth is under renovation which will be fully ready for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Red Lantern House now consists of the Main Building, West Yard, East Yard and Temple Court. They are all located in the same neighborhood and main street. More choices of different accommodation are available to suit your needs and tastes. No matter you are traveling on your own, as couples, whole family, as a group, the old or young, and even disabled (we have a handicap-accessible location), you will surely enjoy yourselves comfortably in a new home.
This hostel actually is a restored heritage home but features all the comforts of a modern home with the ambiance and feeling of traditional Chinese decor.

We have excellent facilities and our services are of more than a hostel standard. The uniqueness of our hostel is never easily found even you are staying in a five star hotel. This is why within a very short period it has become widely accepted as one of the best hostels and gained excellent reputation among guests from all over the world.

The hostel is a family-owned facility offering all her guests a warm personal welcome and detailed services in a relaxed atmosphere of peace and tranquility where you won't feel isolated.

As one of our guests put: 'This is an excellent hostel with restaurant facilities and very good food from early morning till late at night. The location in a small Hutong gives it great atmosphere and the local family feel with several generations, a cat, a dog and a small happy baby all living under the same roof adds up to this being one of the greatest hostels you will ever stay at.'

Our staff is friendly and can speak English, always ready for help. All our lovely bedrooms are clean and of a fantastic value.

Again as another guests wrote in his review of our hostel: 'The character is outstanding and charming. When you first pull up you may be a bit confused because the area doesn't look the best. However, you soon realize this cute little place is in the center of a real old Beijing downtown. The rooms open up to a courtyard/restaurant where everyone goes to meet one another. It is filled with many travelers from all over the world (in their 20s and 30s, even 40s) that you get to know over beers and food.'

To know more, check all seven pictures.

NIGHT LIFE AROUND OUR HOSTEL
The most popular Houhai Bar Street (Lotus Lane) is just a short stroll away with hundreds of bars and tea houses. You can rent a bicycle here which is the perfect way to explore the deep Hutongs to see another side of modern Beijing and China.
Our neighborhood is safe and friendly. Just outside our hostel there are many local restaurants, stores, a post office, a huge super market called Wumart and banks including a local market in Hutong as well as Jishuitan Hospital nearby. Here you can get a taste of Chinese life. You will also enjoy the same prices as the locals for everything, as this area has no tourist prices.

The services we provide are easily within your budget and time:
-travel information of Beijing and beyond
-general assistance in English
-flight confirmation
-postcards and letter sending
-interpretation
-bicycle hire
-laundry and mending
-hair dryer
-CD burning
-trips to the Great Wall at all sections including the Great Wall at Mutianyu, Badaling, Simatai and Jinshanling.
-tours and activities including the Beijing City Tour (Forbidden City & Tian'anmen Square, Summer Palace and Temple of Heaven), Hutong Tour, Beijing Opera, Chinese Acrobatics and Kungfu show.
-ticket booking including train, flight (both international and domestic) and ferry.
In our communal room or in our roofed courtyard you can enjoy DVD showings, internet access and all drinks at very good prices ( For one US dollar you can get two and half cold and crispy large beers, as well as hot drinks. Winter Recommendation: ginger tea to warm up)

AIRPORT PICK-UP
In order to get to the hostel from the airport without hassle, we provide a very reliable airport pick-up service taking you all the way to the hostel without any problem.

We are a Backpacker's hostel. Our place might not be suitable for everyone who is not used to having the backpacking experience. If you are hesitant about your choice, please make your specific requirements clear so that we could make a special one for you if possible.


Tired of the similarities, come and stay with us for a change.

Directions

RED LANTERN HOUSE, BEIJING
NO.5 ZHENGJUE HUTONG
XINJIEKOU NANDAJIE, XICHENG DISTRICT
BEIJING, CHINA, 100035

FROM THE BEIJING AIRPORT: take shuttle bus Line 2 to the last stop; the Xidan Aviation Building (the shuttle bus terminal). Get bus No 22 just in front of the Aviation Building beside the main street and get off at XinJieKou stop (should be the 6th Stop). Then walk back about 100 meters along the street, find the 'Dairy Queen' sign and turn into the small alleyway beside the DQ about 100 meters eastward, you will see i Red Lantern Housei on your left hand side with Chinese traditional wooden doors and two red lanterns on it.
FROM BEIJING CENTRAL RAILWAY STATION: take Subway (Beijing Zhan) and then get off at Jishuitan Station where you will take exit C. Turn left outside of exit C and then walk South about 15 minutes. After you see McDonald's on your right hand side, keep going ahead about 50 meters, you can see 'Dairy Queen' on the left hand of the street then turn into the alleyway beside the 'DQ' shop.

Or you can take bust No 808 from Beijing Central Railway Station and get off at XinJieKou stop, then walk ahead about 50 meters, you will see ' Dairy Queen', then follow the directions above.

FROM BEIJING WEST RAILWAY STATION: take bus No 47 and get off at XinJieKou, walk back about 150 meters, find the 'Dairy Queeni shop on your left hand side and turn into the alleyway beside the shop. About 100 meters away, you will find 'Red Lantern House' on your left hand side.

BY TAXI: If you take a taxi from Xidan Aviation Building to our hostel, the cost will be around 15-20yuan. From the airport by taxi will cost about 120yuan..
We have all sizes of buses and cars to take you to any where you wish to go and pick you up anywhere you arrive. For this service, please send an e-mail or just call.

It is always helpful to keep the phone number if you are lost.

If you wish to take taxi to the hostel, don't use the service desks in the lobby of the airport or those offer you a ride to the city center because most they are always ready to rip you off at more than 300 RMB by putting you onto their private car without a taxi license. From the airport to the hostel it never costs more than 120 RMB. You can get a taxi from just outside of the airport lobby. Please use licensed taxis for more reliable service. If you are overcharged, don't hesitate to contact Simon.

AIRPORT PICK-UP
In order to get to the hostel from the airport without hassle, we provide a very reliable airport pick-up service taking you all the way to the hostel without any problems.

It costs 160RMB per car with max.3 people with luggage from 7:00am to 11:00pm. Due to the price for gasoline have been rising several times during the last year, the price for airport pick-up to Red Lantern House will be raised to 160RMB/car from the 1st of August. Before it is 150RMB/car . For other times it costs 180RMB. The above rate includes high way toll and parking fee.

To get to the airport from the hostel, it costs 150RMB (7am to 11pm) including high way toll.
For the service, please contact us in advance

Facilities