Sihe Courtyard Hotel

We have had an amazing stay this week in the Sihe Courtyard Hotel in one of the old hutongs of Beijing. I would unreservedly recommend it as a place to stay. It has an unassuming entrance; two red lanterns the only indication that there is anything inside. Once you pass through the doors, there are three courtyards in a building that dates back to the mid 17th century. This place has been the home of Wang Yuhua, an officer in the Quing dynasty and Liao Yaoxing, a commander of the Kuomintang. It has also been the residence of Mei Lanfang, a Beijing opera star and painter who refused to sing in the opera whilst the Japanese ruled Beijing.

Now it is the home to mostly foreign, but also a few Chinese tourists, who want to experience a bit of history and soak up the hutong communal way of life. Dengcao Hutong is a very small street, but already we are on nodding terms with the man who says ‘Ni Hao’ every time we pass, and the old lady with bottle top glasses, pop socks and a flatulent pekingnese in a basket. At the end of the hutong is the little shop where we buy our beer and the bun man if you are feeling peckish!

The rooms in the Sihe Hotel are done out in old fashioned style with rosewood beds and lantern lampshades, but the bathrooms are all blue neon lights with ultra modern power shower- ancient and modern! The staff are extremely friendly and have gone out of their way to help us find what we need, as well as organising trips to the Great Wall, cooking lessons (Maisie and Harry are now mean dumpling chefs!) and tickets to the Beijing State Acrobatics show. Breakfast is modest but highly adequate and they will even call out for a Chinese takeaway for dinner. For the same price as a highly average, boring old hotel you can stay in a lively slice of history!

www.sihehotel.com/en/