Reviews of Chinese Box Courtyard Hostel

18 January 2012 Amiel would recommend this property

Liked: Staffs really helpful and friendly. They have heaters everywhere, in the rooms, next to the toilets, shower area, since it's so cold in winter, it is really nice that rooms are nice, warm, and clean.

Disliked: Water pressure is really low. Though the water is hot, it was hard to have a proper shower..

02 January 2012 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Its really well decorated- quirky Chinese traveller style. I loved the cats! There are about 8 big fat Beijing moggies, most of whom love human attention which was a great touch of home. The staff were friendly and you could hang out with them (and the cats) at night when there were no other guests. The home cooked food available at the 'family dinner' and 'dumpling party' were delicious. I got the dumpling party for free which was nice. And the toilets, although 'outhouses' are really well heated and the warmest place at the hostel! I plan to stay there again in July.

Disliked: The main building was really cold in the evenings (it was the end of December and Beijing was litterally freezing). It was cold even wearing a hat and coat- an extra radiator or two might make all the difference.

09 December 2011 HARRY would recommend this property

Liked: Everything!

Disliked: HARRY left no negative feedback.

24 November 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: The dorm rooms are a good size and they offer really large lockers (big enough to fit a rucksack in) which is something I haven't seen before. Also the beds are really comfortable and long (I am 6'3 and even fit in the bunk bed which is unusual). This is a good place to meet people if traveling alone. The tour they offer to the great wall is excellent. It is a good price and the 3 hour journey there and back is well worth it.

Disliked: The hostel certainly isn't new and shiny and it could do with a bit of a renovation but the staff are very friendly and they have great dumping and pancake parties which are very good for meeting people. It isn't the cleanest hostel either, but I guess this is china so perhaps my expectations are a little above Chinese standards. The hostel is on a bit of an intimidating lane way, but once inside it is a lot nicer that it Looks on the outside. It can be a bit tricky to find, make sure you take the second (not the first) lane way when going from the metro exit A (the street names are all very similar). The Internet is touch and go here. It works sometime and not other time which is a big annoying.

14 November 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: The staff and the rooms are nice and warm, the atmosphere is almost like staying in a family. It's a quiet area, there's absolutely no traffic noise. Maybe the description of the neighborhood is a bit too enthusiastic, but it's hard to name the perfect location in beijing. The facilities are nice, clean and well maintained.

Disliked: Nothing.

31 October 2011 Nils would recommend this property

Liked: Friendly staff, very helpful

Disliked: nothing. everything was great.

23 October 2011 WAI KUAN would recommend this property

Liked: The hostel is very clean, cosy and the atmosphere was serene. But most of all the staff was very accommodating. Here I also met other travellers whom are very nice and made new friends. Highly recommended place to stay.

Disliked: The only thing which I find uncomfortable was the shower. The water was very slow and the holder of the shower head was spoilt and cant hold the shower head, thus very inconvenient. Should be repaired. Other than this everything was perfect.

23 October 2011 WAI KUAN would recommend this property

Liked: The hostel is very clean, cosy and the atmosphere was serene. But most of all the staff was very accommodating. Here I also met other travellers whom are very nice and made new friends. Highly recommended place to stay.

Disliked: The only thing which I find uncomfortable was the shower. The water was very slow and the holder of the shower head was spoilt and cant hold the shower head, thus very inconvenient. Should be repaired. Other than this everything was perfect.

22 October 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Nice quiet location just a short walk from XiSi metro station. My room was ok

Disliked: My room was very dark as the lighting wasn't bright enough. The only other problem was horrible drain smells coming from the sink - but that problem could be eliminated by leaving the sink with the plug in and filling it with water. Given the length of my stay I would have liked them to empty the rubbish bins every day (they were only emptied when I asked)

18 October 2011 Christopher would recommend this property

Liked: Great atmosphere! love the cats. Everyone is friendly and it's a great place to meet other travellers.

Disliked: The showers were very weak and didn't work so well.

27 September 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Very friendly staff, always ready to help and give advice. Speaking good English. There's a BBQ on Mondays, family dinner on Wednesdays and on Fridays there's a dumpling party. Nice common area where there's always guests around

Disliked: The beds are clean, you get fresh linen when you arrive, but the rest of the bedrooms could be cleaned more properly.

26 September 2011 Lauren would recommend this property

Liked: Staff are so helpful and patient. Great help booking trains, and giving directions. Family dinner and dumpling party are a great way to meet other travelers and get tips on where's best to go.

Disliked: Nothing really!

22 September 2011 Denise would recommend this property

Liked: ideal location for the metro into the tourist spots of Beijing, Don't make a judgement on forst impressions, the alley way to the hostel looks like a dump, and i thought whether i had made a huge mistake in chosing this hostel, but once inside the gates, the welcome is very charming, free first drink, lovely breakfast, free monday night BBQ. I travelled on my own to Beijing but met many in my situation and socialised with these people.

Disliked: The first alley way walk to the hostel, yr first impression is totally incorrect

19 September 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Lovely friendly staff, lovely location with lots of hutongs around.

Disliked: Can't think of anything.

11 September 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: Great location for lone travelers and backpackers, and the staff are amazing. Very clean facilities and beds, breakfasts are very good as well (best mosly in beiging by my account). Dominant advantage: staff give off wonderful tips for touring through Beijing's less renowned sights.

Disliked: Not the cheapest option on the list. Them Hutong alleyways leading to the hostel ain't the prettiest, though the neighbors're quite friendly.

17 August 2011 Gary would recommend this property

Liked: Staff were very helpful and friendly.Location great.Not far to the subway system which is the only way to travel around Beijing.

Disliked: Need a new fridge as the beer was not cold.Common areas could have overhead fans installed.

15 August 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: The two days I spent there was like being with friends. If you needed something you got help. If not you did not have a feeling like you bought in. Just your place. Secure, clean, private.

Disliked: Disliked nothing.

03 August 2011

Liked: The staff was most helpful, the breakfast is nice touch.

Disliked: The location is too remote from the center, and also 15min walk from the subway. The Hutong it is located at is not really nice...

01 August 2011 Lee-Ann would recommend this property

Liked: Private room was wonderfully decorated. The cats were charming. It was clean. The dumplings served at the Friday dumpling party were fantastic. Most of the staff was helpful. It's a chilled out hostel, perfect for relaxing and getting away from the hustle.

Disliked: My friend rang the hostel a few times asking for me but they said I wasn't there, even though I was sitting in the living area and they saw me there.

29 July 2011 Heather would recommend this property

Liked: Amazing atmosphere - full of other backpackers, great place to meet people because of the layout of the hostel (courtyards, common area and events like free dumpling party on Friday, family dinner (29yuan) on Wed - DELICIOUS and totally worth it!) The staff are the best, they are AWESOME!!! Great Wall Tour (the 6AM one!) was so worth it - 260yuan, and the section of the Wall that they take you to (Jinshanling) is partially reconstructed one direction, reconstructed the other direction so you can get a feel for how it looked. VERY worth it!! The rooms are great - fantastic A/C, very comfortable beds! The coffee and noodles with egg/tomato are both delicious, and the free breakfast is nice!! I also liked that it was very safe, the front door is accessible with an electronic key card. We didn't even bother using our lockers in the room or closing the door to our room! Great location - close to Forbidden City, metro, shops, and restaurants, about 20 min away in a taxi from Sanlitun. Good internet connection - Skype with video worked perfectly, and they have computers with their own VPN. We actually stayed at Chinese Box twice - we had to leave after 2 nights because they were full, and checked into 1 Hai Inn, then came back to Chinese Box as soon as we could because it was worlds better!! Would HIGHLY recommend to anyone and everyone!!

Disliked: A bit tough to find at first, as it is down a small street, but look for the big red doors!! :)

17 June 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: The building is very charming and the staff are so amazing. They are so sweet and helpful. The Great Wall Tour they put together for Mutianyu is awesome and I loved the group dinners they put together, which make it really easy to meet other people, plus the food was always delicious (still thinking about the duck we had at family dinner). The location, while not walking distance to any major sights, was still only a 10-15 minute ride from the major sights and it's a really close walk to the MTR station (like 5 minutes or less). Really glad I chose this hostel over a so-so hostel with a little bit more central location....it was definitely worth it. The bathrooms were nothing spectacular but were ten times better than any other hostel I have stayed at in China. The hostel has a very friendly and relaxed vibe and people are all game to meet one another.

Disliked: Nothing.

26 April 2011 Kris would recommend this property

Liked: Perfect location , nice stafe and common aera

Disliked: Nice place , but a bit expensive for china

23 April 2011 Conor would recommend this property

Liked: Very helpful staff and many interesting people staying there. Good standard of accomodation. Really nice common area. Good range of facilities such as tours, bike hire, laundry. Friendly cats. The muesli breakfast option was really delicious.

Disliked: Slightly expensive but it is a very nice place.

14 April 2011 Customer would recommend this property

Liked: peaceful courtyard, helpful staff, interesting location

Disliked: nothing

24 March 2011 Sergio would recommend this property

Liked: Great staff, a lot of hospitality to make you feel home.

Disliked: nothing