"Nestled in the maze of back alleys near Beijing ’s iconic Drum and Bell towers, the Orchid Gulou is a small boutique hotel that caters to adventurous travelers looking for the coziness of a boutique hotel in the middle of the capital. The hotel is a converted siheyuan (courtyard) that, although thoroughly modernized, retains much of the lived-in character of an ancient Chinese home. One of the location’s standout features is a top-level deck that allows you to peek through the tops of old-growth trees for views of the Drum tower and the surrounding hutongs . Room amenities include heated floors, complimentary fruit baskets, and air purifiers."
"Tucked away in a hutong lane, this small, casually stylish hotel offers 10 compact rooms with en-suite bathrooms and TV/Wi-Fi, plus a rooftop cocktail bar overlooking the low-rise rooftops of old Beijing."
The Orchid Hotel - Old Town & Drum Tower, a Design Boutique Hotel Beijing, China
"House in a well-reserved old dwelling, The Orchid Hotel, Beijing is located in the historic Hutong area in the heart of Beijing, a 12-minute walk from Houhai Lake and the bars. It features free WiFi in all areas and free bicycles.
Orchid Hotel is 3 km from The Forbidden City and 4 km from Wangfujing shopping area. Lama Temple is a 7-minute drive away and Guloudajie subway station is a 10-minute walk away. Both Beijing South Railway Station and Beijing West Railway Station can be accessed in 55 minutes' drive. It takes around 50 minutes by car to Beijing Capital International Airport.
Using natural elements as brick, cloth and wood, the rooms here will provide you with a flat-screen TV with cable channels and air conditioning. There is also an electric kettle. Featuring a shower, private bathrooms also come with a hairdryer and a bathrobe. Extras include a desk.
Guests may chill out on the terrace, or take a small stroll in the ancient valley. Other facilities offered include ticketing service and a tour desk.
The hotel staff prepares fresh, hearty breakfast each morning for guests." - My Boutique Hotel (en)
"A secret sanctuary in the hutongs, The Orchid is one of the best options to get a feel for traditional Beijing life.
The owners have restored and built upon a Qing Dynasty-era courtyard home, adding gardens, restaurants and a terrace bar with majestic views of the Drum and Bell Towers, looming above the eaves of courtyard rooftops.
Petite guestrooms come with Chinese tea sets and mobile phones, and there are larger ‘dispersed’ suites dotted about in nearby alleyways.
Enclosed by a grid of strollable lanes, and close to Houhai Lake and the Lama Temple, the Orchid makes a wonderful base for sightseeing on foot.
" - Thomas O’Malley
Quirky stays from California to Cairns - SilverKris
"One of the first "dispersed" hotels I highlight is The Orchid, a once-derelict hutong courtyard in Beijing now turned into 10 separate guest quarters." - Yun Jin Loh
Excellent stay. We stayed here 4 nights in Sep 2025. Room (The Orchid Loft Suite #68) was ok and fairly spacious. The bed is however in the loft (higher area) where you need to take small flight of stairs. Therefore can be quite warm as it’s on the higher area (make sure adjust air con to lower temperature). There’s also living area with sofa and tv. There’s filtered water and fridge and pour over/drip coffee maker.
Breakfast was good (both Chinese and western)
The hotel is in charming Hutong area. There’s few bars/cafes around the area.
Andrew P.
Google
Spent two nights at The Orchid in September 2025, and it was perfect. The staff were all wonderful. Checkin was a breeze with full explanation of the facilities. We had two early morning starts (before breakfast options were opened) and we were offered/supplied with breakfast to take with us. A great stay in a nice old area of Beijing. The staff we dealt with at the front desk made it all the more enjoyable. Highly recommend staying at The Orchid.
sylvanianbear
Google
We stayed 3 nights in the Orchid in the courtyard room - which has a delightful mezzanine. It was our first stop, but would turn out to be my favourite hotel in China. ||The food in the two on site restaurants was excellent for breakfast and dinner. They arrange for a car to take from the airport, and a trip to the Jinshanling section of the Great Wall. The location is fabulous for getting anywhere and a wonderful area to just wander around. ||But it was the little touches that make it so charming - from the tea in the room (delicious) to the extremely helpful map (noting vegetarian friendly restaurants within walking distance), to the set of excellent english language films there were so many little things that added a little extra joy. ||There are even friendly cats! ||I loved it and would certainly stay here again.
A5010UJjennifera
Google
The Orchid Hotel and staff were incredible! This was such a perfect way to start our trip to China. Every staff member we met was so kind and helpful and gave us assistance in setting up our apps, giving great recommendations and going above and beyond (like making reservations for us and making sure we had their phone number in case we had any issues when we were out sightseeing during the day). Our daughters loved playing with the cats each day, we loved staying in the hutong neighborhood and we all thoroughly enjoyed the delicious breakfast in the restaurant each day. This was one of our favorite and most memorable hotel stays and we cannot thank the team at The Orchid enough!
888hamm
Google
Such a cool experience staying here in the middle of the old Beijing Hutongs. Definitely ticks the box for romantic hidden gem. No large scale resort here, all very small and personal. With a lovely roof terrace, possibly the cutest in Beijing. What a spot to relax in after a day soaking in the imperial history and modernity of Beijing. Recommend this place. Lists of small stairs to navigate. That is one consideration if mobility is an issue
Trip.com M.
Google
Amazing hotel!! Lovely huge room with a stunning view! So close to the bund and commercial shopping! The room itself was huge, tidy and we appreciated the top up of cold Coke and sprite each day! Front desk was amazing and we super appreciated the early check in after our 14 hour flight!! Thank you so much! Downside has nothing to do with the hotel however there is a group of people always lurking trying to sell you their fake products and won’t take no as an answer. As soon as we stepped out of the door we were approached every single time. But thats nothing to do with the hotel! Just something to be aware of.
Stanislav A.
Google
If you are looking for the tasteless and soulless place, this is wrong place.
This little hotel has a heart, its own identity.
The members of the staff are incredibly welcoming, polite, and professional.
The rooms are clean and thoughtful.
The rooftop cafe has a nice breakfast menu; being situated at the rooftop gives you a nice breath of fresh air in the morning.
I enjoyed every minute of my stay!
sebgolding
Google
The Orchid is the perfect base from which to explore Beijing - character (my wife and I loved the hutong setting too!); friendly, helpful staff; a great breakfast offering (incl. options to scratch that Western itch if you develop one…) - Couldn’t recommend it more! Book early to secure a room. It will definitely be the first place I will check when next I plan to be in town.|(We travelled as a couple. We did come across both families and solo travellers while there.)