Jin Jiang Inn Beijing West Train Inn, Beijing

Hutongs of Beijing

Advantages: Beautiful buildings and a look at life for many ordinary citizens of Beijing
Disadvantages: Can be busy and cramped

A hutong is an ancient alleyway or lane found in Beijing which can date back as far as the Yuan dynasty of China in the 13th century. The crisscrossing alleys can now offer a glimpse of another part of this ancient city that is quite different to the major attractions such as the Summer Palace or the Forbidden City. The tiny, twisted and interconnected lanes wind through whole areas of the city of Beijing. The lanes are lined with traditional stone houses all arranged in quadrangles, so four houses around a courtyard, which are beautiful old fashioned buildings. They often involve carved pillars, window frames and doors and the open spaces of the courtyard lets in air and light to otherwise quite cramped areas-some of the lanes really are tiny with less than a metre of breadth. Most of the hutongs are still used as housing and are ...

flyingllamas 07.08.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Hutongs, Beijing

Holiday Inn A55 Chester West, Northop

Advantages: Excellent connection to Chester and North Wales, reasonably priced, very family friendly
Disadvantages: Only accessible on the westbound A55, slightly dated decor

Summary This is a well priced and family friendly hotel, ideally located for easy access to North Wales, and an ideal stop off for any holiday in Wales. I stayed at this hotel for one night in October 2009. The Hotel The hotel is just off the A55 about halfway between Chester and Llandudno. The hotel is only accessible from the A55 westbound, and you have to travel to the next junction to travel back to England, which is slightly inconvenient unless you are travelling on further into Wales. The hotel is spread over three floors. There is a small reception area as you enter the hotel. There is a bar and restaurant to the right of the reception desk. The staff who assisted me on check in were a little colder than the normal Holiday Inn staff, but were not rude. The hotel does not have a pool, but it does offer a gym ...

anslomic 24.10.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Holiday Inn A55 Chester West, Northop

A Beijing Bolthole

Advantages: Cheap, with helpful staff
Disadvantages: pricy food (compared to outside of hostel),

I am back again, writing from the East! I write this while still at the hostel, while I wait for a train to Shanghai this evening. We checked out before 12 so effectively my experience of the place is complete. They are storing our bags and allowing us to use the communal facilities as we wait. We booked our holiday to China in November, planning to go to Chengdu to visit a school friend of mine. She told us she would scope out the local hostels for us and that there was a chance we could stay in her friends flat instead. Then the earthquake hit Sichuan, and our holiday looked like it was going to be cancelled. We decided to change our destination to Beijing instead, and my friend came to join us. She recommended the hostel that she had stayed in on her last visit and it looked nice enough online, so she booked it for us a couple ...

fabulous_girl 07.06.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Red Lantern House, Beijing