My review is short and sweet - the Orchid is everything all of the previous glowing reports have told you - great staff, wonderful breakfast and the most amazing location in old Beijing - we found the express train and then subway from the Airport not too difficult - but taxis are not expensive in China and we certainly appreciated the ~$25 transfer (arranged by the Orchid) to the Beijing South railway station on our way out of town when Beijing turned on some early snow for us last Sunday. Mr Shi's across the road is a must - it's not just dumplings ! - but they are to die for !

We were in Beijing for a big neuroscience conference this past June and chose to stay at the Orchid based on the killer reviews. We certainly weren't disappointed. The staff at the front desk were always welcoming, friendly and super knowledgeable. Our room was a little loft with a fab little sitting room (and amazingly spacious bathroom) downstairs and a sleeping area upstairs. The breakfast was absolutely divine - a wonderful mix of western and eastern influences, served on the outdoor terrace. It was easily the most peaceful and relaxed part of our days in buzzing, energetic Beijing! Whenever we travel back to Beijing, we will definitely pick The Orchid again - and so should you!

This is one of the most interesting hotels I have ever stayed in. It is situated amongst the hutongs in the old part of Beijing. When the driver (or taxi) drops you off, you will think that you are in the wrong place. Once you enter the front door, you are transported to a boutique semi luxury hotel. There are no frills here...just modern, clean, relaxing, and uncluttered spaces. We stayed in the Yang room with the rooftop terrace. It is worth the extra to get this room as it is the most remote and secluded. It also has a wonderful private terrace overlooking the Orchid and surrounding areas. The only complaint that I have is that we arranged the hotel to pick us up from the airport after our 14 hour flight. The driver was supposed to be waiting for us at the immigration exit. Unfortunately, he was not amongst the other 30 drivers. After 30 minutes of waiting, we found a phone and called the hotel. Finally, after about an hour of waiting the driver arrived and shuttled us to the hotel. It is definitely worth having a driver pick you up as the taxi line looked to be over 2 hours and most taxis will not know how to get to the hotel. If you do take a taxi, be sure and print of directions in Mandarin. Overall it was a wonderful place to stay in a very interesting and historical section of Beijing. Oh yes, eat some dumplings at Mr. Shi's!

Yes - this is another excellent review of The Orchid. We have just spent 9 nights staying in various of the differently themed rooms. They are all wonderfully equipped, comfortable and quiet. We enjoyed the breakfasts, the excellent wine list and the peace and tranquility of the courtyard. The staff were always available for help and advice - a nice touch was that despite a very early departure for the airport (4am!) some "take away" breakfast cake had been carefully packed for us to take with us.

Only one thing - those of us who have enjoyed our stay here need to stop writing good reviews and telling people about The Orchid or we shall never be able to get a reservation again!