Shanglin Hostel - Leo Hostel 2 is set in an old historical courtyard structure near the crowded Da Zha Lan commercial area.
The Location
It can be a bit tricky to find the hostel in the labyrinths of the hutong streets. It's a good thing to write down the address in Chinese letters and ask people on the street for directions. Most Chinese people are really friendly and will be glad to help you. It's a roughly fifteen-minute walk from the Tian'anmen Square metro station to the hostel. If you prefer bus it's about a five-minute walk from the close by bus stop. Located on a side street of the busy Da Zha Lan area, it a perfect place for people who like the crowded hutong streets but still want it quiet at night.
Rooms and Bathrooms
There are many different rooms and dorm types to choose from. We stayed in an eight-person dorm and it was really clean and tidy and had in-room lockers. The beds could have been a bit more comfortable though. In the reasonably fresh bathrooms there are western-style toilets. The showers work quite well -- sometimes it's really hot water and after a while really cold water. So stand ready to jump aside when you feel the cold water is coming.
Common Spaces
There is a restaurant in the other end of the hostel. Above the restaurant is a TV-room with sofas and a couple of computers with internet. There is also free Wi-Fi. Considering the size of the hostel and the number of rooms, the TV room feels a bit small. Of course you can sit in the lobby area and look at the turtles swimming around with the fish in the aquarium, but the wooden chairs there aren't really that comfortable. In the lobby there are also two computers with internet.
Summary
We liked our stay at the Shanglin Hostel. Even though the beds are a bit hard, the rooms are clean and the staff is friendly. And it's always cool to tell your friends back home that you stayed in a historical courtyard when you visited Beijing.
— Exklusive Hostelz.com Übersicht
May 2009
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