My girlfriend and i stayed at the Orchid in January 2012 for 5 nights.
General:
The orchid is somewhat hidden away inside Baochao Hutong but it is fairly straight forward to find if you have proper directions. The hotel itself is exceptionally well designed given the cozy space it occupies. We were given a very warm welcome and introduced to all the amenities. Each night upon return, the hotel felt like an oasis in the middle of a bustling Hutong.
Location:
We couldn't have asked for a better situated place to stay. The lake area (Houhai) with abundance of restaurants, bars and other stores were minutes away by foot and Joel was kind enough to print off a map for our convenience. The tourist Hutong (NanLuoGuXiang) was literally minutes up the main road and is definitely worth a visit. The forbidden city area can also be reached by foot although it was freezing cold the morning we decided to visit so we took a cheap cab ride there instead. Basically, most basic needs and wants can be found around the hotel itself. Being inside a Hutong, The Orchid really does provide quite an authentic experience of Beijing and its neighborhoods.
The Room:
We stayed in the three gardens room. The room came with fresh water and fruit (refilled), which was convenient as winter in Beijing makes the air very dry. The room came with Apple TV, loaded with an abundance of movies which we enjoyed each evening (Although some movies were without sound, it was not a problem given the selection). The bed and pillows were very comfortable (memory foam). The bathroom and shower were very clean and comfortable, which was definitely an essential for us.
Breakfast:
There's a variety of breakfast choices to suit your taste and if you have to leave too early for a proper breakfast, Joel would happily pack you some pastries and fruit to take away. Definitely no complaints here.
Service:
the service cannot be faulted here as Joel and his staff were very happy to help out with anything we asked, including booking transport, restaurants etc.
We definitely enjoyed our stay at the Orchid and if you're up for some exploring around a great part of Beijing, then the Orchid would be great for you.
