LEO HOSTEL II
+ BEIJING, CHINA

I couldn’t have chosen a better place to stay in the heart of Beijing. From the reservation website I found, there was barely any indication of the quality or service from it’s brief description. I chose to stay in one of their less expensive 4-bed dorms at $7USD per night and it was great(of course, they offer several types of accommodation, including private twin rooms). My roomates changed a few times, but they were always the coolest bunch. The hostel itself has some nice history behind it. After a late night, I came back and found myself having a brief conversation with the manager. He told me, from what I can remember, that the staff used to work at an old hotel he stayed at long ago. He said the hotel closed, and the staff were all laid off and had no where else to work. At that time, he had already planned to open a youth hostel in Beijing, and hired them all, giving them new jobs at his hostel. It looks like it worked great, because everyone was happy, spoke great English, and kept the place in great condition. Nice story. They’ve actually moved once, this is their new location, hence the “II” in their current name.

That brings me to my room. All guidebooks will warn you about the water. I’m sure Chinese guidebooks warn Chinese people about water in Western countries as well. Don’t worry, it wasn’t poisonous, but I wouldn’t drink it either. The faucet and showers worked fine, but I strongly recommend buying a cheap pair of sandals to wear while taking a shower. Just walk across the street and bargain one for $2USD. Some of the rooms(I changed rooms twice due to the hostels scheduling) have different styled shower arrangements. All were fine and usable.

The beds were alright, the sheets always clean. As a policy though, they don’t change your sheets until you leave, so don’t go rolling in mud before taking a nap. My first room had a funny arrangement, four beds, and three doors. One door led into the room, the second to the bathroom, and the third to the alleyway. Yep, when I arrived, it was late at night and the window was pitch black. When I woke up, I had a clear view down an alley, at the end, people walking by. No prob really, it gave it more character. My second room had no windows, but there was a funny crack in the wall that you could see out of. Regardless of these odd insecurities, there was always a guard standing by 24 hours a day. That and you could pay an extra few dollars and rent a locker. This worked great for me, since I had a lot to carry and didn’t feel like leaving it hanging around at night.

Leo Hostel II has some great tours, including their, “Secret Wall Tour” which I wrote about in another article. They have several other tours including a Chinese opera show, a kung fu show, and several other scenic tours. If you have time, do them all. They are all well worth the money, and all were a great deal. The staff is always ready to answer questions, even some as easy as what’s recommended for dinner around the area. They happily wrote directions for me to show taxi drivers when I asked. If you’re ever at a loss for information or need email, there’s also a small internet cafe which can be used for a small fee next to their kitchen. Besides their tours, Leo Hostel II is located in Beijing’s historic “hutong,” and maze of brick and rock built houses with rusting doors and old lanterns. The roads intertwine with eachother and there’s almost endless subjects for photographers. Plenty of great little restaurants and outdoor dining, as well as some decent clothes shopping. Leo Hostel II made my Beijing experience shine among all of my other experiences. Highly recommended.

Leo Hostel II
URL: www.leohostel.com
Email: info@leohostel.com
Tel: 63031595 / 63033318
Mobile: 13911927715
*see URL for map and additional contact details

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