This hotel was just what I was looking for in that it was small, in a tradional part of the city, walking distance to tourist things but plenty of real chinese experiences and local resturants (no english tho).

the hotel is small with few rooms but had 24hr desk, organised tours, gave good directions and had good drivers.

The room I booked was a deluxe double which was perfect for one or two.

Dont go there if you want a pool, gym or swanky resturant . This hotel still has free internet, safes, A/C, etc.

It was so quiet and leafy in the courtyard and very clean. A relief not to be in a western style high rise hotel.

If the Chinese did B&B's it would look something like this. Not everyone likes B&B's, nor are they suitable for everyone's needs. There is no arguing matters of taste; decide what you want and make your plans accordingly.

Viewed through that prism, I shall add my experience to the Great Sihe-Hotel-is-it-Elegant-or-Dumpy Debate.

The location, once you--and your hack--overcome the initial *shock* of 1000ft of twisting "hutong" alley, is rather good, not far from the city center and with an interesting street scene all around. The deep set-back from the main road and atrium layout makes the environment very quiet. I printed the locator map (from sihehotel.com) as a 4x6 photo to satisfactory effect but the address in hanzi (地址:北京市东城区东四南大街灯草胡同5号) is almost like driving directions to get there and should be enough for an experienced cabbie. Inexperienced cabbies will have to call (电话:51693555) in any case.

The lack of an English speaker at (Chinese) night made changing our arrival date, which required someone from Travelocity to call the hotel, more complicated than it should have been.

Our room was in mostly decent condition and the bathroom was modernised. It was, however, cramped: The doors impinged on the furniture and we had to shuffle our luggage around to open any particular piece. One wall had chalking paint that soiled our baggage and, if we were not careful, the contents. I think our room was smaller than most so you may fare better. Look for a booking agent that lists actual room area in square meters or some such.

The atrium layout is gloriously pleasant in mild weather but miserable in the rain.

The included internet was reasonably good. Ping times were around 100 ms, but with very little variation so the subjective feeling of the connection's quality was better than 100 ms makes it sound.

The breakfast was as good as can be expected for a hotel this size. The breakfast room was rather cramped, but all the basics were covered.

The tour operator, listed in the lobby but independent of the hotel, was a good buy if you don't have very much time. Seeing all those sights so quickly can be exhausting though.

In sum, I would say the service side of the business is for the most part tightly run and they do a reasonably good job compensating for the property's shortcomings. But the limitations of the building are too jarring for me to recommend it without caveat. If this is your first trip to China, look elsewhere. If you are looking for the most luxury features for the dollar, you won't find it here. But if you are an experienced traveller, don't need any business support beyond internet, or are a little more adventurous than most, then consider it.

My husband and I along with our adult daughter stayed here for five nights in May. While all our hotels during our two week plus visit were memorable for various reasons, this one was fabulous on all points: atmosphere, service, location, value. The hutongs are quickly vanishing: cherish the opportunity to absorb their community spirit by staying in this beautifully kept hotel. Our room was spacious enough to enjoy time indoors, the bathroom had all the modern conveniences one could want, and the courtyard was peaceful and magical in the evening. The service at the hotel is spectacular--do take advantage of the car service from the Beijing airport (the very reasonable cost is added to your hotel bill). The breakfast is delicious, though the small room can be overtaxed at peak times. We are walking New Yorkers so the hotel's location seemed perfect to us. The hotel is not far from a subway station--and the subway system is marvelous. Otherwise, we walked everywhere and were amused that nothing ever stopped the card game around the corner, though the players sometimes rotated. Our son, who is teaching in China, encouraged us to seek out reasonably priced, non-Western hotels during our stay--for price but more importantly for cultural reasons. It was good advice.

We stayed at the Sihe hotel for eight nights in late April. We arranged with the hotel to be picked up at the airport upon our evening arrival, and were delivered to our destination quickly and efficiently. We spent the first three nights in a V.I.P. room, a suite that was beautifully appointed in antique Chinese furnishings. The last five nights we were in a senior deluxe room, also nicely appointed. Both rooms had attractive, functional baths. The beds were very firm, but not uncomfortable. The climate control was excellent. Breakfast was served in a small room that was pleasant, though a bit crowded. A lovely young lady served us, taking orders for omelets or scrambled eggs, and keeping the buffet stocked with steamed dumplings, vegetables, and meats, as well as orange juice, coffee, yogurt, and pastries. My only complaint: They need a larger coffeemaker!

The Sihe is a quiet, beautiful establishment that is impeccably clean and friendly. It is a welcome change from standard chain hotels; one know one is in China when one is there. The only real drawback to the Sihe is one that has been frequently cited in other reviews: It is a fair distance from the main street on the Deng Cao hutong, and few taxi drivers were willing to take us past the entrance to the hutong. I would, nonetheless, strongly recommend the Sihe to anyone who wants an authentic Chinese experience while visiting Beijing.