Yishui Homestay(Drum Town)

Wow, I loved this homestay! The lively and kind lady who runs Yishui homestay is a good English speaker and very patient, so foreigners as well as Chinese will feel at ease staying here. It is a very hospitable atmosphere! Location is in the pedestrianized part of the old city, very near the Drum Tower. Therefore, there is lots to see/do/eat while walking nearby. But the location is also not far from the driving road, so it was an easy, short walk to meet my driver when going out to the hanging temple, the grottos, and the train station. The facility is an old-style courtyard home, with a beautiful wood-beam ceiling. The interior rooms are completely renovated and modernized, with great water pressure, all necessary toiletries, an excellent quality hair dryer, slippers, and super air-con/heating! (It was -3 one night during my stay, but I was warm and comfy in that room!) Clean towels are brought daily. Breakfast was included in my stay and I was very happy with the food. It is an ample Chinese-style breakfast, and you can inform the cook if there is some food you don't/can't eat. Although the breakfast was plenty of food for me, I saw a guest ask for more baozi, and he was kindly given 2 more. Fresh fruit was also offered for free several times during my stay. Within a 5 minute radius (walking), there are many eating places for lunch, dinner, snacks, and tea/coffee. There are also numerous historical sites (dragon wall, temples, "mansions", the Catholic Church, etc.) in easy walking distance. In fact, there was so much to see nearby that I was not able to see everything! The homestay looks very charming, and many, many people were often seen stopping to take photos in front of the homestay, as well as on the back wall of the homestay, which is next to a Chinese Opera stage--it is especially lovely at night! It is a 10-15 minute walk to the ancient city wall, where you can climb up and enjoy the sights, or visit a (Chinese) bookstore within the city wall, under one of the arches. My Beijing friends, who stayed at a nearby hotel, were equally impressed when they came to visit me in Yishui homestay, and they got the WeChat contact so that they can return to stay at Yishui homestay on a return trip--so easy to get there by fast train from Beijing!

Beautiful hotel in a very central location. Friendly staff, gave us good restaurant recommendations, as well as valuable information for visiting the touristic spots! Highly recommended!