China Travel Forum

[Henry]

I'm heading to Beijing (three nights) and Xian (two nights) in early April. I usually stay in hostels or budget hotels when I travel, so if a place is clean, friendly and not too noisy I'm happy. This time, however, I'm taking my cousin and her friend with me. They are both in their late sixties and will find the travel and sightseeing quite demanding, so I need to book hotels that are nice and comfortable. They don't have to be luxurious - I couldn't afford that anyway. Any suggestions? I've heard that one of the hostels in Beijing is really lovely and more like a hotel - the one opposite the railway station. Is this true? And if so, is the area around it okay or is it likely to seem threatening to my two older companions? Any advice/suggestions would be very welcome. Also, any advice on the best price/comfort combination in Hong Kong would be much appreciated.

[Jason]

Beijing--the Hostel opposite the railway station is quite new and looks nice from the outside. don't know if you can find comments from a search. The area around it is just fine--Beijing doesn't have many threatening areas, not too congested, and is surprisingly quiet after about 9:00 pm. (I used to live right next to the place). A bonus is it's right by a subway stop for cheap transport, and airport shuttle and taxis come to the station so you're never stranded. A lot of people also recommend the Far East Hostel in Qianmen, it is in a more colorful area but also more congested. HK--most people recommend the YMCA Salisbury (a good place even for older ladies travelling alone), but it's very popular so you may need to book ahead.