PUREMIND Hutong Courtyard Hotel

PUREMIND Hutong Courtyard Hotel (Beijing 161 Wangfujing Hotel) is a charming budget hotel, with traditional Chinese design and plenty of pleasant outdoor spaces filled with local plant life. It is located in one of Beijing's famous hutong areas, which gives it an extremely authentic feel. The Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square are nearby, about a 30-minute walk (or, if you don't feel like walking, a 15-minute taxi). Dongsi metro station (Lines 5 and 6) is also close.

The rooms are all decorated in a simple but tasteful style, with traditional Chinese illustrations on the walls. The loft rooms are a particularly good choice, offering a separate living room area for a more apartment-style experience. There is a restaurant and bar offering tasty food, and the staff is exceptionally friendly and helpful.

This is a great budget choice, so pleasant and carefully decorated that it doesn't even feel particularly "budget. The location is not great for nightlife, so it is better suited for people who want to see the more traditional and historic side of Beijing. That said, Destination Club is only a short 10-minute taxi ride away, so you can very much enjoy the best of both worlds staying here.