This hostel is really lovely! In the middle of the old town it is perfectly located to explore on a bike. Bob the manager was so helpful and friendly, helped me hire a bike, explained about local customs and even went so far as to change my 12 hour standing train ticket to a hard seat because he didnt want me to stand that long and i couldnt find the ticket myself! I arrived really early in the morning and was taken straight to the room which was great! the rooms are really clean and the staff, although not speaking to much english spent the whole day learning and helping me however they could. The food was also really nice especially the local dishes. I would thoroughly recommend this place and would like to thank Bob for all of his help and from saving me from a really horrible journey!

The value of this guesthouse cannot be beat, it's a true experience. Beautifully converted in to a hostel with a large courtyard in the middle. Rooms are spotless but the bathroom is tiny and a bit awkward (my only major complaint). Giant comfortable bed, TV (no English channels though), heating and A/C. Decent breakfast and food in the restaurant. Comfortable common area with TV, DVDs to watch, free computers. Location is great but is easy to get around entire town by foot (no cars allowed). Manager Bob is very friendly, good English but doesn't seem to be around a lot. He did sit down with us once we arrived though to get to know us and see if he could arrange anything for us while in Pingyao - he did arrange for us a day trip to the Underground Castle which was interesting. Girls at the front desk we found excessively loud, English wasn't good. Bob also paid for our tuk-tuk rides to and from the train station (thank you!) but make sure the driver doesn't try to get you to pay twice the amount before you get into the hostel - the girls will pay, you should not.

As mentioned, the Chinese girls at the front desk speak no English. They also laugh at and imitate customers when they try to speak Mandarin to them. And regarding the famous Chinese Hostel Bathroom Sewer Smell: you don't have to put up with it. You just don't. So don't. If every tourist complains, maybe the management at all hostels will care. Unfortunately, this hostel has sewer smell.

HOWEVER: for 60 kuai I got a private room with en suite, dropped off and picked up from the airport, and this hostel is just beautiful. Utterly stunning. The food here is excellent, and as stated, Bob the manager has very very good English. I would stay here again in a
heartbeat.

We stayed here for five nights. I had a fantastic room for 120Y/night -- huge kang (traditional bed), huge (and clean) bathroom, TV, air con/heat, water cooler. Rooms open onto the courtyard. Make sure to ask for a big room because they are not all equal. The dorm rooms are fine, too, at 40Y/night.

The manager, Bob, was very helpful and friendly. He speaks excellent English.

The young, female Chinese staff need more training. And they should be told not to complain loudly about customers when the customers are nearby and speak Mandarin!

The local food served in the restaurant was tasty, but with the exception of beer, tea and canned sodas, all the drinks were terrible, including the coffee.

The weird thing was the elderly couple who at night sleep in the front window of the bar. Seriously. One night at about 10pm, we were sitting in a booth at the front of the bar, next to the window. An elderly woman approaches us and says that she has to go to sleep and we must move. She then goes to the table of Chinese backpackers in the next booth and tells them they must shut up (they politely ignore her). We move to an outside table, confused, and watch as she and her aged husband prepare to bed down in the bar for the night. They plug in their electric foot bath next to the foozball table and begin to soak their feet in the middle of the bar, which is still full of young urban Chinese backpackers.

We watched this strange scenario repeat every night. We asked the waitresses: why are they living in the bar? They work here, we were told. They are cleaners.

These poor old people who every night must sleep in the window of a bar, and disturb paying customers, should have their own room! Bob, please give these people a room in the back of the hostel so they can be comfortable and don't have to feel humiliated - and don't inconvenience customers.

Also please ask them not to yell at 6am when they start cleaning. The staff should all be told to be speak softly in the mornings.

Otherwise, great place...