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...

Old traditional chinese courtyard style hostel, great rooms, heating, hot water all day, cheap beer and lovely staff! Only Bob the manager speaks good english but he is around most of the time and is happy to help or arrange anything you might need or want. As with all chinese hostels, there is a TV but only 1 channel in english but there is a DVD player in the lounge area. They provide a daily washbag containing touthpaste, toothbrushes, soap, shampoo, shower jel and towels. The food is great, particulartly the steamed dumplings and fried noodles and they are the cheapest thing on the menu!

There are only 2 small complaints... a hairdryer to loan would be good as it is freezing here, particularly with wet hair and we put some washing in, one bag was forgotten and the other was full of fluff so probably washed with the towels.

Aside from the 2 minor points about, this place is great and i highly recommend it!

We stayed 2 nights in this hostel just before May Day holiday. Found it comfortable and the food and service was fine. Not too many people staying, but this is not a problem. We had breakfast and dinner there and enjoyed the meals...hao chi!
One outstanding item was the help offered by the manager for booking train tickets.
So overall, I'd give the place 41/2 to 5, out of 5.
Great place, convienetly located in the middel of the old town, and they do a free pick up and drop off to the train station. We'd stay again.