Beijing Encounter Garden

The hosts were so kind, and the location couldn't be better. It's a peaceful, charming guesthouse, with the Great Wall less than ten minutes away. We had a perfect stay, and even got to help make Chinese dumplings for dinner. Such a fun experience.

The area around the wall is beautiful and quiet, but plan for the journey there and back. Getting here from Beijing takes a long time, public transport is limited, and a taxi is probably the way to go. We booked expecting a wonderful place right in front of the wall because that's what the reviews and photos led us to believe. Once we arrived, we realized too late that the photos were very misleading and Booking.com didn't show what the rooms really looked like. The location also turned out to be terrible for us. We left, and the hosts understood and refunded one night. We found a five-star hotel 400 meters away that wasn't listed on Booking.com, paid a little more, and found the difference huge. People really should review the actual place so others can choose based on accurate information instead of paying a lot and having a bad time.

We really enjoyed our stay. The people were wonderful, and the stretch of wall nearby was gorgeous and empty. My son sewed bags and made dumplings, and we played tennis on the grounds.

Such a memorable stay. The staff were lovely, and breakfast and dinner were very good and included in the price. One of the workers even drove us to the shop and back for free. If you're hoping to see the Great Wall of China, I'd recommend staying here. Everything was really nice, thank you so much!