Harbin Sweet Post Office Hostel (Zhong Yang Street Saint Sophia Cathedral)

The location is fantastic, on Tongjiang Street beside Central Avenue. Central Avenue is about 300 meters to the left, with a 24-hour convenience store across the street just left of the entrance. St. Sophia Cathedral and Daoli Market are around a 20-minute walk away. You can pay 200 RMB for an airport shuttle, which takes about 45 minutes. During Lunar New Year I paid 6550 NTD for five nights in a double room, very cheap for the holiday period. The owners and driver were welcoming, gave travel tips, and could be reached on WeChat with questions, including about getting around. The owner can even receive Taobao packages, which was great. The first-floor shop serves beer and stir-fries, while the hostel rooms are upstairs and accessible by elevator. You need to swipe your room key for the elevator, and they take a 100 CNY key deposit at check-in that’s returned at checkout. My room was fine for one person; two could feel cramped, though it should work for a short one- or two-day stay with little luggage. Disposable toiletries are provided. They don’t clean daily, so ask a day ahead if you need cleaning. The room has underfloor and kerosene heating, very hot water, a small sofa and chairs. The restaurant downstairs stays open until 2 AM. The food was okay for taste and price, a bit salty, with lots of dishes and drinks. There are some things to improve. The bathroom faucet has weak, slow water flow and is hard to adjust, swinging too hot or cold; the showerhead is cracked, though still usable. The walls are peeling and could use repair, many TV channels require VIP access, and the pillowcases looked a little dark and could be cleaner. A metered taxi is about 83 RMB for the airport, so if you’re alone with little luggage and it isn’t late, that may suit you better than the 200 RMB shuttle. Even with the restaurant on the first floor, I saw no rats or cockroaches in the room. The staff were very welcoming, and I still highly recommend staying here.

It was a good stay overall, with a clean, comfortable room, convenient location, and excellent service.

The owner provided good service, and we stayed for three nights. I was traveling alone, and the accommodation is near both a tourist road and the waterfront. It was my first visit to Harbin, and I was impressed.