Beijing Leo Hostel - Review from R F
I have to question the people who think this place is great. I feel like I was a victim of the most misleading advertising known to man. Maybe this place is satisfactory for one or two nights, but for any sort of long term stay I STRONGLY recommend going somewhere else. True that it is right south of Tiananmen; true that it has free internet; true that each room has its private bathroom. THIS TRUTH IS MARVELOUSLY DISGUISED!
I walked into this place expecting everything that the internet has advertised, and yes, all of it is true. Let us now go a little deeper into the truth.
I entered this place and within 5 minutes I was ready to vomit due to the foul odors. These odors mainly were smoking related, but a good portion of them were because the place is extremely dirty. The floor doesn't look like it has been cleaned in months. The walls are moldy and the whole place looks like it hasn't been maintained since the fall of the Ming Dynasty. This is definitely not something I would expect from a place that just started their business in Dec 2004. Now about the free internet - yes it is free, but there is only ONE computer. So you do the math - with way more than one guest and one computer, the chances of getting on it with any type of frequency or for any long period of time is unheard of. The thing that did me in was the bathrooms. Yes, there is a western toilet and a private bath/shower in every room. But the condition of them is so poor. Mold, rust, wear and tear, you name it, just plain disgusting. The worst part was that towels are not even provided - any other decent place provides them. When I asked for a towel, they brought me one that was wet and felt like it was just used by the beggar on the street. I knew at that point I had to go. I could not stay 2.5 weeks in that dump. I have to say the advertising is enticing, so I am putting this out there to hope people in the future won't be misled like I was. The place where I ended up staying is just a short walk from a subway station. It may not be as close to Tiananmen Square, but I would rather pay the 3 yuan and take a 30 minute subway ride than stay at the Leo Hostel just to be within walking distance.
I walked into this place expecting everything that the internet has advertised, and yes, all of it is true. Let us now go a little deeper into the truth.
I entered this place and within 5 minutes I was ready to vomit due to the foul odors. These odors mainly were smoking related, but a good portion of them were because the place is extremely dirty. The floor doesn't look like it has been cleaned in months. The walls are moldy and the whole place looks like it hasn't been maintained since the fall of the Ming Dynasty. This is definitely not something I would expect from a place that just started their business in Dec 2004. Now about the free internet - yes it is free, but there is only ONE computer. So you do the math - with way more than one guest and one computer, the chances of getting on it with any type of frequency or for any long period of time is unheard of. The thing that did me in was the bathrooms. Yes, there is a western toilet and a private bath/shower in every room. But the condition of them is so poor. Mold, rust, wear and tear, you name it, just plain disgusting. The worst part was that towels are not even provided - any other decent place provides them. When I asked for a towel, they brought me one that was wet and felt like it was just used by the beggar on the street. I knew at that point I had to go. I could not stay 2.5 weeks in that dump. I have to say the advertising is enticing, so I am putting this out there to hope people in the future won't be misled like I was. The place where I ended up staying is just a short walk from a subway station. It may not be as close to Tiananmen Square, but I would rather pay the 3 yuan and take a 30 minute subway ride than stay at the Leo Hostel just to be within walking distance.
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