Zen Hostel - Review from TimmyB

I stayed at this 'hostel' in August 2006. In fact, this hostel is known in Chinese as the Jin'an Hotel. The name Zen Hostelery isn't even displayed on the outside of the building. In fact, this is a very run down, Chinese-catering hotel. There were 2 front desk staff capable of speaking English (one well, one in broken English). The location is at least 20 - 30 minutes walk from Tian'anmen Square & The Temple of Heaven. There is no common room. Just the front lobby where you can sit in your underwear with the other guests. The internet facilities are awful - if you could use them or convince the free-loading chain smoking mates of the internet guy to get off their network game. That's if you could get in the room, as they lock it, and I suspect this is to stop interruptions to their network sessions. The rooms are grubby. On the surface clean, but that's about it. The best things about the hostel was the one friendly & helpful staff member that spoke English (I can speak Putonghua so I can gauge friendliness). She was the only bright spark in this dismal place and was able to help us book a private car to Mutianyu Great Wall Section on short notice. I wouldn't recommend this hostel. It is far from the description that is presented by websites I've seen about it. Traveller beware.