good for you

The architecture is of the Qing dynasty, the decoration is all "Communist Chic" and the comfort level is thoroughly contemporary at this exemplary boutique hotel. The hotel is a traditional Chinese 'Courtyard home'; each room is decorated with early Chinese antiques and dotted with the mass-produced 1960s statuettes of a rosy-cheeked, benevolent Mao and his equally peachy wife that have become popular in western pop-culture iconography. Located in the Dongsi preserved heritage area of rapidly modernising Beijing, Red Capital Residence and the nearby Red Capital Club give you a taste of several Chinas shaken into one heady cocktail - the imperial past, the communist heyday and our own epoch's fevered capitalism.

good for china

In a city where rapid development has often paid little heed to aesthetics of any kind, let alone to architectural preservation, this hotel stands out as an excellent restoration project and a way to enjoy excellent Beijing accommodation away from the standard-issue five-star hotels. Red Capital Residence, located in a courtyard home in Beijing's Dongsi preserved heritage district, was witness to a history of intrigue during the Qing Dynasty (China's last Imperial dynasty) and Republican era. One year of dedicated restoration by Beijing's finest traditional craftsmen was required to preserve the building and revive the spirit of this historic home.

Rooms

Food

The restaurant serves delicious Zhonganhai cuisine-the preferred dishes of the Party elite who lived in Beijing's government enclave.

The courtyard once belonged to a notorious female spy and Manchurian revivalist, and inside, the restaurant's decorative centerpiece is a rare imperial dragon robe dating to the Qian Long period (18th Century) which once belonged to a court official, most likely a brother of the emperor. The furniture comes from Politburo offices, and communist propaganda films are projected onto the walls.

Each meal is a state banquet in style adorned with figures delicately carved from vegetables, presenting favorites of Mao, Deng, and even Zhu Rongji together with some of the best in imperial dining reserved for emperors and empresses.

Breakfast is included in the room rates.

Features & Facilities

Red Capital Club is the restaurant bar and restaurant filled with well-heeled Beijing residents, ex-pats and travelers in the know. An excellent cocktail list is inventive and extensive, and the decoration is lavish and witty.

the red flag limo

Back in the 1950s, Stalin presented Mao Zedong with five bulletproof stretch limousines with art deco-style red flags on their crest. The exclusivity of the vehicles caught the fascination of China's top leadership and Mao ordered the creation of Hong Qi, the 'Made in China' version of the grand Soviet limo. In the 1960s and 1970s there were a mere 100 Hongqi Red Flag limousines for the exclusive use of China's top leadership. Production was a very slow process as each vehicle was steel hammered out by hand.

The highest-ranking leaders rode in 'Super Stretch' Red Flags approximately 7 meters long. Visitors to the Red Capital Club Restaurant on Dongsi Jiutiao will see one sitting outside the courtyard gates. The three flags on the side witch stand for 'workers, farmers, and soldiers' indicate highest of ranking. The single flag crest symbolizes the 'unity of Mao Zedong thought'.

Red Capital's Red Flag Limo Service provides evening excursions around the city in Madame Mao's pet Red Flag Stretch-limo - an opportunity to cruise past housing compounds of the powerful and elite, pull up by the Great Hall of the People and take in the grand expanse of the Tiananmen Square. The tour, which lasts 50 minutes, includes a bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne, Russian Caviar, and a member of the Red Detachment of Women to share the journey with.

The Residence boasts a wonderful spa@, where you can enjoy a "Five Elements" massage:

Earth: Two warm stones, black and white, yin and yang are held in each hand. Meditate for one minute.

Wood: Incense made of Tibetan medicine herb relaxes, balancing yin-yang elements.

Fire: A single candle flame enlightens.

Water: Ginseng tea nourishes vital qi energies.

Gold: Ancient sensory massage of key acupuncture points releases vital energies, dissipates distress, rejuvenates internal balance.

Local Info & Activities

You're in Beijing, the heaving capital of the world's largest nation - a city that has been growing at a near-psychotic rate for the past ten years.

The Dongsi preserved heritage area, where the residence is located, is within easy distance of many important attractions:

• Temple of Heaven (7 km away) built in the 1500s, this temple this temple was built specifically for worship of heaven and prayers for good harvests during the Ming and Qing dynasties.
• Wang Fu Jing Street (4 km) is one of the city's most famous shopping streets. Off-limits to cars and other motor vehicles, the street often fills people, becoming one of China's most attractive and modern boulevards.
• The Forbidden City (4 km away) - the largest and the best-preserved Imperial Palace complex in the world. For five centuries, this palace functioned as the administrative centre of the country as well as being the residence of emperors and empresses of the Yuan (1271 - 1368), Ming (1368 - 1644) and Qing (1644 - 1911) dynasties.
• Tian An Men Square (5 km) is the largest central city square in the world and scene of the famous protest and massacre in 1989. The square is surrounded by a variety of important sights including the Chinese Revolution History Museum, the Mao Mausoleum, the Great Hall of the People, the beautiful Tiananmen (Heavenly Peace Gate) Tower, and the Qianmen (Front Gate). The daily flag ceremonies at the square, performed during sunrise and sunset, are worth seeing.
• The Summer Palace (30 km) boasts a famous classic imperial garden with breathtaking beauty that holds a special place in the history of Chinese gardens.

Sustainability

The Residence and the Club are owned by Laurence Brahm, an expatriate American (and author of more than 20 books on China) who's lived in China on and off for some 25 years. It took a year to carefully and sensitively restore the traditional courtyard buildings, which have been sumptuously decorated to create a kind of living, live-in museum where guests and visitors can see and enjoy objects that might otherwise be relegated to the past. Their mission was to preserve the elegance and exclusivity of traditional courtyard living.

The club and residence boast a wonderful collection of Chinese antiques, along with relics from the Cultural Revolution. The Residence's five rooms decorated with original 1960s furnishings seized by Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution and held in Reparations Committee stores, as well as items donated by Community Party members and their families. The cigar lounge's leather chairs come second-hand from the Politburo while a thick purple curtain in the reception area comes from Chairman Mao's house in the government compound of Zhongnanhai. The Residence's Concubine Suites boast silk-draped, Ming-era opium beds.

The residence has not yet installed any Green energy or other environmental policies.

Getting There

The Hotel is located in the Dongsi preserved heritage area and the address is No. 9 Dongsi Liutiao, Dongcheng District, Beijing

Visit our Transport section for flights, hybrid car rentals and train bookings.

Rates & Bookings

Double Suites (Queen Size bed):

US$190 + 15% service charge/ night.

Breakfast included.

Single Suites (Single Size bed):

US$150 + 15% service charge/ night.

Breakfast included.

booking & cancellation policy

• Bookings are confirmed on the payment of a 20% deposit. The remaining 80% is payable on departure from the hotel.
• Cancellations made at any time will result in a cancellation fee of 10% deposit.
• Cancellations made within 48hrs of arrival date will incur the loss of 10% deposit + the cost of one nights accommodation.

Want to avoid cancellation fees? Visit our Insurance section for information on travel insurance.