Red Capital Residence, Beijing, China
Red Capital Residence 3 Stars
"This five-suite boutique hotel, housed in a traditional hutong, is intimate, friendly and a homage to revolutionary kitsch."
Hotel Overview
Review of Red Capital Residence, by Brian Johnston
Romantic retro-chic sets the tone in this 200-year-old courtyard residence, or hutong, in Beijing's Dongsi district, which is entered through red doors complete with brass lion's-head knockers. The Red Capital Residence's walls and doors gleam in red lacquer, and the courtyard oozes the rockeries of a traditional garden.
Inside, this period piece brilliantly captures the revolutionary style of a China that now seems to have vanished as much as the Qing Dynasty: staff wear Red Guard uniforms, Communist kitsch abounds, and in the cellar (a former air raid shelter) classic films of the Cultural Revolution are screened. The boutique hotel's cigar lounge has ministerial desk lamps and chairs obtained from Central Government rooms.
Furnishings are said to come from the office of Madame Mao, and you can also take a ride in her curtain-hung limousine, complete with fluttering red flags. Given China's history, the nostalgia is occasionally in questionable taste, but there's something of the early flavour of idealistic Communism that appeals to both Sinophiles and certain Chinese alike.
There are just five compact guestrooms at this boutique hotel, based on different historic themes but all chock-full of period antiques, while also including modern conveniences such as internet access, electronic safes, cable TV and contemporary bathrooms.
There are two suites, named for revolutionary writers Edgar Snow and Han Suyin, where bowls of goldfish add a lovely touch. Two more suites, tiny but sumptuously decorated, are based on a concubine theme and decorated with Qing Dynasty antiques and silk-draped opium beds. The fifth is the Chairman's Suite, the only room of any great size, dotted with porcelain figures of Red Guards. This is a must if you can get it: Mao family photos, favourite books and an Art Deco lamp from Mao's house are part of the furnishings, as well as a slightly more irreverent Mao alarm clock.
Facilities
Hotel Policies
Rooms
5Awards
Travel & Leisure "one of the world's 50 most romantic hotels in 2003; "Top 101 Hotels of World 2004"Come for...
- Maoist nostalgia, brilliantly done
- The Chairman Suite - the room to book
Not Suitable for...
- Those uncomfortable with putting the "style" and "charm" into the Cultural Revolution
Children
Extra roll away beds are available for suites on prior request and children are very welcome to the small hotel.
Eating in
The sister Red Capital Club is just a block away from the residence, and pays similar homage to early Communist days, down to the official Party cigarette packs. It has a restaurant that includes Mao’s favourite dishes, such as red roast pork. Don’t miss the antique phone in the lounge with a recording of Mao’s voice. And what else would be the house cocktail but a Mao Tai?
The Press Say
"With just five rooms around a central courtyard, this boutique property is an antidote to the big-is-best ethos." The Telegraph 08"Tucked away up one of Beijing's traditional hutong alleyways, the Red Capital Residence offers five small rooms decked out in a mix of imperial furniture and Cultural Revolution trinkets." The Guardian 07
Reviews
Review of Red Capital Residence, by Caroline Major
Tucked away in a hutong in the Dongcheng district of Beijing, the Red Capital Residence was one of the city's first boutique hotels. Worthy of a visit if you're interested in a more immersive stay in the capital, it is as the name suggests an ode to Mao. Paraphernalia fills every available space. From copies of the Little Red Book in the reception lounge to figurines in the Bomb Shelter Bar and his thoughts typed on the sheet of paper in the clunky old typewriter in the Authors Suite. Even the hygiene seal on the loo gives it the party approval.
Rooms face onto a small courtyard, with the concubine suites (east and west) having private courtyards at the back of the hotel. There are five in total, so you'll need to book in advance. Hidden under a rock sculpture is the stair-case to the Bomb Shelter Bar. It's no misnomer; do be careful how many drinks you consume there. You need to bend double to get in but the reward is worth it; an ambient bomb shelter slung with the tools of the Red Army. Guns, shoulder mounted rocket launchers and field radios. The bar serves Red Capital Bordeaux, Cuban cigars and cocktails.
Back in the rooms the feel is moody with kitschy clutter in a Chinese setting. Opium beds made with Chinese silks and Art Deco chairs fill most of the space while Chinese Screens hide the slate bathrooms behind a pretty wall of light. They are modern with good showers, western toilets and mirrors printed with more Maoist propaganda.
For daytrips, it's possible to hire the seven meter long limousine once used to ferry Madame Mao around the capital. It's an exclusive privilege of the hotel guest so watch out who you cut off in traffic - they know where you live!