I 'stumbled' across a report with a breif mention of this place. I have done a search on it here and only come up with one other person asking for info back in 2005.

Wondering if since then anyone has more info. The website is good and I like the thought of staying 'by' the wall.

Thanks D

Oh well, doesn't look like I'm going to get any feed back. Which is a bit of a worry!!
I got a lovely email from them after I made a general enquiry from their website. Quoted $200US a night. Is that fair/reasonable for china? Very early stages. So this is the first price I have found.

That is expensive for China. Yet to experience 5-star service in China but then I haven't stayed at any Banyan Tree properties there.

Red Capital Ranch is not a banyan tree resort. I haven't been there but have heard extremely positive reports that it is peaceful, unspoiled, lovely, nicely decorated, and steps from the Wild Wall. $200/night IS expensive in China, but this is a boutique (I hate that term, but for lack of a better word) property and I don't think it's totally unreasonable. I think it would be a charming and unusual experience, if you can spare a night during your trip.

It’s run by the people who run the Red Capital Club in Beijing, which is a fun, kitschy restaurant and there is a small hotel there as well. I have not been to the Ranch, but my Luxe Guide Beijing (which is never wrong about these things generally ), gives it a good recco, but does say that the “service can be a little on the rustic side”. It’s near the Mutianyu section of the wall, which is a nicer, more remote and less crowded section of the wall.

They also recco a place called the Commune, take a look at commune.com.cn. I believe that the Green-t-house has recently opened a place outside Beijing that might be interesting, take a look at http://www.green-t-house.com/. They have a very interesting restaurant in Beijing.

The above posters must go to a different China than I do, because for a 5 star hotel (a somewhat meaningless term in China admittedly), in or near Beijing or any major city, US$200 a night is not really a lot of money. The Grand Hyatt and similar hotels start at about twice that for their smaller basic rooms.

Green T. House Living is in Shunyi, a suburb of Beijing, and it is a restaurant and party space -- not a hotel. It's a lovely place, but if you have limited time it's probably not worth seeking out. By the way, the Green T. House restaurant in Beijing has really gone downhill.

The Commune is fabulous for afficianados of avant-garde architecture, but it is located near Badaling and does not offer a "wild wall" experience.

Cicerone -- wow, stinging comment! Note, I never said RCR was a 5-star hotel (it's not). And I do think $200/night is a lot to pay -- anywhere in the world, but especially in China -- for a boutique hotel experience. But I also don't think that's totally unreasonable. The RCR is located steps away from an unreconstructed portion of the wall (not the Mutianyu portion).

You're quite right Cicerone. Have been to China 5 times, but yet to visit Shanghai the last time I was in Beijing was more than 8 years ago. The cities/towns which I've visited in recent times like Kunming, Guilin, Chongqing and Chengdu, Dali, Lijiang, Jiuzhaigou and Yangshuo don't really have the 5-star service I'm accustomed to in other parts of Asia. USD$200 is comparatively expensive but we pay much more than that for good accommodation in India and Cambodia.

Thanks for your input one and all. Hello there Cicerone, don't know if you remember, but your help on our trip to Zurich, back in Oct last year, was invaluable. So I appreciate your input here.

We try to budget $200AUD a night which converts to about $250USD. So perhaps the RCR is a good option. And its a 'little different'!

But the comment,
"The RCR is located steps away from an unreconstructed portion of the wall (not the Mutianyu portion)" is a little confusing. I will have to research further. As it appeared to be by the Mutianyu section, hence the reason for going there.

Thanks again.

No, I do not believe it is very close to Mutianyu. But it is steps away from another (better, unrestored, less populated) section of the Great Wall. A stay at the RCR means you probably won't want to go to Mutianyu. Unless you are set on going to Mutianyu, in which case I would suggest doing a day trip and not going to RCR at all. Hope this helps.

Thanks, not it was more about getting away from "the crowds" and seeing the wall a 'bit' more indendantly.

May put it out there to the other couple we are travelling with.

Thanks

Our family (mom/dad/4 and 6 year old) plus friends stayed at Red Capital Ranch for two nights in April 2005. I can enthusiastically recommend it. If you want more info, email me at cbickley @ idirect . com [take out the spaces]

Catherine B. in Toronto