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Little Fir International Youth Hostel, Harbin(哈尔滨小杉树青年旅馆)
Address: No. 83 Xuefu Road, Nangang District, Harbin, Heilongjiang Province
Phone: 86-451-83005008
ZIP: 150086
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With Harbin as its capital, Heilongjiang province is in the northernmost part of China. Little Fir International Youth Hostel, Harbin is the very first youth hostel in this beautiful and unique land in northern Manchuria. On Xuefu road, where one can find many colleges and universities, the hostel is adjacent to the Harbin University of Science and Technology, Heilongjiang University and Harbin Medical University. Bars, shopping malls, and famous ski resorts surround the area and genuine northeast dishes and local delicacies are easy to find, whether at local street vendors’ or gorgeous restaurants.
Opened by a student, whose own experience as a backpacker gave her the idea, Little Fir International Youth Hostel provides a comfortable and cozy place for budget travelers to unwind and make friends with their peers.
Complete facilities and thoughtful service offered by a hospitable staff make this the perfect choice for budget travelers and backpackers.
Opened Dec.18, 2004
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The hostel is located in Xuefu Road.
Right in the heart of the city;
7 kilometers from Harbin Railway Station;
40 kilometers from Harbin International Airport.
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No. 11, No. 67, No. 68, No. 203, No. 104, No. 106, No. 114
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There are 37 guest rooms in the hostel including standard and triple, all will assure you comfort.
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| Room Type |
Bed |
Our Discount Rate |
Num of Breakfast |
Valid time |
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| Breakfast |
Extra Bed |
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USD2
(CNY10)
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USD5
(CNY30)
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All room rates include service charge. |
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All room rates are subject to change during the peak season. Any applicable surcharge will be confirmed at time of booking. |
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Check-out time: 12:00 at noon. |
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All room rates must be paid to Sinohotel.com in advance to make reservation. |
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24-hour front desk |
Laundry |
Complimentary newspaper in lobby |
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Parking |
Umbrella |
Business facilities |
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Mini-web bar |
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Cable/satellite TV |
Private bathroom |
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| Inspected |
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Jan 7, 2008 |
| Cleanliness |
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2 |
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Family friendliness |
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1 |
| Restaurant facilities |
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-- |
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Business facilities |
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-- |
| Leisure facilities |
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-- |
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Staff attitude |
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1 |
| Ambience |
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1 |
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Rooms |
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1 |
| Location |
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1 |
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Value for money |
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2 |
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| Overall rating |
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1.29 |
| Comment |
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We arrived in the hostel to find a stinking room that was cold and to be honest quite inhospitable. After making a serious amount of fuss we were given an extra heater and told to leave our door open to air out the stench of cigarettes. We decided to try to leave our bags behind the front desk while we went out and left the door open and the owner, upon seeing our bags thought we were leaving and rushed out telling us there was another room we could have. This turned out to be much better, although still not hugely clean. An extra bed was put in and unfortunately I was dripped on all night from the window. The shower was hot but temperamental and the general ambience was extremely depressing. In addition the hostel is inconveniently far from the city centre and activities and on our last days the stench coming from the drains was very offputting. I would recommend people to consider a bing guan closer to the centre as this hostel is essentially a bing guan in terms of standard, possibly worse.
Internet is also very slow and often doesn't work. |
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| Inspected |
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Dec 25, 2007 |
| Reviewed by |
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Gerrit Bezuidenhout |
| Cleanliness |
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-- |
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Family friendliness |
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-- |
| Restaurant facilities |
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-- |
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Business facilities |
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-- |
| Leisure facilities |
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Staff attitude |
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-- |
| Ambience |
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Rooms |
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-- |
| Location |
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Value for money |
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| Overall rating |
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| Comment |
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As for The Little Fir, I have the following comments:
a. We are very happy about the service. The personnel was extremely helpful, friendly and kind. The rooms were neat and clean. As a matter of fact, we do not have a single complaint. Instead, we have a lot of praise. And the price was quite reasonable !
b. On arrival we were attended to by a young lady called "Jay". The bookings were in order, no questions or queries, no problems - everything as smooth as you could wish, thanks to Sinohotel's efficient booking service and and equally efficient hostel staff.
c. Perhaps the most lasting impression of the Little Fir, is the continuous feeling that one is among warmhearted Chinese - whether they can speak English or not. And that we can say about the entire personnel we met - from the top to the bottom.
d. It would be unfair not to mention Jay. This young lady speaks English very well and is obviously very hardworking. But that is not her greatest asset, her greatest asset being her warmheartedness and her ability to understand and handle waiguoren. In this respect she is one of the best I have come across in China inasmuch as she has the ability to add a warm touch to a job which is usually performed efficiently, but coldly. It is quite clear that Jay has gained tremendous experience from traveling around outside China.
e. We ended up with a stomach complaint while at The Little Fir - having eaten something "wrong" in the city. I asked Jay for the names of some medicines I might buy at the nearby pharmacy. Without hesitation, she left her work and accompanied me to the pharmacy and made absolutely sure that I got exactly what I needed. That's what I call service ! And she did that in such a warm, kind way !
e. As for suggestions, we have two - and please note that these are NOT complaints : I myself can speak some Chinese whereas my three fellow-travelers could not. It was therefore easy for me to communicate with the personnel. As for waiguoren who do not speak any Chinese it may be an idea to put up a notice in English with phrases like : "Should you require anything, get in touch with ..... at the reception desk / Please do not hesitate to call on us should you need anything / We keep a small stock of cooldrinks, biscuits, etc..... which are for sale / Please check out by twelve o'clock noon / etc.
f. Secondly, it might be an idea to tidy up the courtyard. Coming down the side street leading to The Little Fir, the sidewalks are strewn with litter and rubbish and makes one wonder what the hell you are in for. Turning into The Little Fir's courtyard, the impression is less depressing but still a bit unsettling. I think the courtyard, whether in winter or summer, could be used to great benefit as regards creating the feeling of being in a well-organized, efficient and friendly place. |
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| Inspected |
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Feb 12, 2006 |
| Cleanliness |
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3 |
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Family friendliness |
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3 |
| Restaurant facilities |
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1 |
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Business facilities |
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2 |
| Leisure facilities |
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2 |
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Staff attitude |
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5 |
| Ambience |
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4 |
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Rooms |
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3 |
| Location |
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3 |
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Value for money |
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4 |
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| Overall rating |
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3 |
| Comment |
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This place is what it is, a very pleasant and affordable youth hostile. If you speak chinese the staff are a fantastic resource, and if you don't they are still worm and friendly. It is a bit away from the center of town though, and Harbin taxi's are inexplicably expensive. I would take advantage of the nice english maps they have made to explain the busses. |
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