Looking for somewhere a bit different to accommodate overseas visitors this year? Jenny Ou, general manager of Graceland Yard Hotel, explains how they have converted an ancient temple into an oasis of comfort.

Tell us a bit about the history behind this hotel.
Originally, in Ming dynasty times, it was a Buddhist temple known as Zhengjue Temple. But at the time my husband and I found this place it was being used as a storehouse. It just seemed like such a pity, and that’s when we decided to turn it into a hotel.

What was the construction process like?
It was like a girl, a girl who didn’t know how to put on makeup and had all these things smeared on her face. Basically, we had to wipe it all off and do her up again properly. We really tried to maintain and restore the original look and feel of the place. Even though there aren’t actually Buddha statues in the hotel, there are a lot of Buddhist-inspired elements because we wanted to preserve its essence as a temple, as a place of peace.

What kind of effect does the location of the hotel have on business?
Of course it has a significant effect. We’re right by the major artery of Xinjiekou Jie and that’s great for shopping and dining. At the same time, we’re close to the subway station and not far from the airport or Tiananmen Square. So we’re very conveniently located, and yet you’ll notice it’s completely quiet here – you can’t hear a thing.

What do you think attracts people to the hotel?
We get families more so than business people. The majority of them are from Hong Kong, Taiwan, various overseas countries – foreigners predominantly. Chinese people nowadays like to stay at modern hotel chains like the Shangri-la, but overseas customers tend to look for that traditional Chinese experience. I think that sensibility, combined with our 5-star service level, is what attracts them to us. We are extremely attentive to our custom¬ers and keep our staff-to-customer ratio exceptionally low. Because we keep it so intimate, we cater to our guest’s every need. We help them arrange taxis, tours, dining so they don’t ever have to worry. There is no other hotel in Beijing like us.

Personally, what kind of hotels do you look to stay in? What is your ideal hotel?
I like smaller, more unique places. Ones that feel more like a home, where you don’t feel like you are staying at a hotel. I quite like Banyan Tree hotels because they feel like you are in a spa or a garden. They have one property that is divided into five different resorts and you take a boat to get around between the different areas. It is all very natural and organic, as if you’re in a forest and it gives you a real sense of tranquility.

What kind of services do you want to see in a hotel?
To me, breakfast is extremely important. I think it is the mark of a good hotel. When I wake up in the morning, I want to see what kind of food you can offer me. I really take note of this.

What a lot of people don’t know is that historically, you can actually spend the night at temples in China. In the past, people believed that if you spent the night in a temple and dreamt of your wish coming true while you were there, then it would really happen. It’s a legend, you know. So we like to say that we hope that every guest here will have their wishes realized.

Graceland Yard Hotel, 9 Zhengjue Hutong, Xinjiekou Jie, Xicheng District. (8328 6366) 西城区新街口正觉胡同甲9号