In 2010, a Tibetan girl and a Canadian boy sat down to create their dream living space in the heart of Beijing, who’s purpose was to show the world what the city is really all about.

It really happened like this:

First Youngcall came to Beijing from the western province of Gansu, spent her life in the capital and eventually bumped into Joel who was busy drinking tea throughout China. For the first few years half their time involved enjoying Beijing with a large entourage of friends that also called the city their home. The other half of the time was spent doing those same things all over again to include the many friends and family that kept pouring in.
-China’s a fun place to visit after all!

Suddenly, it was clear that the average tourists’ experiences versus those that arrived in Beijing with such local ‘connections’ were extremely limited. In fact, they couldn’t compare. One person would leave the city with thoughts of palaces, an over-done tourism industry and Tiananmen square, while the other wondered how they could transfer their work and family to Beijing ASAP.

A hotel devised by those in the heart of Beijing’s vibrant modern local and expatriate community was the perfect late-night meeting solution. These people are born travelers; with criticisms and experiences related to all parts of the globe. The problem really resonated with everyone. At this point Joel and Youngcall stood up, left the table and started searching for the most ideal location for this most optimistic project.

More than one year later (ten years in Beijing time) The Orchid was born. The ultimate refuge for tourists seeking a full-on upgrade to their China experience.


Joel, working

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