Brickyard Retreat — An Old Tile Factory Reborn, with the Great Wall Filling Your Window
Picture waking up, pulling back the curtain, and finding the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall stretched along the ridge in front of you. That's what Brickyard Retreat at Mutianyu Great Wall (北京瓦厂酒店) is really selling. It's a small boutique hotel built from a former glazed-tile factory in Beigou Village, Huairou — run by the same team behind the much-loved Schoolhouse. The feel is rustic-chic eco-retreat, just 25 rooms plus a handful of private villas. TripAdvisor ranks it among the top guesthouses in Beijing, and guests say much the same thing: they come for the quiet, the nature, and the chance to walk the Great Wall without an early-morning slog from the city. This is not a hotel you reach by stepping off the metro. But if you want to escape Beijing's bustle for a night or two, this is the answer.
Here's what sets this place apart from every other Beijing hotel in our list — the building itself. Brickyard wasn't built from scratch; it's the careful revival of Beigou Village's old glazed-tile factory into a hotel. Red brick walls, the green glazed roof tiles once fired here for temples and the Great Wall, and the scorch marks of the old kilns are kept wherever possible — which is why it was named one of China's official rural heritage hotels. The rooms are designed around natural materials, with soft beds, rain showers, and the standout feature: big full-wall windows that open onto the mountains and the Wall. From the bed in many rooms, you can see the ridge of the Great Wall itself.
One guest recalls: "We woke up to the Great Wall right outside the bedroom window. The room was beautiful in a raw, warm way, the staff were lovely and sorted out all our transport up to the Wall and back, and the food and spa were better than we expected. The perfect place to relax."
It pays to understand the location before you book. Brickyard sits in Beigou Village, Huairou District, north of Beijing, roughly 60–90 minutes by car from the city centre or Beijing Capital Airport. From the hotel, it's only a 5–15 minute drive to the Mutianyu Great Wall trailhead — the section guests rate as prettier and far less crowded than Badaling. Be clear, though: there is no metro here, and public transport is awkward. The easiest way in is by private car or Didi, or by using the hotel's shuttle service — which costs extra and should be arranged ahead. This is the part you need to plan for and budget for.
Once you arrive, what makes people want to linger is the setting and the food. The retreat has two restaurants — Chinese and Western, farm-to-table, with much of the produce coming from the surrounding gardens and village. A local-style breakfast is included in the room rate. There's a rooftop terrace where you can nurse a coffee and watch the hills all day, and a spa that guests repeatedly single out for skilled therapists and a deeply relaxing mood. The rhythm many describe is the same: walk the Wall by day, come back for a good dinner, then soak in the tub under the stars — a pace you simply can't get if you stay in the city.
Who is it for? Couples after a quiet, romantic base; families who want their kids running around in nature; and hikers and photographers who want to use Mutianyu as their launchpad. Some villas have several bedrooms, ideal for groups or larger families. But for a first-time visitor whose plan revolves around the Forbidden City, Tiananmen Square, and the Temple of Heaven in town, this can be too far out to use as a base — you're better off pairing it with a city hotel for a night or two, then finishing the trip out here at Brickyard.
The criticisms in real reviews are genuine and worth knowing. First, the curtains in some rooms don't fully block the light — those full-wall windows are a blessing and, for light sleepers, a small catch, so bring an eye mask. Second, transport and transfer costs run high because of how far out it is. Third, it's an old building reborn, so a few guests hit minor maintenance niggles (a shower here and there). And opinions on the nearby Schoolhouse split — some adore it, others find it pricey for the food, so check recent reviews before planning a big meal there.
Room rates start at around ~¥1,200 (฿6,000) per night for a standard room, with a typical range of ฿6,000–11,000 depending on room type and season; multi-bedroom villas climb higher. The autumn-foliage window (late September–October) and China's Golden Week (October 1–7) are the most beautiful times to come — and the busiest and priciest, filling up weeks to months ahead. Rates shift with real dates, so check before you go.
The honest summary, friend to friend: Brickyard Retreat is for travellers who want to sleep close to the Great Wall with style, in real quiet, and taste village life first-hand. If you value nature, design, and the experience over easy access to the city, it's excellent value and genuinely memorable. But if this trip is mostly about central Beijing, or you want a base that's easy to get in and out of, look at the other options in our Beijing list first.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ A building with real character — an old tile factory reborn, original feel kept
- ✓ Many rooms face the Great Wall through full-wall windows; deeply quiet
- ✓ Only a 5–15 minute drive to the Mutianyu Great Wall trailhead
- ✓ Farm-to-table dining, a praised spa, and staff who arrange your trips up to the Wall
- ! Far from the city, no metro, and transfer/transport costs run high
- ! Curtains in some rooms don't fully block the light (full-wall glass)
- ✓ A small, quiet boutique — perfect for escaping the city
- ✓ Great Wall and mountain views from rooms and the rooftop
- ✓ Natural-material design, soft beds, rain showers
- ✓ Great for couples, families, and hikers/photographers
- ! Not convenient as a base for sightseeing in central Beijing (far out)
- ! It's a converted old building — a few rooms may show minor maintenance niggles
- 💡If this trip is mostly about central Beijing · It's out in Huairou, 60–90 minutes from the city, with no metro · Fix → pair it with a city hotel like Hilton Beijing Wangfujing or Crystal Orange Wangfujing for 1–2 nights to do the Forbidden City, then finish at Brickyard
- 💡If you'd rather not pay high transfer costs · It's far out, so private car/shuttle runs both ways add up · Fix → arrange the hotel shuttle in advance and confirm the price, or self-drive/Didi and plan a full day at Mutianyu to make it worthwhile
- 💡If you wake at first light · The full-wall glass means curtains in some rooms don't fully block the dawn · Fix → bring an eye mask, and ask for a room with good blackout curtains when you book