#29 in Top 50 Solo Retreat Hotels · Courtyards beside the Summer Palace
Beijing Yihe Hotel (formerly Aman at Summer Palace)
Restored Qing-dynasty courtyards at the gate of the Summer Palace, now under a new name but the same walls.
Restored Qing-dynasty courtyards at the gate of the Summer Palace, now under a new name but the same walls.
"A hushed compound of grey-brick pavilions at the palace gate, built for the guest who came to slow down, read and walk the gardens rather than work the city."
| Criterion | Score |
|---|---|
| Solitude & Calm | 9.5 |
| Service | 9.4 |
| Design | 9.3 |
| Location | 9.2 |
| Food | 9.0 |
| Value | 8.6 |
| Aggregate | 9.2 |
Scored on our six-criterion framework, weighted for a solo retreat. See how we score.
The hotel is no longer an Aman, but it is the same building and grounds. The operator, Beijing Summer Palace Hotel Co., ended its cooperation with the Aman Group on 29 December 2025, and from 30 December 2025 the property has traded as the Beijing Yihe Hotel ("Yihe" echoes Yiheyuan, the Chinese name of the Summer Palace). The hotel's own statement said operations, existing bookings and the core service team carried over, framing the move as a strategic and cultural repositioning rather than a closure.
For a traveller, the practical consequences are straightforward. The physical retreat, the courtyards, the rooms, the spa and pool, is unchanged, so the reasons this property earned a place on our solo-retreat list still hold. What no longer applies is the Aman brand and its loyalty programme, and some branded venues or services may be renamed or adjusted under the new operator. Because the change is recent, confirm current dining, spa and any Summer Palace access arrangements directly with the hotel when you book.
Book it for stillness, courtyards and proximity to one of China's great gardens. The property is built into restored Qing-dynasty pavilions immediately beside the East Gate of the Summer Palace in Haidian, northwest Beijing, and its whole character is quiet and inward: grey-brick walls, covered walkways, and about 51 rooms and suites arranged around a series of tranquil courtyards. For a solo traveller that scale and hush is the appeal, a compound you can read and wander in, with a garden of imperial lakes and pavilions on the doorstep.
The retreat case is also physical. Below ground sits a large wellness and recreation area with a spa, a 25-metre indoor pool, a gym and squash courts, so a solo guest can swim, train and unwind without leaving, and the hotel keeps a handful of restaurants for unhurried meals alone. It earns its solo-list place on calm, culture and setting rather than on scene: this is somewhere to decompress over several slow days, close to history, not a base for a fast city itinerary.
Give yourself at least two full nights so a morning in the Summer Palace gardens, before the tour groups arrive, becomes the shape of the day. Ask the hotel directly about early or private access to the palace grounds and about which restaurants are operating, since both may have shifted with the December 2025 rebrand. Budget 60 to 90 minutes each way for any trip into central Beijing.
The rooms are calm, generous and built for long stays. Set within the restored courtyard buildings, the roughly 51 rooms and suites follow a pared-back, natural-material aesthetic with the oversized proportions that suit a multi-night solo stay, and many open directly onto a courtyard rather than a corridor. It is a hotel designed to be lived in slowly rather than passed through.
On facilities, the standout is the subterranean wellness complex: a spa with treatment rooms, a 25-metre indoor pool, a gym and squash courts, which is unusually complete for a hotel of this size and a genuine asset on a solo retreat. Dining runs to several restaurants, historically including Japanese and Chinese kitchens, though venue names and formats are worth reconfirming after the rebrand. The overall register is discreet and residential, the opposite of a grand city-hotel lobby.
Across recent guest reviews, the most consistent praise is for the setting, the calm and the service. Guests describe the courtyards and the adjacency to the Summer Palace as the reason to stay, single out the quiet as rare for Beijing, and repeatedly credit the staff for attentive, discreet service. The pool and spa draw admiration, and solo and couple travellers alike note how restful the compound feels compared with a central tower hotel.
The recurring reservations are about distance and price, and now about the rebrand. Guests note that the northwest-Beijing location is a long way from the Forbidden City and the business districts, so days involve real travel time. Rates sit at the top of the market. Reviews from late 2025 onward also flag the change of brand away from Aman, with travellers asking how much of the former service culture and benefits carry over, a fair question that the hotel answers by pointing to a retained team and unchanged standards.
The honest cons are location, price and the uncertainty that follows a fresh rebrand. First, the setting is peaceful but far from central Beijing, roughly 15 kilometres out, so a solo traveller who wants to step out into a lively district will spend a lot of time in taxis; this is a destination-in-itself retreat, not a walkable city base.
Second, it remains expensive, at the top of the Beijing market, and value is the one criterion where it scores lowest. Third, the December 2025 move away from Aman means the former operator's loyalty benefits no longer apply and some branded services may change, so the experience is in a transition period worth checking before you commit. None of this undercuts the core appeal of a quiet, historic courtyard retreat; it simply describes a remote, premium, recently rebranded property rather than a central all-rounder.
Against the field, it competes on quiet, courtyards and cultural setting rather than on a central address or nightlife. Use the table to place it against three other hotels on our Top 50 Solo Retreat list.
| Hotel | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| Beijing Yihe Hotel (ex-Aman) | A quiet Qing-dynasty courtyard retreat beside the Summer Palace | Far from central Beijing; top-of-market rates; recently rebranded |
| Park Hyatt Kyoto | A serene, design-led base in the Higashiyama temple district | A city-edge hotel rather than a walled compound |
| Amanjiwo | A monumental, remote resort near Borobudur in Java | Even more isolated; a resort, not an urban retreat |
| Amanyangyun | A relocated-village Aman retreat on the edge of Shanghai | Also out of the centre; a larger resort footprint |
If you want a calm, culture-first courtyard retreat in Beijing, this is the pick. For a serene Kyoto base see Park Hyatt Kyoto; for a monumental Javanese retreat see Amanjiwo; and for a Shanghai-edge alternative look at Amanyangyun or Aman Tokyo.
Yes, it is the same physical property. The hotel ended its Aman partnership on 29 December 2025 and rebranded as the Beijing Yihe Hotel from 30 December 2025. The building, courtyards, core team and standards were retained and bookings were unaffected, but it is no longer an Aman and Aman loyalty benefits no longer apply.
Yes, for a traveller who wants calm, culture and courtyards over city buzz. Restored Qing-dynasty pavilions beside the Summer Palace, about 51 rooms around quiet courtyards, plus a spa, indoor pool and gym, suit reading, slow mornings and garden walks. The northwest-Beijing setting is peaceful but far from downtown.
At 1 Gongmenqian Street, beside the Summer Palace's East Gate in Haidian, northwest Beijing, about 15 kilometres from the centre. Allow roughly 60 to 90 minutes by car to Beijing Capital (PEK) and a similar or longer time to Daxing (PKX), traffic depending.
Around 51 calm, generous rooms and suites in restored courtyard buildings, plus a below-ground wellness area with a spa, a 25-metre indoor pool, a gym and squash courts, and several restaurants including Japanese and Chinese kitchens. Some venue names may have changed with the 2025 rebrand.
It is far from central Beijing, so expect long taxi rides, and rates are at the top of the market. It is a quiet retreat rather than a social base, and the recent move away from Aman means loyalty benefits no longer apply and some services may be in transition.
A ranked shortlist, a special offer worth booking, and the overpriced stay to skip. Straight from the editors.