Foreign visitors are concerned that a government proposal to standardize services in courtyard house home-stays will weaken the original flavor of Beijing local life for tourists.

A draft on courtyard home-stay standards was posted on the local government's website recently to gather public opinion and suggestion. It will remain until Feb 5.

The introduction of the draft gave the reasons for its creation as a need to continue the idea of an "Olympic Homestay", and "to promote local Beijing culture and improve the service and management level to greet guests from home and abroad".

 

According to the draft, only genuine and well-preserved courtyard houses can apply for the title of "Beijing Homestay".

Some of the strongest updates on the traditional Beijing home include having a western toilet, satellite TV with at least 16 channels, a coffee and tea machine, air conditioning, bedroom sofa, and at least one host who can speak a second language.

However, some foreigners in Beijing are worried that the new standards will lessen the original feel of Beijing courtyard life.

"We go to courtyard houses because they are what they are," said 28-year-old Simon Mair, a project manager from Scotland. "If courtyard houses become standardized like hotel rooms, what would be the point then?"

Mair moved to Beijing in November 2007 and has been living in a courtyard house in Guoxue Hutong for over a year. "Sometimes it is inconvenient to live in a courtyard house. For instance, the neighborhood shares the toilet. But that's how local Beijing people live," he said.

The municipal government allocated 598 courtyard houses in Beijing as "Olympic Homestays" in 2008. However, they failed to get as many guests as expected.

"Because the idea of an 'Olympic Homestay' was rushed out before the Beijing Olympics, there were many things that needed to be improved in terms of domestic services. This might be why we only got a few guests in 2008," said a professor surnamed Pan from the Tourism Institute of Beijing Union University.

In contrast, some former Olympic home-stay owners believe the low popularity at the time was from a lack of publicity.

"Most foreign guests were sent to us by the local government. I don't think the concept of 'Olympic Homestay' was promoted enough during the Olympics," said Wang Heng, owner of one such courtyard house in Qianmachang hutong in Xicheng district. Around 20 foreign guests stayed in Wang's property during for the Beijing Olympics.

"Most guests I received said they had a good time in my home, and really treated like their own," Wang said. "Many are now returning customers, and we have become friends."