Wulinyuan Zhongtian International Youth Hostel

The best thing about this hostel is that it is conveniently located about a 25 minute walk from the Wulingyuan entrance to the national park or a 5 minute 10rmb fixed rate taxi ride. The Wulingyuan bus station is just a 20 minute walk also. The park itself is massive, offering unbelievable and stunningly beautiful views, fun hikes and a free 8am-6pm bus service inside it, but the ticket is quite pricey for the 4 day pass, so this hostel provides a good option for budget lodging if you're backpacking China on a "shoestring". Though the hostel wifi is only available downstairs, it can be a positive, since it thus draws other guests to hang out in the very basic, but clean common area near the lobby in order to internet surf and socialise, which is great for finding buddies to visit various sections of the entire Zhangjiajie scenic attractions. The resident staff member, a matt black haired elderly fellow, who chain smokes like you won't believe, speaks literally no English, but he is a very kind man who will do free calligraphy for you, offer barley tea and call another guy who speaks fluent English if you absolutely need to get something through the "language barrier". Translate apps also work if you know some basic mandarin, but he can only write in Pinyin. The old boy also provides a handy map of the park upon check in. I literally paid 30rmb per night for a 4 bed dorm - the room had a good wall mounted heating unit which was needed in the November chill, and though the beds were hard, they were roomy (I'm 194cm tall and my feet actually didn't dangle off the end of the bunk) you can't complain when you pay 30rmb! Moreover, the bathrooms leave something to be desired, but even though they're ran down, and maybe a little damp on the tiling, they are clean. You'll need to bring your own toilet paper mind. There are plenty of cheap Chinese restaurants on the street too, and many locals will be willing to help you with tips for the park.