Hôtel Côte Cour SL, Beijing

Luxury hotels, villas and select air, yacht, limousine charter services - Planet Collection

The tour is hosted by Luxury Concierge China, a specialist concierge company based in Shanghai. They provide bespoke packages and concierge services for the discerning traveller.

Woolworths TASTE, July issue cover, Gourmet China tour

HÔTEL CÔTÉ COUR SL, BEIJING

| GOURMET TOURS

Shanghai, Suzhou & Hangzhou

Beijing

Hôtel Côté Cour SL, Beijing

Tucked away in an historic lane that was once home to actors and dancers of the imperial Ming court, this 14-roomed boutique hotel exudes charm and style while offering an oasis of calm to travellers, who remember it for its genuine hospitality and comfort.

Text Michelle Snaddon
Photography Courtesy of Hôtel Côté Cour SL
Published 5th July 2008

Côté cour is French for 'garden view' but it's also the traditional French name given to the royal box in the theatre – a perfect tribute to the performing artists of the emperor's court who, during the Ming dynasty, lived and rehearsed in Yanyue Hutong where this gem of a hotel is situated.

Hotel Côté Cour SL is owned by ex-Hong Kong investment banker, Shauna Liu, who always wanted her own boutique hotel. She spent six months restoring and transforming the 500-year-old building by first commissioning scores of local artisans to paint the ancient Chinese corridors in intricate designs, then decorating the bedrooms with colourful flourish, before recreating a traditional Chinese courtyard garden and a rooftop terrace as a peaceful retreat for her guests from the bustle of the city outside.

Rumour has it that traditional Chinese courtyard hotels are right on trend in Beijing and this intimate little hideaway is way ahead of the pack. Guests love the fact that it combines old-fashioned hospitality and personal service with five-star luxuries – high quality linen, modern bathrooms, air conditioning and heating, Wi-Fi access, and satellite television. It's fabulously convenient too - just ten minutes from the city centre and a half-hour walk away from Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.

No surprises then that Condé Nast Traveller lists the hotel on its Hot List for 2008 and reckons that 'the woman behind Beijing's sleekest boutique hotel could teach big-brand concierges a thing or two about personal service'.

Hôtel Côté Cour SL is JUST THE PLANET'S hotel of choice for the Gourmet Tour to China from 8 to 18 November 2008, hosted by Luxury Concierge China.

Hôtel Côté Cour SL , 70 Yan Yue Hutong, Dong Cheng Qu, Beijing www.hôtelcôtécoursl.com

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Morning room, Hôtel Côté Cour SL, Beijing, Gourmet China tour

Suite, Hôtel Côté Cour SL, Beijing, Gourmet China tour

Superior suite, Hôtel Côté Cour SL, Beijing, Gourmet China tour

Blossoms in courtyard, Hôtel Côté Cour SL, Beijing, Gourmet China tour