I stayed at Cote Cour only 1 night for a business trip. I picked this place because of my "5 stars hotel fatigue" and its central location. In short: I wanted to be in a cozy place, within walking distance of the Beihai park while enjoying the feel of "old Beijing" & Hutongs. That was the perfect place for it. First, I had a very good contact with the staff on my way from the airport: my taxi didn't know where the hotel was (that's the "hutong's effect"!) and needed guidance. The Girl had flawless English, and was very helpful with my taxi. She was smart enough to push him to enter the hutong, and drop me right at the front door, so I didn't have to walk! The check-in was one of the fastest I ever had. She quickly walked me to my (well-heated) room: I booked a Deluxe and was upgraded to Suite. I was amazed at how beautiful the decoration was: a tasteful combination of Chinese antique and modern design. The room was very spacious and clean. The bathroom was awesome, with both rain shower and large bath tub.The rest of the hotel was very lovely too: square traditional court, red lanterns lit at night, and cozy place for meals / drinks upstairs: a large outdoor rooftop terrace with great views of the hutong, as well as an intimate veranda with coffee tables and lots of comfy cushions. Free WIFI everywhere, of course. All Staff without exception were helpful, even the night-guard who helped me to book an airport transfer with the hotel's car, despite the late hour (it was almost 2 AM). Fee for transfer was also quite reasonable: 150 CY. In short, you will love this hotel if you are looking for quality alternative to luxury hotels, and if you are interested to explore a more traditional aspect of Beijing. On the other hand, if you are used to taxi stands right at the front of your hotel and hate walking, probably not your place. A couple of useful tips: 1/ Even if you have a printed map, keep the hotel's phone number handy at all times. Taxis always get confused with hutongs, and they will surely try to "get rid" of you at the main street, when it is actually possible to drive inside the hutong right to the hotel door. 2/ If taxi driver gets grumpy at you for choosing to stay in a hutong, answer him that: "这就是老北京， 师傅！ Zhe jiushi lao Beijing, Shifu! (Chill out, man! This is old Beijing after all!) 3/ Eat & drinks: if you don't feel like moving, Cote Cour offers quality local dishes, wine and beers, all very satisfying. There is a mini-bar in your room with complimentary bottled water. If you want to go out: one great under-ground option is to go to the hidden gem Baochao Hutong (10 mn taxi) on Gulou dong Dajie: there are very nice diner options here, like Southern Barbarian and Mr Shi's Dumplings, as well as easy-going bars for drinks (Orchid bar or Cangku). A more upscale option is to go to the Temple's Restaurant on Shatan road, also 10 mn taxi from the hotel: gorgeous contemporary European restaurant sheltered in a gorgeous renovated temple.

I cannot find one negative thing to say about this place. It's conveniently located yet not on a main road ((between two train stops, both 5-10min walk from the hotel). The area is very characteristic since this hotel is in a hutong (alley) , in particular the one where the emperor's musicians used to live i was told. Rooms are clean, warmly and elegantly furnished and have all you might need (and if you need more you can ask and bet the staff will get it for you). Breakfasts are yum - you can choose between the western or traditional style: when i travel my rule is to eat local and avoid being that silly westerner that eats the same stuff you can get at home. Here i was not disappointed and i think the chef liked me as i was - to my surprise - the only westerner to order the traditional breakfast. So i got red carpet treatment every day. The courtyard is lovely and peaceful. Finally: the staff. Ok these people are by far among the best i ever experienced and i travel a lot for work, all around the world. my luggage was lost by china air (no comments) and they immediately understood my concern since it contained equipment i needed for work - so they kept calling CA non stop for over 24hours.. They did not give up till my luggage reached me. Impeccable service and done with great humility and kindness. I had a truly memorable time there and every now and then i think about the peace i felt each time i returned to that courtyard, after a day in noisy and full of traffic Beijing. If you go, you will notice at the start of the alley a restaurant with chairs outside - they have a little bbq oven on the street and a room at the back. I passed by that place for days without considering it worthwhile a stop - i was wrong. I had a meal there and it was earthy yummy BJ food. Careful though as portions are big - PRC style: to be shared!

I spent in this hotel 4 days, rooms are great and clean! people at desk speak great english and they helped in all my needs from booking a car to have a massage! great restaurant serve a great breakfast! centrally located you can walk to the forbidden city! the hutongs are part of traditional beijing and the yannyue hutong is really centrally located in the dongcheng area! they booked a car with driver for me to go to the great wall, also they suggested where how to move around the city in a very logical way, loved it and if i go back im going to be there again!

Hotel Cote Cour is pricey for a courtyard/siheyuan experience but it may be a good option for first time travelers to Beijing as the facilities are very well maintained and it is in a central location. Yanyue Hutong is in the Dongcheng area, within walking distance of two subway lines (about 10-15 minutes -- typical for Beijing), Wangfujing (15 minutes), Tiananmen Square, and the Forbidden City (both 20-25 minutes). Also closeby is Jinbao Jie, where you can have the duck at Dadong or Beijing's best dim sum at Lei Garden.

We stayed in the superior suite for six nights. The so-called suite is actually one big room with a sitting area and the bed. Only a light and transparent curtain separates the two. The room was a little smaller than I expected, but there is actually a nice lounge with a laptop connected to wireless where you can relax instead. The room was well furnished with ample closet/wardrobe space and a big bed that was on the firmer side.

We were here at the end of November. During a warmer season, it would have probably been nice to unwind on the rooftop. Winter is very cold in Beijing and I was very grateful that management kept the whole place warm and toasty. There are even four heating lamps in the bathroom! Light sleepers should note that you may hear staff and fellow travelers passing through the courtyard, but it was usually very quiet at night. (Of course, I am not sure if that would be the case if it were warmer out.)

The facilities were extremely clean. Even though it was too chilly to sit outside in the courtyard, it was meticulously swept and wiped clean every morning. No mold or sewage stink in the bathroom. There are a few cats, which I am very allergic to, but the place is kept so well that they did not bother me, whether indoors or outdoors.

Having breakfast in the restaurant/bar overlooking the courtyard was a lovely way to start the day. Breakfast was typically yogurt with muesli, toast, fried eggs, bacon and a little something Chinese thrown in (e.g., scallion pancake, dumplings). Because it is China, we would only suggest that there should be a choice of Chinese breakfast (e.g., congee) and bagged Lipton should be replaced with loose leaf tea.