How do I book a hotel in China?

The rule that catches people out

Every hotel in China must register a foreign guest's identity with the local police within 24 hours of check-in. Big hotels do this as routine — it takes a minute at the desk, and they do it all day. Small ones often cannot, because the registration needs licensed software and trained staff, and a rural guesthouse or a cheap family-run place may simply not have them. Rather than risk a fine, they decline foreign passports.

This is bureaucracy rather than hostility, and the person at the desk is following a rule that has been on the books for decades. But it is real, it is most common in smaller cities, in towns near the Tibetan areas, and at inexpensive properties, and it is much better learned about before you book than at nine in the evening with your bags on the pavement.

Two defences. First, book through a platform that tells you which hotels accept foreign guests, and filter for it. Second, if you are booking somewhere small, contact the property directly first — ask them outright whether they take foreign passports. That conversation also usually gets you a better rate than the platform's, so it is worth having for more than one reason.

At check-in

Bring the passport itself, not a photograph of it — the registration is done with the document. The name on the booking must match it exactly; if you booked under a nickname or a different spelling, expect trouble. Everyone staying in the room registers, not just whoever booked, which in practice means all guests should be there or arrive together. Some hotels keep the passport at reception for a few minutes while the registration goes through and then hand it back. That is normal.

If you are refused anyway: stay polite and ask for the foreign-guest registration — sometimes a night-shift clerk simply does not know the system is available and a manager will sort it out. Then call the booking platform's support line; they will usually find you a comparable room nearby or refund on the spot. Ask the hotel to point you at a neighbour that does take foreigners; they almost always know, and often they will tell you which one. Past midnight with nowhere to go, the nearest international chain will have a room and will check you in without a conversation.

What the room is actually like

Better than the price suggests, usually. Expect a kettle, tea, slippers, and disposable toothbrush and paste as standard even in mid-range places. Twin rooms with two single beds are common and often the default for two people, so specify if you want a double. Rooms can be small by Western standards and the bed firm; that is the house style, not a fault. Breakfast is often included and is Chinese — congee, pickles, steamed buns, eggs — and worth having at least once.

When to book

Book early around Chinese New Year and the National Day holiday in early October, and through the summer. Those are the weeks when the good places in the popular cities genuinely sell out, and the days either side of the two big holidays are the worst of the year to be looking. Outside those windows, booking a few days ahead is normally fine, and there is real value in keeping some flexibility — plans in the mountains change with the weather.

Questions I get on this one

From booking and re-booking accommodation here for years, and from standing at too many front desks. Registration rules vary a little by province and are enforced in waves — verify with the property before you rely on any of it. Related: all the apps · high-speed trains · permits and where foreigners may go · all essentials