Where to stay in China: Accommodation in China and other Accommodation tips

After more than 40 years of construction and development, the tourism accommodation industry in China has become stable and perfect with the development of service level, quantity scale, development speed and innovation.

Twenty years ago when foreigners made a tour to China, there were few hotels to choose from. They are mostly international hotel chains in big cities or hotels designated by local governments. Nowadays, there are various types and grades of hotels, inns, guesthouses, youth hostels in various cities in China that can accommodate foreign travelers.

Most of the tourist accommodation in China is star-rated hotels, because the star-rated hotels have standardized service facilities and procedures, and their employees have received professional training and rich experience. In recent years, more and more inns, guest houses, apartments, etc. have sprung up in many cities and towns, with the continuous improvement of services and facilities. Hotels with different star ratings are spread all over China, there are even some standard hotels in Darchen town (altitude 4,600 meters), which stands at the foot of Mount Kailash.

When people talk about luxury hotels, they usually refer to 5-star hotels or some luxury and high price boutique hotels. The architecture, decoration, facilities and management, and service levels of these hotels are all of the world-class high standards. The hotel's employees are professionally trained and have rich experience, you can easily find a staff who can speak simple English and many employees who have a master's degree in hotel management and working experience in overseas hotels. Luxury hotels have gyms, swimming pools, bars, cafes, children's playgrounds, and two to five dining rooms to cater for guests of different religious cultures and eating habits. Bathroom products, bathrobes, bedsheets, mattresses, etc. in the room are all premium brands. Many luxury hotel rooms provide a lot of free drinks in the minibar.

Normally, the Mid-range or comfortable hotels are referred to the 4-star hotels and boutique hotels like exquisitely decorated courtyards or apartments. The 4-star hotels are slightly inferior to five-star hotels in terms of scale, facilities, and equipment, but they can basically meet the basic living needs of guests. For example, their free breakfast mainly buffets with many western styles, and the hotel can even provide meals for guests of different religions. Apartments in China mainly refer to hotel-style service apartments, which are mainly distributed in developed cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Guangzhou. There are more choices of suites to accommodate 3-6 people, and most apartments have kitchens for cooking. They are basically built in the urban area with many supermarkets and vegetable markets nearby. It is generally recommended for travelers on a business trip or with a family that has children or elderly parents.

Generally speaking, 3-star hotels, inns, guesthouses, hostels, etc., we usually call them budget hotels. Their feature is the low price, and the service mode is beds + breakfast, however, most 3-star hotels and inns provide Chinese breakfast, and no toast and oatmeal, but eggs and milk are essential for every hotel. Travelers can find many inns, guesthouses, and hostels operate near the tourist attractions or scenic areas. Most of them are private investment, with fewer rooms but a unique decoration. If travelers happen to tour China bypassing Guilin & Yangshuo, Dali, Lijiang, we would recommend them to choose to experience the inns or hostels, because most inns and hostels here are imitated ancient Chinese buildings, and some others are even the original houses (with hundreds of years history), travelers can feel the old-time by spending a night here.

In addition, many temples or monasteries in China can also receive foreign guests, such as Shaolin Temple, Baoguo Temple in Mount Emei, etc. Those types of accommodations are usually rather basic, most are shared dorm beds with public toilets and no shower room. However, it can be a good experience to stay there to see the monks' morning exercises and chanting.

Many featured theme hotels in Pingyao, Lijiang, Dali, Guilin or Yangshuo have courtyards, which are typical of the ancient Chinese garden style. Guests can sit in the courtyard to read, chat, drink, enjoy the dish, etc. It is a classic Chinese leisure lifestyle. Their scale, surrounding environment, and facilities are different, and the price ranges from budget hotels to luxury hotels.

There are accommodations in many beautiful scenery areas or near or even in the scenic spots, and these accommodations also provide campsites with simple bed facilities. The Great Wall and Mount Everest Base Camp will provide travelers with camping sites and even camping equipment, including tents, sleeping bags, etc.

Prices vary greatly in different cities and seasons. For example, from December to February every year is the off-season in most cities, but in many parts of Yunnan and places with snow scenery, the price is very high.

For most places in China, July to October is the peak tourist season, and accommodation fees are also the highest throughout the year. In addition, hotel charges on public holidays in China are much higher than usual.

Accommodation costs in the big developed cities (such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, etc.) in eastern China are much more expensive than the cities (like Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin, Kunming, etc.) in the middle and western China.

• A 3-star hotel in Beijing costs at least CN¥ 600 per night, and about CN¥ 500 per night in Shanghai, while prices in Xi'an, Chengdu, Guilin, Kunming, and other cities are around CN¥ 300-400 per night.
• The annual average price of a 4-star hotel is about CN¥ 800-1,200 per night.
• The annual average price range of 5-star hotels is about CN¥ 1,200-3,000 per night.
• Please note that all the mentioned prices are based on the annual average price of the basic room type, nor available for the public holidays.

There are also many budget standard hotels in China, the price range is CN¥ 200-300 per night. However, most of them have no authority and qualifications to accommodate foreign travelers.

Although many accommodations near or inside scenic spots do not meet the standards of internationally certified star-rated hotels, their room rates are relatively high, which are basically 4-star hotels. Most places with magnificent scenery have inconvenient transportation, hence, the surrounding accommodation is scarce, and the price is higher.

1.Room Type

• Twin room: Two single beds, 1.1-1.3 meters wide and 2 meters long.
• Double room: One 1.5 meters wide Queen bed or one 1.8 meters wide King bed.
• Triple room: Three single beds or one Queen/King bed with two single beds.
• In addition, there are family rooms and suites that can accommodate 4 to 6 people. Different hotels provide different room types and styles.
• Room facilities usually including air-condition, free wifi, western toilet, TV, basic toiletries (shampoo, shower gel, toothpaste, toothbrush, etc.), towels, 1 bottle mineral water per person, kettle, hairdryer, slippers, desk, sofa, power sockets of various specifications, etc.

2. Hotel Amenities 

• Luggage Storage: This service is available at all classes and types of hotels.
• Dinging/Restaurant: Most hotels have restaurants, and hotels with 4- stars and above have more than one restaurant.
• Cafes: Available at some 3 or 4-star hotels and almost all 5-star hotels.
• Bars: Available at some 4-star hotels and almost all 5-star hotels.
• Gym: Available at some 4-star hotels and almost all 5-star hotels.
• Children's Playgrounds: Available at some 4-star hotels and almost all 5-star hotels. Generally there are slides, ocean balls, toys, children's books, etc.
• Swimming Pool: Available at some 4-star hotels and almost all 5-star hotels.
• Toiletries: Basically all hotels will provide toothpaste, toothbrushes, towels, combs, razors, shampoos, shower gels, etc. in the bathrooms. The higher level of the hotel, the more complete and better the items it offers.
• WIFI: Almost all hotel rooms and lobbies have free wifi, and some advanced hotels have free wifi covering almost all areas, including restaurants, gyms, bars, etc.
• English Speaking Staff: Some staff in 4-star hotels or above can speak good English, 3-star hotel staff can speak simple English, and the staff of hotels near the famous tourist attractions (like Yangshuo) can also communicate in basic English. For the remote area and budget standard hotels, travelers should use the translator for communication or ask for help from your China tour guide.

3. Other Features

• The hotels near the airport basically provide free pick-up service 24 hours a day. If you are on an early flight, the hotel will also provide a wake-up call and send you to the airport.
• In Tibet Autonomous Region and other Tibetan Autonomous Prefectures, most of the accommodation will provide oxygen supply equipment or portable oxygen cylinders due to the high altitude climate.
• Hotels usually provide 24-hour reception, room cleaning, charged laundry, and other cleaning services. And they also offer free luggage storage, taxi-calling service, scenic spot/performance ticket booking for their guests. Some hotels even provide safety deposit boxes in the guest room.
• Many hotels do not have umbrellas and spare beds in the rooms. You can call the front desk if you need it.

• Check-in/out Time: Check-in time is 14:00 and Check out time is 12:00. An additional cost will be charged for the early check-in or later check-out. However, guests can have an early check-in during the off-season sometimes.
   
• Room Deposit: The amount of the deposit depends on the room rate, generally, CN¥ 100-800 per room per night is charged. The deposit can be collected in cash (Chinese Yuan), credit card, etc. If the deposit is paid by cash, the deposit will be returned to the guest immediately upon check-out. If the deposit is paid by credit card, it will generally be refunded to the guest account within 7 working days, depending on the policies of different banks.
   
• Where to Book the Hotels: Room bookings can be easily made through Booking, Agoda, Airbnb, Expedia, Yahoo! Travel, Hotels, Priceline, Trip (a Chinese travel website), hotel's official website, etc.
   
• Book in Advance: It’s highly recommended to book the hotel in advance (1-3 months prior to departure), especially if the travel time is in the peak season (July to October).
   
• Breakfast: Most hotels will provide free breakfast, however, the budget hotels or 3-star hotels offer fewer types of breakfast, which are basically Chinese style like milk, eggs, rice porridge, steamed bread, corn, noodles, and so on. A few 3-star hotels have toast, omelet, and a very small portion of western breakfast, and no coffee. 4-star hotels and above have a rich variety of breakfasts, and more western-style breakfasts, as well as coffee and juice. Some featured theme hotels have western breakfast, but not for free, and normally costs CN¥ 30-60 per person.
   
• Tax: China's taxes and fees will not be collected and listed separately, they are all included in the total price of goods or hotel room charges.
   
• Smoking Area: Currently, only hotels in Beijing are completely non-smoking, because smoking is not allowed in any room of any hotel in Beijing, the smoking areas are generally set up on the terrace. Other Chinese cities have not implemented non-smoking policies in hotels. Most hotels have smoking rooms and non-smoking rooms, and some hotels can do smoke-free handling prior to check-in.
   
• Extra Bed: Many hotels are allowed to add an extra bed in some of their twin or double rooms to accommodate 3 guests. Normally, the extra bed is a folding bed/sofa, the size is about 1.95 meters long and 0.9 meters wide, not as comfortable as the original single bed in the room. In addition, the extra bed is usually added after checking in, their cost and standard are different in different hotels.
   
• Credit Cards: Hotels above 4-stars can accept MasterCard, Visa, and other international credit cards.
   
• Money Exchange and ATMs: Most hotels with 4-stars and above can provide currency exchange services, generally US dollars and Euros are accepted. Most 5-star hotels have ATM machines in the lobby that can take international credit cards.