When travelling in China, I realised that it is a pain in the ass to book hotels and hostels. In China, they have certain regulations that make it difficult for foreigners to book hotels and hostels.
So, What are the regulations?
#1 In China, all hotels would need to register their customers with the nearby police station. The hotels would need you to have your passport.
#2 Not all hotels are licenced to take in foreigners, that makes the whole process even more complicated.
When I was trying to book my hotel in Xiamen, most of the rooms that I wanted to book are meant strictly for Mainland Chinese.
Fellow travel blogger Becky at Trekking with Becky recently travelled to Beijing and was not allowed to check-in as the hotel did not have the licence to take in foreigners, and was almost left stranded. Read her experience on Hotel Hell in Beijing.
So, How did I booked my hotel in Xiamen?
Instead of looking through Agoda and Booking.com, I turned to the Chinese based booking site to assist me in booking my hotels.
Ctrip is the Expedia, the Agoda, the Booking.com of China, it encompassed booking of Flights, Hotels and even Trains. It has the most comprehensive amount of hotel in China.
Ctrip allows you to book using your credit card or payment at the hotel.
I would highly recommend that either you pay through your credit card from Ctrip website or you pay cash at the Hotel.
So, How is the WIFI?
When I was in Xiamen and even in Yun Shui Yao, the accommodation that I stayed in provided WIFI with good speed and connectivity. Therefore, this would not be a major concern.
So, How safe is it staying in a Hotel or Hostel in China?
I would say that it is relatively safe in China when we were staying in Xiamen, we had requested to stay on the first floor, instead of climbing the stairs to a higher level. The entrance of the place was opened most of the time, and sometimes there wasn’t anyone sitting at the reception. The doors are electronically locked, instead of using a key. For the past 2 nights that we stayed there, it was very safe and there wasn’t much to be afraid about. I had also brought my Macbook along and most of the time, it is kept in the room.
I am quite surprised to hear about wifi and the safety. Not something I would really expect 🙂
Yes, its pretty safe, and the Wifi is strong even when i was at the tulou.
Good to know that it’s safe staying in a hostel, and thank you for the informative guide! I was also wondering about the Wifi but I’m glad to hear that you were able to stay connected. Maybe I will try a hostel when I visit China someday 🙂
Awesome! China is an adventure by itself! but beware of all the scams.
Thanks for the great tips – Agoda is my go-to for booking rooms in Asia. Thanks for the alternative since there are issues with Agoda.
Agoda used to be my go-to site, but after discovering Expedia best price guarantee. I have been using Expedia. For China, I would highly recommend you to try Ctrip.
Not all hotels are allowed to take foreigners? That’s crazy! Just shows you really do need to learn the rules before you go.
Yes! its kinda crazy!
Great information! I had no idea the process of was so complicated. Definitely bookmarking this for my upcoming trip.
It is complicated, and you might be left stranded from a non-license hotel.
How funny that some hotels will only accept Chinese visitors! Good tips, though, thanks for sharing 🙂
Yes! Its crazy, they have yet to update their law since the old days.
This is a very useful post, as I would have never taken some of these points into consideration! Will make sure to have this handy when planning a trip to China!
Thanks for the encouragement! Hope this is going to be helpful for you.
I didn’t know that there were hotels that couldn’t take foreign tourists in China! That’s a really key bit of information! Thanks for the quick tips, I’ll keep these in mind when I plan my trip!
Hope this does not deter you from visiting China.
Wow I didnt know its such a complicated process. I would probably still try and visit China despite this but thanks for the heads up
China is a very beautiful place and rich in history, don’t let a little mishap discourage you.
Very nice tips, Bernard! I did not know most hotels do not accept foreigners. When I was in Beijing (http://svetdimitrov.com/beijing/), there was not such a problem. Thanks for sharing the website too! I will bookmark it.
Thanks for the encouragement! Beijing is a beautiful place, but also very polluted.
I love Agoda! Good information here. I’m thinking of heading to China after my time in Korea.
Do ensure that your hotel allows foreigners. Enjoy your trip!
This is great info! Thanks for sharing as I certainly had no idea that some rooms, and entire hotels, are for locals only. Bookmarking for the future!
Thanks for the encouragement! Some hotels do not have the license to host foreigners.
Some really useful tips here, thanks – I didn’t know a lot of hotels can’t take in foreigners!
Yes! I was also taken aback when booking hotels in Xiamen.
Some very useful insights and tips in your post. Thanks so much for sharing, Bernard!
Thanks for the encouragement! Do save this for future reference.
Wow I have no idea they have restrictions and regulations for that as well. But considering everything else, it is probably not that surprising. Still sounds like a pain in the ass when you want to book something and you can.
Yes! but dont let this stop you from exploring China! you would totally love China!
How’s the hostel scene in China? I’ve been there a few times but never had the chance to stay in a hostel because I always use CouchSurfing. There are a lot of CSers in China and it’s amazing! The hostel on the photo looks neat tho. I should give it a try!
I have not stayed in a hostel in China, and never know that Couchsurfing is popular in China. Would want to try Couchsurfing the next time I go to China.
It’s really interesting that some places are domestic guests only – I find that’s the opposite to many many other countries. Good to know for the future 🙂
It can be a painful experience for travellers that are not aware, imagine being rejected from checking-in during the wee hours of the night.
A great guide! Very informative and I remember the first time I visited China, I always wondered about the wifi. Thanks for all the tips!
Thanks for the encouragement! Do keep this for future reference!
I would like to go to mainland China some day. How is the translations? I’ve been to Hong Kong, when it was British ruled so English wasn’t a problem then. Tokyo too is internationally diverse. Just wondering if it’s easy to get around with the language.
In China, you would need to know some mandarin or you could get the hotels to write the words in Chinese, and point and pass it to the drivers or to ask for directions. But in the major areas like airports and most hotels, they would be able to speak at least some English.
Nice piece of advice, thank you for this post!
Thanks for the encouragement! Do keep this for future reference!
Very useful! Thanks for advice!
Thanks for the encouragement! Do keep this for future reference!
Super helpful, I am headed to china literally right now!
Have an awesome trip in China!
That’s a really useful read. I had no idea about the restrictions on hotels for travelers! I will keep this in mind as I do plan on visiting China.
Thanks for the encouragement!
Oh this is such great information!!! I have yet to visit China (it is on the list) but I am now even more equipped as to where to stay/how to book. Thanks Bernard! I look forward to your future posts.
Thanks for the encouragement! Do subscribe to the mailing list and get posted when there is new entries.
Very surprised to hear about the procedure involving police and foreign travellers. Quite fascinating really. Did you get the chance to find out why this is how it is?
The reason is due to an old law, that was implemented during the initial days of China opening to tourism.
I lived in China for three years until last October and often used Ctrip for stuff especially because I could use my foreign card. It was especially good for booking trains!
Yes! Ctrip is awesome, especially for China.
I never knew hotel regulations were so strict in China! I imagine Ctrip has a good english version to make the booking process easier? I wouldn’t really want to rely on google translate on such occasions 😀
Wow, that sounds crazy. Do not plan to go to China in the near future, but good to know what to consider beforehand.