Hotels in China: who can take foreign guests, and what to expect
Hotels in China are modern and well run, and one rule matters before you book: only a licensed hotel can take a foreign guest. What happens at check-in, the deposit, breakfast, parking and chargers, and laundry.
Hotels in China are modern, clean and well run, with a good breakfast. If you have stayed in hotels in Europe or North America, the routine will feel familiar. We have spent a lot of nights in them on the road, and arriving at a new hotel is always a part of the day we look forward to. A few habits are different, though, and one of them matters before you book: not every hotel is allowed to take a foreign guest. This page walks you through them in the order they come.
A hotel room full of local charm in Western Sichuan
Hotel room balcony view in Qianhu Miao Village, Guizhou
A gobi desert hotel with an alien-planet view in Qinghai
Which hotels can take foreign guests?
Only a hotel is qualified to register foreign guests can check you in. The big chains are, and so are most hotels you book on a foreign site such as Booking.com, Expedia or Trip.com. Small guesthouses do not, and the friendliest owner cannot help you there, because they simply don't know how to register your passport. As a foreign visitor, you must be registered with the police at every place you stay in China, so this is also what keeps your stay compliant. This matters if you plan a road trip and like to stop wherever the day ends: a little planning is needed, so check the hotel before you drive to it. Every hotel on our routes has the licence; it is the first thing we check when we plan a night.
What happens at check-in?
Every hotel copies your passport and your entry stamp and files them in the system. It is the law for every foreign guest in China, and it takes about two minutes. Have the passports of everyone in the party ready, not only the person who booked.
In Xinjiang and near the borders, the desk may also ask where you came from and where you go next. In a few border towns you may be asked to register at the police station nearby as well, which takes a few minutes. If you travel with an agency like us, we tell you before the trip when that is the case and where to go.
Registration at a front desk
Is there a deposit?
Usually, yes. Many hotels take a refundable deposit at check-in, a few hundred yuan (¥300 is roughly 45 USD or 40 EUR), by card, by phone or in cash. It covers damage and extras, and it comes back at check-out, often straight away and to the way you paid it. However, this is changing, and more and more hotels now waive the deposit and skip the room check at checkout.
What is in the room?
- A kettle and free bottled water. Tap water is not for drinking; boil it first. That is what the kettle in your room is for, as well as making tea.
- A key card that powers the room. Slot it in by the door for the lights and the air conditioning, and take it with you when you go out, or the room goes dark. If two of you come and go, ask for a second card.
- Free Wi-Fi, almost everywhere. One thing to know: on hotel Wi-Fi the apps from home, such as Google and WhatsApp, stop working, because the Wi-Fi is a Chinese network. Switch back to mobile data on your China eSIM and they return. The phone guide has the setup.
- Toiletries on request. Many hotels no longer put toothbrushes and combs in the room; the desk has them.
Making tea with an electric kettle in a hotel room
Is breakfast included?
Usually, and usually it is generous: congee, steamed buns, noodles, eggs and fruit, and often a few Western items too. On a long driving day it is the meal that matters, so we never skip it.
Where do I park?
Most hotels have parking for their guests. It is free most of the time, or cheap at a partner car park nearby. If the car park is more than a hundred metres away, the hotel usually runs a shuttle.
If you travel with us, we contact each hotel before the trip to check where you can park and send you a pin for it. If you travel on your own, check whether the site you booked on has the information, or ask the hotel. An email works, but in China the better way is to add the hotel on WeChat: with automatic translation to English switched on, you can talk to them directly and ask before you arrive. We also help connect our clients with their hotels on WeChat before they arrive.
Can I charge the car?
More and more hotels have an EV charger in the car park; ask at check-in, and an overnight charge covers the next day. Charging in China usually needs a Chinese phone number, though, which is one reason we suggest a petrol car for now; Driving in China explains.
A public EV charging station in a parking lot
Can I do laundry?
Some hotels on the self-drive routes, especially newer or mid-range ones, have a free self-service laundry room with washers and dryers. On a two-week trip it is worth asking at the desk, because it changes how much you need to pack.
The laundry room in a hotel
What can the front desk do for me?
Licensed hotels have a 24-hour desk, and the staff are used to the questions foreign guests ask: directions, restaurants, where to park, the nearest supermarket. When the staff do not speak English, they use a translator app on their phone to talk with you, and it works well for everyday questions. Food delivery is allowed almost everywhere; you pick it up at the desk, or in some hotels a robot brings it to your door, which is worth seeing once.
A robot brought the food delivery to the guest's room in a hotel
A hotel's beautiful zen garden at the border of Tibet and Sichuan
Questions we get asked
Can foreigners stay in any hotel in China?
No. A hotel needs to be qualified to register foreign guests. The big chains are and so are most hotels you book on Booking.com, Expedia or Trip.com; small guesthouses often do not. Every hotel on our routes can register foreign guests.
Do I need to book hotels in advance?
On a Dragon Roads trip the hotels are booked long before you fly. If you travel on your own, we still recommend booking a few weeks ahead, because the nicer hotels and the best rooms often sell out quickly. Whenever you book, make sure the hotel can take foreign guests.
Can two adults and two children share a room?
It depends on the hotel's policy, but children under 12 can usually stay in your room for free. The bigger hotels have family rooms and connecting rooms; elsewhere, the usual answer for older children is a twin room with an extra bed. Tell the hotel your children's ages when you book.
Do WhatsApp and Google work on the hotel Wi-Fi?
No. Hotel Wi-Fi is a Chinese network, so the apps from home stop there. Switch to mobile data on an eSIM made for mainland China and they work again, and you do not need a VPN. The phone guide says which eSIM.
