Types of Accommodation in China: Hotels, Chains, Hostels, Homestays and Sleeper Trains

In China you can stay in star-rated hotels, international-brand hotels, Chinese chain hotels, youth hostels, homestays and guesthouses, rented apartments, hotels inside scenic areas, and the berth on an overnight train. For most first-time visitors the easy default is a Chinese chain hotel or an international hotel in the city, a hostel if you travel solo on a budget, and a guesthouse for nights in water towns, villages and old towns. Rented flats are the one type that takes extra paperwork, and Airbnb has not listed mainland China homes since it paused them in 2022.

This guide goes through each type: what it is, who it suits and what to know before you book. When you have picked a type, the budget options guide covers prices, the luxury hotels guide covers the top end, and the guide to booking hotels and registration rules covers check-in and police registration in full.

The types of accommodation in China, and which one suits you

Start with the one rule that affects every choice. Every foreign guest's stay has to be registered with the police. In a hotel, hostel or licensed guesthouse, staff do this for you when you show your passport at the desk. If you stay anywhere else, such as a friend's home or a rented flat, you or your host must register within 24 hours of arrival. That single difference is why most short-trip visitors stay in licensed places.

The second thing to know: you no longer need to look for a special "foreigner-approved" hotel. A 2024 notice from seven national ministries says local authorities and booking platforms must not use "qualification" requirements to stop hotels and guesthouses from taking foreign guests. In practice, a small hotel in a small town may still hesitate now and then, so keep a backup in mind there, but in cities this is rarely a problem.

Here is how the types compare at a glance:

How to choose, by the kind of trip you are taking:

• First trip, one to three weeks, mostly big cities: book a chain hotel or international hotel near a metro station in each city. It is the lowest-stress option: the front desk handles registration, the room is predictable, and you can book in English.
• Tight budget or travelling solo: hostels in the big cities and backpacker towns, mixed with cheap chain hotels on nights when you want a private room. Our solo travel guide covers the rest of the trip, and the China travel budget guide covers costs beyond lodging.
• Family with children: mid-range chain or international hotels with family rooms, or the resort hotels at a theme park. Hostels and small guesthouses rarely have the room sizes families need.
• Couples and slow travellers: a city hotel as a base, plus one or two nights in a guesthouse in a water town or old town.
• Long stays of a month or more: a serviced apartment run like a hotel (confirm it registers foreign guests), or a rented flat if you have a host who can help with registration.
• Mountains and long train rides: one night on the summit if you want sunrise, and an overnight sleeper train to cover a long distance and save a hotel night.

Star-rated hotels and international brands

China has an official star rating for hotels, run by the tourism authorities. The current national standard is GB/T 14308-2023, "Classification and accreditation for star-rated tourist hotels", which came into force on 1 March 2024 and replaced the 2010 version. Stars run from one to five, more stars means a higher grade, hotels apply for a rating voluntarily, and ratings are awarded by star-rating committees, with five-star ratings at national level. You will see the plaque at the entrance or behind the front desk.

A few things about stars that help when you are comparing hotels:

• Most hotels have no official star. At the end of 2025 China had 7,586 star-rated hotels, while the country had about 106,000 chain hotels on their own. So "no stars" usually means the hotel never applied, not that it is bad. Many new boutique hotels and most chain hotels sit outside the system.
• Stars can be taken away. In April 2019 the national star-rating committee removed five-star status from eight hotels after inspections by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism found serious hygiene, fire-safety and service problems. A five-star plaque means the hotel met the standard when it was checked, and that it can lose the plaque if it slips.
• You can check a five-star rating yourself. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism runs an official lookup for five-star hotels, which you can filter by province. The page is in Chinese, but a browser's translate button is enough: open the Ministry of Culture and Tourism lookup page.
• "Diamonds" on booking apps are not stars. Chinese booking platforms often show hotels with two to five diamonds. That is the platform's own label for the hotel's level, not the government rating. It is useful for comparing hotels on the same app, but it is not the same thing as the plaque, and a "five-diamond" hotel may have no official star at all.

Across all star-rated hotels in China, the average room rate in 2025 was 360.2 yuan a night. Big cities cost more than that average, and the budget options guide has the city figures.

International hotel brands

The big global groups are well established, especially in large cities. Hilton says it has more than 888 hotels open across Greater China and Mongolia, and IHG reports 882 hotels in Greater China. In both cases "Greater China" includes Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan as well as the mainland. Shangri-La has 50 hotels in mainland China in which the group holds a stake. Marriott, Hyatt and Accor brands are also common in the big cities.

International hotels suit you if you want staff who speak English reliably, a familiar standard of room, and points from a loyalty programme you already use. They cost more than Chinese chains for similar locations. In smaller cities, a Chinese-run four- or five-star hotel is often the best room in town, and the front desk usually manages basic English. For the top end, including heritage hotels on the Bund and hotels with views of the Forbidden City, see our guide to luxury hotels in China.

Chinese chain hotels: the everyday choice

Chinese chain hotels are what most Chinese travellers book for work and for weekends, and they are the right default for many foreign visitors too. Rooms are compact, clean and the same from city to city. You can usually find one near a metro station or a railway station, and they register your passport at check-in like any other hotel.

Four groups run most of the chains you will see:

• H World (华住, Huázhù): more than 13,000 hotels in China. Its brands include Hanting (汉庭, Hàntíng), the biggest economy chain with about 4,700 hotels, and JI Hotel (全季, Quánjì), a mid-range brand with about 3,800. It also runs the Ibis hotels in China.
• Jin Jiang (锦江, Jǐnjiāng): more than 13,000 hotels open in mainland China. Its brands include 7 Days (7天), Jinjiang Inn (锦江之星), Lavande (麗枫) and Vienna (维也纳), with signed hotels in all 31 mainland provinces and regions.
• BTG Homeinns (首旅如家, Shǒulǚ Rújiā): about 8,000 hotels in China, including about 1,650 Home Inn (如家) hotels, plus brands that run from economy to luxury.
• Atour (亚朵, Yàduǒ): about 2,175 hotels, mostly upper mid-range rather than budget. Atour hotels are a step up from the economy chains, with bigger rooms and a quieter feel.

What this means for you:

• They are everywhere in big cities, and thinner in small towns. National figures put the chain share of the hotel market at about 60 percent in first-tier cities and about 35 percent in smaller cities. In a small town you are more likely to stay in an independent hotel, which is fine; read recent reviews and check that it takes foreign passports.
• Economy and mid-range are different products. Economy brands such as Hanting, Home Inn and 7 Days give you a small room, a bed and a shower, and not much else. Mid-range brands such as JI Hotel and Atour cost more but give you more space, better beds and often a laundry room and a small gym. On long trips, many travellers mix the two.
• Bring your own toothbrush. Under China's environmental code, in force since 15 August 2026, hotels and other lodging businesses should not hand out disposable items unless asked. Most hotels will still give you a toothbrush or comb if you ask at the desk, sometimes for a small charge. Our packing guide lists what to bring.
• English is variable. In big cities, front desks at chain hotels usually manage basic English or use a translation app. In smaller cities, have your booking confirmation and the hotel's Chinese address ready on your phone.

The easiest way to find and book chain hotels in English is a travel app. The national commerce ministry's guide for foreign visitors names Trip.com as a way to book hotels online and pay directly with an international bank card. You can search chain hotels near your station or metro stop on Trip.com, filter by brand, and compare them with independent hotels nearby. For average rates by chain and other ways to save, see the budget options guide.

Youth hostels

Hostels are the cheapest beds in most Chinese cities and backpacker towns, and they are the type most used to foreign guests. Staff are often young, often speak some English, and can help you book onward trains and day trips.

There are two kinds. The first is the official network: YHA China is the only body authorised by Hostelling International (the International Youth Hostel Federation) in mainland China, and hostels that pass its checks can use the "YHA" name and the blue triangle logo. Its official list shows around 60 hostels in mainland China, in places such as Beijing, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Yunnan, Anhui and the Yangshuo area of Guangxi. You can see the current list on the YHA China hostel list. The second kind is the much larger group of independent hostels, which you will find in Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Chengdu, Dali, Lijiang, Yangshuo and most other places backpackers go.

What a hostel gives you:

• Dorm beds: YHA hostels rent beds in shared rooms, usually with 3 to 6 beds. Most hostels also have private double rooms and some have women-only dorms. Check the room type before you book.
• Shared facilities: a common room, self-service laundry, a simple kitchen, luggage storage and travel advice are standard at YHA hostels.
• A membership card, sometimes: YHA China says hostels may refuse guests without a Hostelling International card. The card costs 50 yuan, lasts one year, works worldwide, and foreigners in China can buy it directly at a hostel. Many hostels just give members a lower price instead, so ask when you book.

Hostels are licensed lodging, and every lodging business must check guests' ID and report foreign guests to the police within 24 hours, so a hostel registers your passport at check-in just like a hotel. They suit solo travellers, people who want to meet other travellers, and anyone on a tight budget. They suit families and light sleepers less well. Hostel bed prices vary a lot between a small town and central Shanghai, so check current rates on the booking page rather than relying on old figures. You can compare hostels and read guest reviews on Hostelworld. Women travelling alone can find more on choosing a safe place to stay in our female solo travel guide.

Homestays and guesthouses (minsu and kezhan)

A minsu (民宿, mínsù, "homestay") is a small, often family-run place to stay, usually in an old house, a courtyard home or a village building. A kezhan (客栈, kèzhàn, "inn") is the traditional word you will see on the signs of guesthouses in old towns such as Lijiang and Dali. For travellers the two mean much the same thing: a small place with character, run by people who live there or nearby.

China has a national standard for these too. GB/T 41648-2022 defines a tourist homestay as a small lodging that uses local homes and other idle buildings, where the owner takes part in looking after guests; the rooms building can have at most 4 floors and 800 square metres of floor space, and the grades from lowest to highest are C, B and A. The grade tells you something practical about the bathroom: Grade B requires separate wet and dry areas in the bathroom but not a private bathroom for every room, while Grade A requires a private bathroom in each room and hot and cold water around the clock.

Very few homestays hold a national grade. In 2025 the ministry named 81 new Grade A and 104 new Grade B homestays for the whole country. A grade is valid for three years and is then checked again; it can be removed after safety accidents or serious complaints. So a graded homestay is a good sign, but an ungraded one is normal. The same official lookup that covers five-star hotels also lists Grade A and Grade B homestays.

Where homestays make the most sense:

• Water towns. In Wuzhen, guests of the hotels and guesthouses in the Xizha (West) scenic area first get a temporary pass with their room card and ID, and can then go in and out of Xizha freely during their stay; since 16 March 2025 they also get free Xizha entry for the people actually staying (Shuixiang Youth Hostel is the exception). Xizha stays open until 22:00, and guests can walk the lanes late at night and early in the morning after the day visitors leave. Check in with your passport. Our Jiangnan water towns route covers Wuzhen and the towns around Shanghai.
• Fujian tulou villages. Guanyang village at Yunshuiyao has about 120 homestays and farm restaurants, more than 90 percent run by local villagers. More than 2,000 people still live in the 46 tulou (土楼, tǔlóu, earthen round houses) on the World Heritage list, so a night here is a night in a working village. See the Fujian tulou guide.
• Old towns in Yunnan. Dali and Lijiang are full of courtyard guesthouses, from simple to very stylish. The Dali and Lijiang guide covers which area to stay in.

Minsu vs. hotel, in practice: a homestay is smaller, the owner is often around, breakfast may be home cooking, and the design is usually more personal. You give up some things a hotel gives you: a 24-hour front desk, a lift and guaranteed English. The national standard only guarantees a private bathroom in every room at Grade A, so check the room type before you book.

Before you book a homestay, confirm two things in a message: that it takes foreign passports, and that it registers foreign guests at check-in. Most established guesthouses in tourist towns do. If a homestay cannot register you, the rules for staying outside a hotel apply, and you or your host must register with the police within 24 hours; the registration guide explains how. Guesthouses in the big tourist towns are listed on Booking.com, where you can read reviews from other foreign guests and see the bathroom type in the room description.

Rented apartments and Airbnb

Airbnb has not listed mainland China homes since it paused them in 2022. In May 2022 the company announced it would pause its homes and Experiences in China from that summer and focus only on Chinese travellers going abroad. The pause covers mainland listings, so you cannot use it for a flat in Beijing or Chengdu; for Hong Kong and Macau, check the app.

Chinese platforms such as Tujia (途家, Tújiā) list rental flats, but they are built for Chinese users. The app may be in Chinese only, foreign passports and foreign cards may not work, and many hosts are not set up for foreign guests. Check all three with the host before you rely on one.

The bigger issue is registration. In a rented flat, the hotel is not there to register you, so you or your host must do it within 24 hours of arrival. Since 21 September 2026 this can be done online anywhere in China, through the National Immigration Administration website, the "NIA 12367" app, or its WeChat and Alipay mini-programs, as well as at the local police station. The first online registration at an address needs the host's help, so a tourist usually cannot finish it alone. Skipping registration can bring a warning and a fine of up to 2,000 yuan. The National Immigration Administration explains the online process on its English page on online accommodation registration.

Who should rent a flat:

• Long stays: if you are staying a month or more in one city, a flat gives you a kitchen and space, and the registration is a one-off job with your landlord.
• Staying with friends or family: the same 24-hour rule applies when you sleep at someone's home, and your host can help you register.
• Short trips: for a few nights, a flat rarely beats a hotel. You save little and take on the paperwork.

A middle option is a serviced apartment run as a hotel, with a reception desk, cleaning and a kitchen. When one is licensed as lodging, it must register foreign guests and report them to the police within 24 hours, like a hotel. Confirm when booking that the apartment registers foreign guests. They are common in big cities, often in business districts, and the nightly price usually drops for longer bookings.

Staying inside scenic areas, and overnight trains

Mountain hotels: Huangshan

Huangshan (Yellow Mountain) has hotels on the summit, run by Huangshan Tourism Development Co., including the Beihai Hotel, Shilin Hotel, Xihai Hotel, Baiyun Hotel and Yupinglou Hotel. Staying up there lets you see sunrise and the sea of clouds without a pre-dawn climb. To stay inside the scenic area you first need a timed entry ticket from the official Huangshan Tourism platform (a WeChat or Alipay mini-program), and the park suggests booking at least three days ahead. Summit rooms are basic for the price because everything is carried up the mountain, and they fill fast at weekends and holidays. The Huangshan guide covers tickets, cable cars and where to sleep.

Water towns and theme parks

Wuzhen's Xizha area, covered above, works the same way: staying inside is the point, because the lanes are quiet at night and in the early morning.

Shanghai Disney Resort has two resort hotels: Shanghai Disneyland Hotel and Toy Story Hotel. Guests at the Disneyland Hotel normally take a ferry across Wishing Star Lake to the park, but the ferry is paused for upgrades from 4 to 30 November 2026 and a shuttle bus runs instead. A third Disney hotel with 400 rooms, beside the Disneyland Hotel on the lake, is due to open on 16 December 2026, with bookings from 6 November 2026. Registered hotel guests can enter the park up to one hour before it opens, once per night of stay, starting from the day after check-in. For families, that early hour is the main reason to pay the higher price. See the Shanghai Disneyland guide.

Where you cannot sleep inside

Not every scenic area allows it. At Jiuzhaigou, visitors must leave the park by 18:00 and overnight stays inside the scenic area are not allowed. Stay in the town outside the gate and go in early; the Jiuzhaigou guide explains how.

Airport and railway station hotels

For a late arrival or an early flight, a chain hotel near the airport or a big railway station is often the simplest choice. Most large stations have several within walking distance. Some airport hotels run free shuttles, but not all, so check how you get to the terminal before you book. Remember that big Chinese cities often have several railway stations far apart, so book near the one on your ticket.

Overnight sleeper trains

A sleeper train can be your hotel for the night. On the Beijing–Shanghai line, for example, the D7 sleeper leaves Beijing at 19:18 and reaches Shanghai at 07:25 the next morning, about 12 hours. In a late-October sample, a second-class sleeper berth on the overnight Beijing–Shanghai D trains cost about 440 to 510 yuan. Timetables change, so check on 12306 that a sleeper runs on your date. Beijing–Xi'an has overnight trains too, such as the D39 from Beijing West at 18:30, arriving at Xi'an station at 06:24. You arrive in the morning with a full day ahead and one less hotel night to pay for. Sleep is lighter than in a hotel, and there is no shower, so plan a hotel with early check-in or a day room if you need one. The guide to train seat classes explains the different sleeper berths, and the high-speed train guide covers booking.

Accommodation in China: FAQ

Last updated: October 2026