Where to Stay in China

Where to Stay in China

A regional guide to accommodation across the country

China spreads across seven clear-cut accommodation zones. The eastern megacities, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, stack glass-and-steel towers stuffed with international chains, converted hutong boutique houses, and capsule hotels that glow neon once the sun drops. Push west and the ancient Silk-Road cities of Xi'an and Chengdu pair courtyard guesthouses with modern business hotels where steam from noodle carts drifts straight past the lobby doors. South of the Yangtze, the karst hills around Guilin and Yangshuo conceal riverside lodges built from bamboo, while Hainan Island lines its crescent beaches with family resorts smelling of coconut and salt. Head north to Harbin and you'll bed down in ice-themed hotels and Soviet-era brick buildings heated by clanking radiators. Prices sit far below Western norms. A clean private room in a mid-range city hotel usually costs less than a hostel bunk in Tokyo. Budget travelers survive on rock-bottom dorms in Kunming or Chengdu courtyards, while luxury seekers score gleaming Peninsula suites in Shanghai for half the price of Paris. Domestic travel peaks around Chinese New Year when every train and hotel sells out months ahead.
Budget
¥60-180 per night for hostels, capsule hotels, and family-run guesthouses
Mid-Range
¥250-600 per night for 3-4 star Chinese business hotels and designer boutiques
Luxury
¥900-3500 per night for international five-star hotels and top-tier Chinese brands

Our Top Picks

The highest-rated hotel in each price range, selected from across China.

Top Pick — Beijing Region
9.6/10 6625 reviews
From $69/night

"The room beautifully blends historical charm with modern decorative elements. Ov…"

Gym Public parking Luggage storage Restaurant
Top Pick — Beijing Region
9.6/10 9060 reviews
From $139/night

"We booked a family room and were later upgraded to a family balcony room with a…"

Gym Private parking Public parking Library
Top Pick — Beijing Region
9.5/10 461 reviews
From $311/night

"We hosted a private event in the Garden Suite and had an outstanding stay. The s…"

Gym Public parking Car rentals Bar

Find Hotels Across China

Compare prices from hotels across all regions

Search Hotels

Prices via Trip.com. We may earn a commission from bookings.

Regions of China

Each region offers a distinct character and accommodation scene. Find the one that matches your travel plans.

Beijing Region
Mid-range

Beijing blends imperial grandeur with modern architecture. Sleep inside renovated siheyuan courtyards near the Forbidden City or pick high-rise towers overlooking Tiananmen Square.

Accommodation: Heritage courtyard hotels within hutongs, international chains along Chang'an Avenue, backpacker hostels near Lama Temple
Gateway Cities
Beijing Tianjin
Where to stay in this region
9.6/10 6625 reviews
From $69/night

"The room beautifully blends historical charm with modern decorative elements. Ov…"

Gym Public parking Luggage storage Restaurant
9.6/10 9060 reviews
From $139/night

"We booked a family room and were later upgraded to a family balcony room with a…"

Gym Private parking Public parking Library
9.5/10 461 reviews
From $311/night

"We hosted a private event in the Garden Suite and had an outstanding stay. The s…"

Gym Public parking Car rentals Bar
9.6/10 7863 reviews
From $135/night

"The JW Marriott Marquis at People's Square is a no-brainer, absolutely no regret…"

Indoor swimming pool Sauna Spa Massage room
9.6/10 7041 reviews
From $195/night

"Joey, the room manager, noticed we were traveling with a child and kindly upgrad…"

Indoor swimming pool Spa Executive lounge Gym
First-time visitors History lovers Business travelers
Shanghai & Yangtze Delta
Luxury

Shanghai dazzles with riverside Art-Deco glamour and Pudong skyscrapers. Nearby Suzhou and Hangzhou deliver canal-side guesthouses and lake-view resorts.

Accommodation: Heritage Bund hotels, capsule towers in Pudong, canal-side inns in water towns
Gateway Cities
Shanghai Hangzhou Suzhou
Where to stay in this region
9.6/10 3096 reviews
From $39/night

"Great location, new facilities. Only issue on the 1st day with the check in st…"

Gym Luggage storage Restaurant Cafe
9.6/10 4767 reviews
From $179/night

"We chose the Ruijin Intercontinental for our Chinese New Year celebrations, and…"

Indoor swimming pool Massage room Executive lounge Gym
9.4/10 3654 reviews
From $264/night

"The location is super convenient, for shopping. It's right next to Ta"

Indoor swimming pool Sauna Spa Massage room
9.6/10 4541 reviews
From $92/night

"This is the most convenient hotel for transfers at Pudong Airport. You can reach…"

Public parking EV charging station Luggage storage Restaurant
9.6/10 4230 reviews
From $188/night

"Came to Shanghai for a holiday during the Chinese New Year, and stayed here for…"

Indoor swimming pool Sauna Spa Massage room
Skyline seekers Nightlife Architecture fans
Pearl River Delta
Mid-range

Guangzhou and Shenzhen pulse with Cantonese energy. Crash in riverside art hotels, container hostels in former factories, or beach resorts on nearby Hainan Island.

Accommodation: Factory-turned-design hostels, riverside skyscrapers, tropical resorts on Hainan
Gateway Cities
Guangzhou Shenzhen Zhuhai
Where to stay in this region
Budget Homeinn Plus
9.6/10 1222 reviews
From $28/night

"The hotel is very clean and the service is excellent. Super recommend it"

Gym Luggage storage Restaurant Taxi booking service
9.6/10 3299 reviews
From $148/night

"It's a good place for family retreat as it's hidden away from the hustling city…"

Indoor swimming pool Executive lounge Gym Private parking
9.6/10 2733 reviews
From $158/night

"First off, being pet-friendly is a huge plus! The exterior has a vintage feel, w…"

Public parking Priority airport pick-up Bar Taxi booking service
9.6/10 677 reviews
From $95/night

"I had a wonderful 3 nights stay at this hotel. My room was clean and quiet with…"

Executive lounge Gym Public parking Priority airport pick-up
9.5/10 16712 reviews
From $36/night

"Our family booked 3 rooms. All rooms are big and clean. Delicious breakfast👍. We…"

Gym Private parking Airport shuttle pick-up Luggage storage
Food lovers Factory tours Beach escapes
Silk Road Heartland
Budget

Xi'an and Dunhuang anchor the ancient trade route. Stay in Tang-style palaces, courtyard hotels inside the Muslim Quarter, or desert lodges under the Milky Way.

Accommodation: Walled courtyard hotels, cave-style desert lodges, Tang-dynasty themed palaces
Gateway Cities
Xi’an Lanzhou Dunhuang
Where to stay in this region
9.5/10 13109 reviews
From $68/night

"The windowless room was stuffy. But everything else was okay. I mainly wa"

Gym Public parking Luggage storage Restaurant
9.5/10 6371 reviews
From $130/night

"Family-friendly hotel, let's start with the positives: 1. The indoor playground…"

Indoor swimming pool Sauna Spa Massage room
9.5/10 9050 reviews
From $69/night

"The service was great! After a long day at Disney, it was so thoughtful to come…"

Outdoor swimming pool Spa Massage room Gym
9.5/10 9043 reviews
From $59/night

"Highly recommend! The location is excellent, with plenty of dining, entertainmen…"

Outdoor swimming pool Gym Public parking Tea room
9.5/10 8901 reviews
From $37/night

"We have been traveling across China with 2 families for 5+ days (in this hotel 5…"

Gym Public parking Priority airport pick-up Luggage storage
History buffs Desert landscapes Silk Road culture
Sichuan & Chongqing
Budget to Mid-range

Chengdu teems with spicy hotpot steam and lazy pandas. Chongqing rises in neon tiers above the Yangtze, while mountain monasteries in Emeishan hand over temple lodging.

Accommodation: Teahouse courtyards, skyscraper hotels above the Yangtze, monastery stays in Emeishan
Gateway Cities
Chengdu Chongqing Jiuzhaigou
Where to stay in this region
9.5/10 6198 reviews
From $67/night

"Excellent Location and Great Stay! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Treasure Hotel on Nanjing Road is a to…"

Gym Luggage storage Restaurant Cafe
9.5/10 6151 reviews
From $89/night

"The Radisson Blu New World in Shanghai was a memorable stay, well loc"

Indoor swimming pool Spa Massage room Executive lounge
9.5/10 4841 reviews
From $122/night

"I went to Lingang for a conference and stayed at both Hyatt and InterContinental…"

Indoor swimming pool Executive lounge Gym Public parking
9.5/10 4627 reviews
From $188/night

"The facilities are complete, and the hygiene is spotless. The room is spacious a…"

Indoor swimming pool Sauna Spa Massage room
9.5/10 4375 reviews
From $37/night

"My first night in Shanghai, I stayed at the Home Inn North Bund and was very dis…"

Luggage storage Restaurant Cafe Service robots
Panda lovers Spicy food River cruises
Southwest Karst
Budget

Guilin and Yangshuo's limestone pinnacles rise above the Li River. Bed down in bamboo lodges where fishermen cast cormorant nets at dusk and breakfast smells of osmanthus flowers.

Accommodation: Bamboo eco-lodges, riverside guesthouses, ethnic-minority stilt homes
Gateway Cities
Guilin Yangshuo Kunming
Where to stay in this region
9.5/10 3865 reviews
From $59/night

"- The room was very clean. The bed linens were changed and the room was cleaned…"

Luggage storage Taxi booking service Wake-up call Wi-Fi in public areas
9.5/10 1430 reviews
From $82/night

"The king-size bed rooms only offer 1.8m beds if you opt for the 'Exclusive' cate…"

Gym Bar Restaurant Cafe
9.5/10 1978 reviews
From $36/night

"A newly built hotel so the rooms are very clean. Free airport transfer and free…"

Gym Private parking EV charging station Airport shuttle pick-up
9.4/10 16619 reviews
From $108/night

"My stay at this hotel during my Shanghai trip far exceeded my expectations, it d…"

Gym Public parking Restaurant Taxi booking service
9.4/10 15100 reviews
From $127/night

"The hotel's location is excellent, with plenty of great food options just across…"

Indoor swimming pool Spa Executive lounge Gym
River rafting Photography Rice-terrace hikes
Northeast & Harbin
Mid-range

Harbin's Russian onion domes sparkle under winter ice. Crash in ice-sculpture hotels where vodka warms your breath, or wooden Siberian villas smelling of pine and hotpot.

Accommodation: Ice hotels with reindeer skins, Soviet brick hotels, timber ski lodges
Gateway Cities
Harbin Changchun Shenyang
Where to stay in this region
9.4/10 10911 reviews
From $77/night

"I stayed in a double bed room without a window and was impressed. Desp"

Luggage storage Restaurant Cafe Taxi booking service
9.4/10 10495 reviews
From $111/night

"I arrived in Shanghai yesterday and headed straight to the hotel. It was super e…"

Indoor swimming pool Executive lounge Gym Public parking
9.4/10 9254 reviews
From $139/night

"The location is superb! From the room, you can directly overlook the Huangpu Riv…"

Gym Bar 3 Restaurants Cafe
9.4/10 8840 reviews
From $64/night

"The location is very good and easy to access the Metro station, close to the Mal…"

Luggage storage Restaurant Service robots Wake-up call
9.4/10 8245 reviews
From $56/night

"Very friendly staff,but i should mention that there was no window, and i dont th…"

Hiking Gym Public parking Luggage storage
Ice festivals Russian architecture Skiing

Accommodation Landscape

What to expect from accommodation options across China

International Chains

Marriott, Hilton, and InterContinental dominate tier-1 cities; Chinese giants Huazhu (Hanting) and BTG Homeinns blanket the country with reliable mid-range brands.

Local Options

Courtyard siheyuan guesthouses in Beijing, canal-side inns in Suzhou, and Tibetan homestays in Shangri-La offer meals and stories no chain can match.

Unique Stays

Temple lodging in Emeishan with 4 a.m. chanting, desert yurts near Dunhuang under star-blanketed skies, and centuries-old Hakka tulou roundhouses in Fujian.

Ready to book?

Compare hotel prices across China

Search Hotels in China

Booking Tips for China

Country-specific advice for finding the best accommodation

Golden Week blackout

National holidays (1-7 May, 1-7 October) sell out nationwide. Book six months ahead or travel shoulder season instead.

Search hotels →
WeChat beats booking sites

Smaller guesthouses list inventory on WeChat mini-programs with instant messaging, often cheaper than Agoda and no foreign card fees.

Search hotels →

When to Book

Timing matters for both price and availability across China

High Season

Reserve April and October holidays at least 120 days in advance. Harbin Ice Festival rooms fill by November.

Shoulder Season

May-June and September offer warm china weather and half-price rooms outside holiday weeks.

Low Season

December-February (except Harbin) and July-August inland bring deep discounts and empty scenic spots.

Tier-1 cities allow two-week advance booking. Anywhere else needs 4-6 weeks outside peak periods.

Good to Know

Local customs and practical information for China

Check-in / Check-out
Standard 14:00 check-in, noon check-out. Boutique courtyards often allow early luggage drop so you can start things to do in china beijing straight away.
Tipping
Not customary; leaving ¥10-20 on the pillow after a week's stay surprises housekeepers in a good way.
Payment
Alipay and WeChat Pay dominate everywhere. Cash still accepted but increasingly rare. Bring an UnionPay-compatible card.
Safety
China is safe for travelers. Use normal city awareness in late-night bar districts. Hotel safes protect electronics while you explore adventurous things to do in china.

Found your region?

Compare hotel prices now.

Search Hotels

After You Book: Activities in China

Once your accommodation is sorted, explore these activities

Didn't see anything interesting yet?

Browse Viator's full catalog of tours, day trips, food experiences, and private guides in China.

See All China Tours on Viator