Where to stay

01The rule most travel sites still get wrong

You will read, on many sites, that only licensed "foreign-guest hotels" may accept foreign passport holders, and that you must filter for them. That describes the old system. The current policy points the other way: using licensing as a gate is explicitly prohibited, and accommodation providers are not permitted to advertise that they do not accept foreign guests at all.

• Local authorities and online platforms may not use licensing requirements or similar thresholds to restrict accommodation operators from hosting overseas visitors.
• Platforms and accommodation operators may not publish information saying they do not accept overseas visitors.
• Provincial internet, public security, commerce and tourism authorities are directed to jointly inspect for violations and order corrections.
• The policy is 商服贸函〔2024〕324号, issued on 1 July 2024 by MOFCOM together with the Cyberspace Administration, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the People’s Bank of China, the National Immigration Administration and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

In practice some small hotels and guesthouses still say no, out of habit or uncertainty rather than law. If that happens, you are not the one at fault — see the last section for what to do.

02What the policy asks of hotels

The same document goes beyond the prohibition and sets out what accommodation providers should be doing to host overseas visitors properly. Knowing this is useful, because it tells you what you may reasonably ask for at a front desk.

• Front-desk staff training on receiving overseas guests.
• Bilingual or multilingual signage on the premises.
• International direct-dial telephone service.
• Front-desk staff with some foreign-language ability, or AI translation devices.
• Information on tourism, transport and shopping available at the desk.

03Registration at check-in

Registration is normal, quick and not a cause for concern. Every foreign guest is registered with the police — this is a legal requirement on the hotel, not a suspicion about you. The front desk scans your passport and enters your details.

• Bring the passport you entered China with. A different document will not match your entry record.
• The hotel does the registration; you do not need to visit a police station.
• Keep your passport with you anyway — some hotels ask for it again on later days.
• Registration also applies to every new address, so moving hotels means being registered again.

04Guesthouses, homestays and staying with friends

Smaller properties are where the licensing confusion bites, and also where you have to handle registration yourself. This is the one case where the 24-hour rule becomes your responsibility.

• If the property registers guests, ask them to do it — many now do.
• If they do not, you must register at the local police station within 24 hours of arrival.
• Take your passport and your host’s address; some stations ask for the rental contract or a letter from the host.
• If a host tells you they cannot accept foreigners, that is not a legal obstacle. Point them to the policy, and if they still refuse, report it — see below.

05Booking platforms and what they must do

Platforms carry obligations too, and this matters because a listing that filters out foreigners is itself a violation rather than a helpful warning.

• Platforms must improve the foreign-language versions of their apps across the whole booking flow — download, registration, booking, payment.
• Platforms must vet the information merchants publish, which includes "no foreign guests" notices.
• Platforms are encouraged to offer hotels training in foreign languages and reception.
• If a listing says it will not take foreign guests, that is the merchant or platform breaching the rule — not a fact about Chinese hotels.

06Payment at hotels

The same document addresses payment, and it is worth knowing because it settles the "do I need cash" question for hotels specifically.

• Accommodation operators are guided to publicly commit to accepting cash and to keep small change on hand.
• Foreign-card acceptance terminals in the accommodation sector are being expanded.
• Hotels with many overseas guests are encouraged to add currency exchange facilities and more currencies.
• In practice: large hotels take foreign cards, mobile wallets work almost everywhere, and cash must be accepted.

07Picking a neighbourhood

Once you know you are not limited to a special list of hotels, the real question becomes where to sleep. The principle is one walkable base per city, with sights clustered around it rather than spread across the map.

• Beijing: Dongcheng, around the hutongs and the Drum and Bell Towers, or near Wangfujing for convenience.
• Shanghai: the former French Concession for streets and cafés, or the Bund area for the river and skyline.
• Xi’an: inside the south wall, within walking distance of the Bell Tower and the Muslim Quarter.
• Chengdu: around Chunxi Road or the Kuanzhai Alleys for food and teahouses.
• Hangzhou: near West Lake, on the east side for transport links.
• Rule of thumb: within a 5–10 minute walk of a metro station on a line that reaches the sights you came for.

08What to check before you confirm

A few questions at booking time prevent most first-night problems.

• Is the property within walking distance of a metro station?
• Does it accept foreign cards, or will you need a wallet or cash?
• Is there English-speaking staff on the front desk, or at least a translation device?
• Is breakfast included, and is it something you will actually eat?
• For summer travel: does the room have air conditioning, and does it work?
• For winter travel to the north: is there heating, and is it central or in-room?

09If you are turned away

It should not happen, but it does, usually at small properties that have not kept up with the rule. You have a clear path.

• Stay calm and ask for the reason in writing — a refusal is a breach, and a written reason is evidence.
• Quote the policy: since 1 July 2024 accommodation operators may not refuse overseas visitors on licensing grounds.
• Call 12367, the National Immigration Administration service platform. It runs all hours in Chinese and English and takes complaints and suggestions, not just questions.
• Report the listing to the booking platform — platforms are required to vet exactly this kind of notice.
• Book a larger hotel as a fallback. International chains and city-centre hotels almost never have this problem.