How to book a hotel that accepts foreigners

Where the problem comes from

A hotel must register a foreign guest and pass the details to the police. To do that it needs both the technical means and the relevant licence. Small hotels and hostels outside tourist districts sometimes have neither — and then you will not be checked in, even with a free room and a paid booking.

It is not a refusal aimed at you and not worth arguing about: the person at the desk decides nothing. What decides is whether the hotel is able to register you at all.

What to do before you pay

1. 1

   Book through a platform that knows about foreigners

   International platforms and Trip.com mostly show hotels that work with foreign guests. Chinese platforms offer more choice but may have no “accepts foreigners” filter.

2. 2

   Ask directly

   One message in the hotel’s chat: “I am a foreigner with a passport from such-and-such country. Can you register me?” Keep the written answer — it helps if the desk starts hesitating.

3. 3

   Save the address in Chinese characters

   The hotel’s name and address in Chinese, as a screenshot and as text. That is what you show the driver and what you write on the arrival card.

4. 4

   Check they take your card

   A deposit at the desk is normal practice. Some hotels place a hold on your card, others ask for cash. A foreign card does not work everywhere: keep some cash for the first evening.

At check-in

The desk needs the original passport — a copy or a photograph will not do. It is scanned; that is a normal part of the process.

Check-in is usually from two or three in the afternoon, check-out by midday. Early check-in is possible but often carries a charge — ask in advance.

The deposit comes back when you leave: cash immediately, a card hold within a few days. Keep the receipt until it is released.

If you are moving between cities, each new hotel handles the registration. There is nowhere separate to go.