If you aren't needing reimbursement from a Chinese company, you don't need a fapiao (official receipt). But with some hotels and other Chinese businesses, you might be able to ask for a discount by telling them that you don't need a fapiao. The reason is that Chinese business revenue for accounting purposes is usually tallied/crosschecked by their fapiao receipt totals. Money that is made on customers who don't require fapiao is less traceable (or untraceable) to the tax system, sort of like "phantom income." For this reason, the proprietor is more likely to be open to giving out a discount, if you ask. Note that this is likely to work only with smaller, independent businesses that aren't part of a chain and where the owner/proprietor is also managing the place directly. This is a gross oversimplification of the situation, but enough so a visiting short-term foreigner can get the essence.