For recent data points, I am only able to report what others have told me, and we're talking about a small sample size. Nevertheless, the following observations might be useful:
-it is possible to reserve specific hotels in advance (not upon arrival) if you have connections, and many people seem to be reasonably well connected, so why not ask your HR for starters?
-failing that, if you have a China address (personal, company, client), you should be able to get a hotel in the same district (pending availability); this can be of strategic relevance because some districts don't have awful Q hotels
-you might be offered several different price options at the airport and/or upon check-in at the hotel (e.g. my friend who flew to Xiamen was able to pay 700/night for a room that had a private garden)
-food (3 meals/day) seems to be included in most room rates; if you find you can do better by ordering 外卖 (depends on hotel policies and available options), you should be able to cancel some/all remaining meals, but maybe give yourself a day or two before pulling that trigger (my hotel only accepted deliveries before noon, so I had to work on logistics before I was comfortable making the switch)
-try to make a Costco (or at least grocery store) run before you come over here; you almost certainly won't pay less locally, and you'll have foods that you like to fall back upon