JPDM

The cheaper the hotel, the more likely that you can have an issue. The more expensive places are not a problem. Personally I have never come across this issue, even when I was paying 50RMB per night. Actually those cheaper places never even bothered to ask for a passport.

Loren Pechtel

Yeah, that's been our experience. We always let the Chinese citizen (we've never left Shanghai not in the company of at least one of them) do the initial approach, usually with my wife (China-born, passes for native until it's ID time.) We originally did that for negotiation reasons (I'm always kept out of sight if there is any negotiation to be done) but it also has resulted in many places taking us without the passports. They simply register the room to the Chinese ID and turn a blind eye to us foreigners. I don't recall ever providing a passport at a place under 150RMB/night.

cxfan1960

I went to a chain hotel in Shanghai Hongkou District in May. I had a ￥300+ room and they could only accept Chinese ID. They are required to enter guest's Chinese ID information upon check-in. I couldn't believe it - a ￥300-400 room in Shanghai, a city with so many foreigners!! Fortunately my colleague used his ID to get a room for me (it was 0030 midnight).

889

Though the information is sometimes hidden a bit, most Chinese hotel chains now show on their Chinese websites whether a property is Chinese-only. Agoda does this on their English site. And it's not difficult at all to find rooms at over 300RMB/night that are off limits to foreigners.

Myself these days, I almost always have to show a passport checking in, when they scan it. Those online registration terminals linking hotels with the PSB are now reaching even the cheap places.

And as someone who constantly -- and constantly for years -- gets turned away from places, I'm envious and just a bit curious at those who've NEVER encountered the problem. It's like they're travelling in a completely different country, not the China I know.

Yes, I know you can nonetheless sometimes talk your way in when you're first turned away, but that's pretty rare.

JPDM

The places that I recall not being asked for a passport were in Dehang, Zhenyuan, Guoliang and even Lijiang (this place was owned by a lady from Taiwan. when we handed our passports she said no need to bother). None of these places are big except maybe Lijiang. Room rates were 60RMB or less except Lijiang.
We always book online ahead of time (often just the day before). I assume that if they are listed on booking websites, then they accept foreigners.
I guess that your experience may be due to the fact that you seem to often just "show up" looking for a room. I never do this. I have done it but found it to be big waste of time.

jiejie

I'm one of those who has never been turned away from a hotel in China. Even as a walk-in in small places or where locals/taxi drivers have had to help me find a cheap hotel in the RMB 100 price range. In major cities and resort areas with limited capacity, I'm like @JPDM in that I prefer to reserve in advance either online or by telephone directly, but do walk-in and negotiation method elsewhere. What I ascribe it to:
1) Mostly Luck. Either by serendipitously always finding places that happen to accept foreigners or by staff that knows how to enter foreigners into the system.
2) Woman (alone) and in the middle-aged+ group so perceived as harmless and obviously not some sort of spy or mischief-making foreign devil. Heck, maybe locals feel sorry for me, being alone and vulnerable.
3) Charm and cuteness. Just kidding.

I have to think pretty hard though, to remember any place that didn't want to see my passport. I think I can count the number of those instances on one hand.

For frequent China travelers that speak intermediate Mandarin or better, might be worthwhile to understand how to navigate the electronic entry system so you can offer to "assist" hotel staff who might otherwise turn you away from ignorance and trepidation. The best instruction I've seen on this may have been posted before in the forum, but here it is again, it's a good read and confirms my understanding that this "license" for hotels to house foreigners hasn't existed for a long time, though everyone thinks it does:
https://www.lostlaowai.com/blog/chin...tion-tutorial/

889

In recent years I almost always book online using English versions of booking sites. But that's no guaranty, just betters the odds. Turned away a couple of months ago at 9pm from a chain hotel I'd booked that way.

jiejie

I'm convinced that some of these hotels (especially the chains) are able to register foreigners but do not want the hassles and hide behind the "no license" excuse. Foreigners can be perceived as being more demanding and more likely to complain especially about things like noisy, chain-smoking Chinese guests that are the bread and butter of their trade.

889

Oh sometimes it's clear the boss -- the guy they finally call to see if you really can stay -- has simply issued a "no foreigners" edict. But in the last few years inability to process a passport on the PSB link seems a more common and more genuine excuse.