Question deleted as it was not phrased properly lol

No need for it anymore since I don’t want to risk it and will just stay in one hotel!

You certainly can't check in with your driver's license.

The problem is, according to those rules you'll find in every hotel room in China, if your brother is actually staying in the hotel, then he should be registering at the front desk. For all anyone knows, your brother's visa has expired (or he's wanted by the police, etc.) and you're helping him out by registering for him. They can kick him out after 10pm or so if he's not registered.

As well, if your brother doesn't register, then he doesn't show up in the PSB computer and it's conceivable this might give him problems down the road, especially if he's in Beijing on transit without visa.

I presume OP’s brother will check in with him as co-guest.

The OP is asking if he will get in trouble specifically because his passport is used to check in and register at two hotels on the same dates. His brother is irrelevant to the question.

Only if your presumption is correct.

Experience tells us, never wise to presume anything when folks ask questions here. That he thinks he might be able to use his driver's license to check in suggests he's not familiar at all with Chinese practices.

True, though I’m also curious if in fact one can check in two hotels for the same date using the same ID ie passport in China. Especially a foreigner.

Second this. Checking in requires your passport and visa (if your visa is in an old passport you'll need to present them both).

Your brother had better be registered somewhere (or have a good reason he's not--for example, the night we spent on a long distance train.) There have been incidents of people being caught after the fact for not having registered, thus the system is capable of associating the registrations with the visitor. Don't take chances!

OP, I hope it is clear by now both you and your brother have to register with your passports. They are scanned and uploaded to the local police registration office. Two people can be in one room, that's no problem, but both have to register.

I cannot imagine if you have registered yourself in both rooms that would be a problem, the police are concerned if someone is NOT registered. Just make sure your brother is registered.

I don't think you have a problem checking in at both hotels, but by all means your brother should have PSB registration done with the hotel he is staying at. You're paying for both, I doubt Hilton and Marriot don't care that both reservations are under your name, as long as they both get paid. PSB registration and registering at check-in aren't the same process, although it might seem to be while checking in. Possibly, you can tell the Marriot that your brother is staying that you won't be staying there and don't need PSB registration as you're staying and doing PSB registration at the Hilton or whatever. if they don't accept that then you double register, not sure this is a problem.

Your foreign driver's license is practically useless in China. While driver's licenses are defacto ID in US and Canada, China has national ID cards. They want to see either that or a foreign passport.

Whatever hotel your brother is staying in, he should definitely register.

How do you know that?

Does your brother have a residence permit that trumps the hotel registration thing? If not, your plan appears to be certifiably insane.

In how far the (non-transparent) rules in China are enforced to which degree, depends largely on two facts:
- Where do you stay (enforcement is a bit relaxed in Tier 1 cities, esp. in places, which are frequented by many foreigners)?
- When do you stay (during a CPC party congress or a big sporting event, the Chinese government is more strict)?

From personal experience, if you enter China with a tourist/business visa, your life will be easier in terms of obeying rules, than if you enter without a visa (144 hour visa free transit, or work/student/spouse visa).

I could be wrong. But I don't believe a residence permit trumps the hotel registration.

What you are trying to do might work or it might not work.

If you get away with it, great.

Are you ready to handle the consequences of PSB visit at the middle of the night, detained at exit immigration or potential ban?

OP here, and my fault for neglecting to state that my brother WILL check in properly with his passport with me. I’m not trying to smuggle him in:

My question solely relates to whether one individual can check in for two different hotels on the same dates in Beijing.

Thanks everyone!

I have been registered in 2 hotels in different cities without any negative consequences. For example, in Shanghai for a 5 night stay,
but in the middle stay one night in Zhuji or Yiwu without checking out of the Shanghai hotel.