Make your first check-in easy

Who this is for

Independent travellers arranging their first nights in China. Your first hotel is also a useful point of contact for an unfamiliar address or a delayed arrival.

Before booking

Read the room conditions, payment terms and cancellation deadline. Contact the property through its official listing to confirm it can check you in with your foreign passport and handle the registration arrangements. Do not assume that a booking-platform listing answers every practical question.

Choose a first-night location with a route you understand from the airport. A hotel that looks close on a map may still require several transfers.

Ask for these details

The exact Chinese hotel name and street address.
A working reception phone number, including the country code if needed.
The reception’s check-in procedure for your expected arrival time.
How to notify the property if your flight is delayed.
Which payment method it expects for the room and any deposit.

Save the reply, booking reference and address offline. Keep the property name alongside the address so a driver can identify the right entrance.

When you arrive

Present your original passport and booking confirmation. Official guidance says hotels can handle residence registration for guests. Ask reception to confirm that this is being completed for your stay.

If you stay outside a hotel, such as with a friend, official guidance requires residence registration within 24 hours of arrival. Check the procedure with the host and local authority in advance; do not assume an accommodation booking has completed it.

If check-in does not go smoothly

Show the hotel’s written confirmation and contact the booking provider through the original order. Ask reception to explain what is missing. Keep a record of any extra payment and ask for a receipt.

For a very late arrival, confirm arrangements before you leave the airport. If the property cannot receive you, ask its staff or your booking provider to help establish a workable alternative before travelling there.

Once settled, ask reception to mark the nearest useful metro entrance and write down the address for your return journey.