I find ChinaHotels work well for mainland China.  No credit card required at all.
http://www.chinahotels.net/en-homepage.html
For Hong Kong I use AsiaTravel.com
http://www.asiatravel.com/
Both are safe with good prices.

I've used Ctrip with no problems

I suspece these 3 pages (thedude's 2 and mine) are pretty much the same, and will get you similar search results and prices.

 I found this sight had the best rates               
http://chinatour.net/china-hotels.html

I give Ctrip a high rating! Good for flights within China also

elong is the best for hotels. elong.com or net. no hidden fees, the prices are cheaper, 24/7 customer service in english, they help you get to the hotel if you are lost. compare ctrip with elong but understand after you book the hotel with ctrip they will reveal some silly fees

I have used elong and ctrip, both with good results.  Once I walked into a hotel I had no reservation for, they told me they were full up.  I pulled out my phone, did a quick check on ctrip right in front of the manager and made a reservation for a room that was 1/3 of their posted rate.

Thanks for the heads up guys. I have been using agoda, and feel like it could be better! Cheers to all who took the time to answer!

Happy travels.

Elong, hands down. I have never had a problem with them in 8 years!