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Sign up with Google Sign up with FacebookQ: Is it always necessary to check-in to a hotel in China ahead of time?
99% of the time I check-in the hotels online and ahead of time but I want to check-in this one time without doing it in advance...
...Do some or a lot of hotels accept on-the-spot checkins at the front desk where we don't have a reservation ahead of time? Which hotels would that be... is it mostly 5-star ones or random?
I assume on non-holidays + during the week this is more frequently possible..
The city in question is Beijing.
thanks
7 years 35 weeks ago in Transport & Travel - China
As mentioned before, if a hotel has an available room, you can book it on site (probably at a much higher price than if you reserved it online). The simple way around this problem is to book the room online before you get to the hotel. The booking agent will send you the reservation number and your room price will be protected. I have done this just 3 hours before checking in. I have even done this while in the process of checking in. The woman at the desk was trying to make me pay a higher price than the online price. So I sat down in the lobby and booked a room with my cellphone. Then I returned to the desk with my reservation number in hand.
Hotwater:
This!
Both my wife and I have done this at a number of hotels where the online price was cheaper than the board price.
You must first find Hotel in Bj, which is permitted to accept laowai. Not too many are.
I never book online and I rarely stay in 4-5 stars hotels, but once I walked around W. Railway Station whole night, because none of the joints around Station would get me a room.
I was in Hotel with overnight price over 500 Rmb, buTT ....'no', so I happily hold my 500 Rmb, while walking till the next train's morning departure.
You'll need 'Good luck!' to get a room from the street in China as laowai.
You mean book a hotel. Of course hotels will allow checkins without reservations. But if they don't have a room you're out of luck and they will try to rip you off. Every time I check in I notice that their posted rates are much higher than what I booked online. But you strike me as someone who doesn't pay attention to things around him. So go ahead and learn from first hand experience.
Beijing is a big city and it's not impossible to do the check-in in the moment you arrive. It's important what part of the city you want to stay. If you would like to get a room in specific area, it's better to book in advance. If you don't care what part of the city is located, you can check in without any reservation. and of course on non holidays time!
Englteachted:
The summer is the time for many tourists. So you are willing to go hotel to hotel to try and find a room?
You run the risk of a) not being allowed to stay there (cos you're a forner), and b) paying a hell of a lot more! Even doing a booking on a website while you're in the hotel lobby can save you hundreds!
icnif77:
I can't friggin' pay online bookings of anything. Online orders (buying) and bookings (plane tickets, hotels) are necessary, but without Western Credit or Debit card you can't pay for it.
At the moment, I am looking for Chinese in my city with 'Visa' logo card to make online purchases for me. It drives me nuts.
Hotwater:
I thought you had a CMB VISA/Debit card ifnif old mate?
You have a coupl of choices. Pay with that or better still download the Alipay app an dlink your card to it. You can then download the Ctrip app and book hotels or flights through that and pay using Alipay!
I've got my CMB card linked to Alipay, Wechat Pay and Applepay. Saves a lot of hassle with these payment options!
Englteachted:
If you have a Chinese debit card you can pay online. Or even connect it to paypal.
Hotwater:
That's why I was askign icnif that question. He quite regularly advises people to get a CMB VISA/Debit account as the customer service is good (I have one myself) yet here he is complaining he can't book anything online.
icnif77:
I have CMB (Henan)Visa Gold with all my savings in China on the account, but I cannot use it online.
I receive salary to BOC, which doesn't let me have online option (for transfer), 'cause 'laowai', so I transfer whole salary to Chinese teacher, who transfer it to my CMB, free of fee.
I asked CMB bankers in Zhengzhou and Urumqi to show me how to book&pay for anything online with my CMB Visa card, and they both gave up trying. Bankers actually offered instead booking with their card and my cash refund.
Now, I am some 4h bus ride away from Guiyang CMB, and I didn't visit CMB yet, but I will soon, and repeat all online matter/inquiries there.
I know as a fact, (my) CMB Visa/Mc card doesn't work on foreign websites and I've never use it on Chinese websites. One must have CMB CC for online purchases (CMB Bankers have CC), for which I unsuccessfully applied in Urumqi some years ago.
I need backpack&sneakers for vacation next week and I work on Chinese with Visa ATM card for the last month. No luck!
My boss have it, but we had hard talk about job and pay deductions (), so she cut me off w/: 'It doesn't go through. I can't pay w/ my card.'
She booked return flight to Kathmandu for me a month ago, and then 'I-don't-like-u-anymore'...I'll ask in Dental Hospital next for online booking ...I am too late for anything online, before vacaciones.
CMB Visa card is good for retail purchases in or out of China (with 'spot exchange rate' applied), but cannot use it online.
Hotwater:
Icnif. The OP was talking about booking hotels in China!!!!
i have my CMB card linked to apple pay, Alipay and wechat pay. I've also got it linked to my Ctrip account AND IT WORKS! This is NOT online but using the phone app.
So I can use my card like this to book travel IN China!
I've also just checked Ctrip and I can book hotels listed in Ctrip that are OUTSIDE China.
Now shen I got the card I told them I wanted to use it online and they gave me the USB dongle. Problem is I can't download the software in English to use the card on a web browser. BUT IT DOES WORK AS I'VE STATED ABOVE! Try it and see......
Next thing I'm going to try (not tonight as I'm busy) is to link the card to my Agoda app. Will let you know if it works.
icnif77:
I had CMB's online USB stick in Dalian (2012), but ...it works (-ed) only with Windows OS, which I don't have, so for me was useless. I even tried on Bank's computer, but it didn't go through with payment on Western sites. Bankers are clueless, but they like to collect 20 Rmb for USB stick.
I am begging other people for online purchases last 6 years. I got use to it! However, it looks I was lucky this year with last online purchase (Kunming-Kathmandu-Kunming), because if I need ticket for vacation last two weeks, I'd stay in my room like last year, when Paki in Bj didn't give me Tourist visa. So, all is good.
Chinese banking sucks for laowai, and I've never had time to get some ATM card in EU. I'll get it next time I am home, but I know one must work there to get some banking. I'll get relatives to research it, and if not possible, I'll just ask someone to open an account and give me the Card.
Hotwater:
That's actually why I kept my UK credit card when I came here. Don't use it much but it's useful online outside China. Though I then need to get my wife to transfer the money out to pay it back.
icnif77:
CMB sucks for online, only! I applied for CMB CC in Urumqi, and I felt sorry for the School's girl, when she started collecting all docs. by the list Bank gave me. Some 8-9 docs., and then I was denied, because my residence wasn't in Urumqi. Like that isn't visible from at least 3 docs. I gave to the Bank. It might be more docs. with my residence, but they are all in Chinese....
I mean, what are you going to do? Counter girls are all skinny and beautiful, but they don't have much clue about banking, so 'walk away and forget'.
Yeah, I would love to sit behind my puter and book things online.
xinyuren:
Some online booking sites do not require prepayment, you can pay at the hotel. I just booked a Guangzhou hotel at Booking.com without a credit card. About half the time I travel, and I travel a whole lot, I dont need to use my credit card to reserve the room. I can't recall which agents that dont require CC, but I use TripAdvisor to browse the hotels and choose the agents.
Shining_brow:
3 downvotes... how weird! /s
Icnif - I've been using ABC for a few years now, not great issues (only the occaional smaller issue.. like now, I have to use the Chinese version of their website to pay a bill - the English version doesn't work! Weird! Cos, I can still pay my rent through the English side). Also had the USB dongle 'expire', but it happens, and just needed a reset.
I use C-Trip, and as Xin said above, rarely need to actually use a CC or any card to reserve a room. Flights are a different story though.
I suggest - take your laptop to the bank, and get them to set everything up for you.
icnif77:
Booking.com works, because after you enter card details they 'reserve/put stop' on deposit amount on the account, and then you can pay hotel, when you're there. I booked hotel in Kat. that way.
I tried with my puter in CMB, but I don't have Windows OS, so it doesn't work. Then, bankers tried to book flight to EU with my card on Bank's puter and nada.
ABC sucked I entered few years ago. I guess, they asked me for some fee to open an account for salary deposits, and I walked away.
That's what hot have all linked, I hesitate to link my card to any Chinese platform.
Fok it, I just want to use card with Visa/Mc logo same as I can use US card, but CMB's card doesn't go through on Western sites.
I am waiting, maybe somebody will open new thread with Chinese bank and online ATM card without any BS.
As mentioned before, if a hotel has an available room, you can book it on site (probably at a much higher price than if you reserved it online). The simple way around this problem is to book the room online before you get to the hotel. The booking agent will send you the reservation number and your room price will be protected. I have done this just 3 hours before checking in. I have even done this while in the process of checking in. The woman at the desk was trying to make me pay a higher price than the online price. So I sat down in the lobby and booked a room with my cellphone. Then I returned to the desk with my reservation number in hand.
Hotwater:
This!
Both my wife and I have done this at a number of hotels where the online price was cheaper than the board price.