Tsang
A lot of groups stay in this desolate courtyard hotel on the eastern edge of town. The west-wing rooms are new, with better bathrooms and carpeted floors,…
Must-see hotels in China
Pousada de Juventude de Hác Sá
Macau
The institutional-feeling government-run hostel is 400m uphill from the beach on Rua de Hác Sá Long Chao Kok. Dorms and shared bathrooms are clean. You'll…
Qinghai
This Salar-run hotel is simple with reasonably clean bathrooms and hot showers, bright rooms with fresh linen and heating in the winter. Located in an…
U Service Apartment Bódùn Hotel
Foshan
Over a hundred small (45 to 85 sq metres) but welcoming serviced apartments that are available for daily rental and include a microwave, fridge and…
Turpan White Camel Youth Hostel
Turpan
This place has a great central location, but in all other ways it's only useful as a fallback. Housed in a warehouse that looks as likely to house an art…
Chongqing City
Sitting atop the massive Hongyadong tourism complex, this faux Chongqing stilt-house-style hotel hugs the cliffside overlooking the Jiālíng River. Rooms…
Tsang
The largest hotel in town and popular with groups, this cavernous old-school place was built in the 1980s and it shows. The lobby and restaurant are…
Shigatse
The rooms at this very budget hotel are surprisingly clean, though lack natural light, and come with en-suite shower-over-toilet bathrooms. Downsides are…
Huangshan
Dorms come with TV and shower but are rather shabby; doubles with private bathroom pass muster, but the hotel is really only an option if other places are…
Qīnghǎi Hú Qíshí Guójì Qīngnián Lǚshè
Qinghai
Handy hostel with OK rooms, located at the eastern end of the main street in Heimahe. It's nothing special but you can find other travellers for shared…
Anhui
This can’t-miss-it property, just behind the main gate to Xidi village, is a sprawling multi-building affair with comfortable rooms, its own restaurant…
Anhui
The draw of this Hongcun home is the verdant courtyard filled with potted daphne, heavenly bamboo and other flowering shrubs, all set around a small pond…
Gansu
Travellers recommend this business hotel for its central location a five-minute walk from Big Buddha Temple. Rooms have private bathrooms and are clean…
Xinjiang
This fusty old timer is right next to the bus station, which means it's both handy and central, as well as noisy and chaotic. Rooms are fine, though aged…
Lantau
This 128-room hotel has rooms that look out to the hills, sideways to the bay and directly onto the bay. It's nothing special, but it's the most…
Gansu
This long-established budget place is run by monks from Sichuan and has extremely frugal dorms, small kàng rooms (shared shower) and doubles with private…
Gansu
There is a definite trace of faded tobacco in the air that shows how popular this corner hotel is with passing Chinese businessmen, but the rooms are…
Xinjiang
One of many budget hotels around the main bus station, Happy Hotan Hotel has a courtyard location with a surprisingly charming, brightly painted courtyard…
French Concession
You can find basic rooms at this rather chipped and functional branch of Motel 168, which has a lift and friendly staff. The location on leafy Sinan Rd is…
Zhejiang
As befitting its transit hub status, Jinhua has many hotels. Few of them are great, but this one (formerly a Best Western) is one of the best of the bunch…
Anhui
At the quieter western end of Lao Jie, this hotel has better rooms – with wooden beds and clean, bright showers – than the drab exterior suggests. Some…
Labrang Red Rock International Hostel
Gansu
Quietly tucked away south of much of the action, this Tibetan-themed hostel has pine-wood rooms, solar-powered hot showers and an attractive floorboard…
Emei Shan
Blankets are musty and dorms could use a good cleaning, but this closest monastery to Jinding Peak is predictably popular with backpackers. It's about 40…
The Bund & People's Square
Hands-down the least friendly youth hostel in Shanghai, this naval-themed backpackers' favourite is only recommendable for its fantastic location and…
Inner Mongolia
This restored Russian log cabin (painted yellow and green) is a friendly guesthouse that offers large, clean and affordable rooms, though it's often…
Hebei
This is the cheapest hotel we could find that welcomed foreigners, though it's neither cheap, nor particularly good. The twin rooms are fine, but the…
Anhui
This reasonable option has comfortable enough rooms with modern showers, Chinese cable TV but poor breakfasts. Discounts of up to 50% are common. The…
Xinjiang
This place has always been the mainstay for foreigners, though front desk was less than keen to welcome us last time we visited. The rooms are clean and…
Henan
For the full Nanjiecun experience, this hotel offers the same stark cleanliness and communist charm that you'll find about town. Long, red-carpeted halls…
Anhui
Inside a somewhat dishevelled old house down a quiet alley, this hostel has a handful of private rooms (with shower) done up prettily in wood; they're a…
Henan
This hotel isn't winning any awards for cleanliness but rooms are surprisingly quiet (there is a large intersection outside the front door), beds are…
Suzhou
Simple, clean and snappy, this place has vibrantly styled stack 'em high and rent 'em fast rooms with window and shower (but not much else) at the heart…
Qinghai
This hotel has an OK feel with all regular amenities and bright, clean bathrooms. There’s (usually) 24-hour hot water and rooms come with hairdryers and…
Fujian
Location trumps style at the efficient 'Good Place' Hotel behind Tumen Jie. The semi-nude overbed art is off-putting and sound carries from the halls, but…
Qinghai
This centrally located hotel has OK rooms. Some of the larger rooms come with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking noisy Hedong Market (河东市场, Hédōng…
Xiamen
The Fangzhiyuan branch of this modestly fashionable business hotel is perfectly located for walks around Xiamen’s waterfront district. Rooms won’t inspire…
Outlying Islands
This 71-room concrete carbuncle on the butt of Tung Wan beach is nothing to write home about, but it does offer wonderful views across to Lamma and Hong…
Fujian
On a roundabout opposite the Yongding bus station, this tired, though helpful, business hotel offers an alternative to the earthy roundhouses. Rooms are…
Guizhou
Less noisy than others near the station, the rooms here are basic with squat toilets and firm beds. It's near the top of Ma'anshan Lu. There's no English…
