Jiangxi
There's plenty of accommodation in Likeng, but this friendly, family-run guesthouse, on your right as you walk into the village, is the most accustomed to…
Must-see hotels in China
Tianjin
Though it's lost some of its hostel vibe since turning its little cafe into a public restaurant (evenings only, no English menu), Three Brothers is still…
Inner Mongolia
The exemplary, 365-room Shangri-La should really tick all your boxes: five-star service, amazing rooms, a stunning 25m pool and some lovely restaurants…
Forbidden City & Dongcheng Central
A latticework box of copper and bronze, the Waldorf is a gorgeous piece of architecture. It's not too shabby on the inside either, with walls of fine…
Lhasa
The Flora is a well-run and reliable hotel in the interesting Muslim quarter (it’s run by a Nepali Muslim). Nice touches include a laundry service and…
Lhasa
Six-star travellers accustomed to uberluxury, 24-hour butler service and, yes, a gold-plated pool can finally consider a trip to the plateau. The fortress…
Shangri-la
With large, bright rooms and beautiful common areas overlooking Hongpo village and the snowy mountains in the distance, you may never want to leave this…
Qingdao
This sharp and sassy new hotel, close to the beach, has helpful, English-speaking staff and modern rooms that are comfortable despite being small. The…
Lhasa
The eight rooms in this former residence of Nyi Rinpoche, a tutor of the Dalai Lama, make for an interesting choice in the heart of the old town. The…
French Concession
A fantastic option for travelling families, the Ascot offers serviced apartments with all the facilities of a luxury hotel (swimming pool, gym, breakfast…
Tianjin
Secreted away at the end of an alleyway off Chongqing Dao, this simple but stylish hostel has spacious dorms and small private rooms with shared bathrooms…
Hebei
If you fancy a splurge, this delightful place boasts a serene setting alongside the Imperial Villa's walls, accentuated by lovely courtyard gardens. It's…
Ngari
The monastery guesthouse is a glass-fronted block with simple mattresses in four-bed rooms or more comfortable two-bed rooms (¥50). There are pit toilets…
Qingdao
This lovely Old Town hostel is in a beautiful, restored pīcháiyuàn, the courtyard apartments of 1920s Qingdao, and within a 10-minute walk of the train…
Yunnan
This intimate courtyard-home guesthouse run by a Chinese-Canadian couple is one of the most pleasant spaces in Shuhe Old Town, but with only six rooms it…
Lhasa
This huge, modern and quiet four-star place is popular with groups for its spacious, plush and clean carpeted rooms. Sure it's bland, but the location is…
Tashi Choeta Tibetan Folk Hotel
Lhasa
This new hotel has a great location on the edge of the old town, with 58 comfortable and fresh Tibetan-style rooms ranged around a sunny internal atrium…
Ngari
The revamped Ali Hotel is now the fanciest and most expensive place in town. It's surprisingly stylish and modern, though the occasional fragrant bathroom…
Jiangxi
With a choice location overlooking Shenming Pavilion and the two rushing weirs, and river-view rooms decked out in gorgeous traditional Chinese furniture,…
Phoenix Pagoda Fonglou Retreat
Guangxi
The 12 rooms here have wide balconies overlooking the hills, furniture made from local materials, wi-fi and no TV. The Taiwanese owner Jerry has tips on…
Shandong
This impressive top-end hotel has a superb location, overlooking the sea and backing onto the park. Rooms are bright and well maintained, staff are…
Ngari
After recent renovations this is once again the main tour-group hotel in town. Bedding is clean and hot water is plentiful in the evenings, making it Saga…
Lijiang
Set behind an entrance that seems more like a temple than a guesthouse, this makes a great base for exploring the old town thanks to its modern stylings…
Lhasa
A well-run, modern Tibetan-run choice, with easy vehicle access but walking distance from the old town, offering fresh and modern Tibetan-style rooms…
Shenyang
The North Yorker's genuinely spacious, well-appointed hotel rooms and self-contained apartments are a pleasure to stay in, especially for families.
Inner Mongolia
Thrust down a rather charmless alley, this friendly place has compact five-bed dorms and unadorned but pleasant enough doubles. There's an inviting, small…
Outlying Islands
The rolling gardens of this stunning 4.5-hectare country retreat have been converted into an adventure park (tickets 9am to 7.45pm) and glamping venue…
Guangxi
Offering a chilled-out and less touristy alternative to Xingping is this relaxed guesthouse set in the countryside on a small, organic permaculture farm…
New Territories
Located at the edge of the Tao Fong Shan compound is Ascension House with four basic air-conditioned dorms accommodating two or three people. Bathrooms…
Hebei
There are quite a few guesthouses in Jimingyi these days, but this one, close to the West Gate, is still our favourite. It's nothing flash, and no English…
Kowloon
Converted from public housing units in a hilly corner of Kowloon, this heritage youth hostel has everything you need: a laundry, on-site convenience store…
Hong Kong
Frazzled city workers sometimes book into this award-winning futuristic hotel by the hour to recalibrate, and it's easy to see why: an aura of calm akin…
Tianjin
A genuinely old building among a host of recent renovations in the Italian Concession district, this unique 11-room boutique hotel is housed in the 1910…
Guilin
The White House is decked out in all manner of period (some genuine, some perhaps not) trappings reflecting the building it's in – part of the former…
Wan Chai & Northeast Hong Kong Island
Service is second to none at this monolithic luxury hotel offering plush but dated digs with a clubby, old-world vibe. Harbour-view rooms will cost you…
Hebei
One of a handful of nóng jiā lè (农家乐; village guesthouses) in Yujiacun, this typically simple courtyard guesthouse has rooms in an old stone building,…
Macau
The former Westin Resort on Coloane's southeastern tip is now the Grand Coloane Resort. It has the same 1980s feel and is showing its age, but nonetheless…
Wan Chai & Northeast Hong Kong Island
With its towering black-and-gold lobby, a string quartet on the mezzanine and an enormous emerald on display beside the concierge, this luxury pile exists…
Henan
The simple and friendly Climb Hostel has a comfortable bar and a pool table and is enviably close to the entrance to Taishi Shan. The dorms are a bit…
Guangdong
A bicycle club has brought to life an ancient building, revived as a boutique hostel. Tiled private rooms have soft-lighting, flat-screen TVs, air…
