Where & when to organize your bookings and what to expect on-site
Booking hotels in advance is best to be done via the website trip.com. Simply choose “mainland China” for your destination and go for accommodation-, flight- or tourist activity hunting. Have a look onto the map to see where hotels are situated and read through the hotel ratings from former guests. If you already know the area you would like to live in, use the filter function to narrow down your options. You will be able to find everything from budget-friendly up to high-priced options with- and without breakfast, fitness- and laundry rooms, even airport shuttle services.
The charming thing about trip.com is that most hotels can easily be cancelled/adjusted at short-notice without any additional fees (please consider booking terms & conditions up front!). But be careful: pay attention to whether your room includes a window or not! Many times, I have found myself in a closed- up bunker. Not too bad for a couple of nights but certainly not recommendable for a longer period of time.
English-speaking Staff?
The more international the hotel, the more likely the chance having people on-site speaking English? Wrong. Independent on the size and popularity of hotel chains, most people will barely and/or not at all speak English, even you have booked at room in a Hilton, Radisson, or similar facility. The best chances of having English speaking counterparts will most likely be situated in the cities of Shanghai and Beijing. However, using translation apps, such as WeChat and Alipay, are part of common practice. So do not be afraid to use them in order to communicate, you will be fine!
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