Cheap places to stay in China

[woliveri]

As I'm living here, when I travel I want to have an inexpensive place to stay. I'm told by my friend that Cheaper hotels in China won't take foreigners because they don't want to be bothered with it or may not have "permission"???

I am un clear on this. Can someone help me?

Thanks in advance.

[Lu]

It used to be illegal for most cheap hotels to let foreigners stay there, but the law changed a few years ago and now it's allowed. There may still be some hotels that will refuse you, but you shouldn't have to much trouble finding something cheap.

[889]

The restriction forcing foreigners to stay in authorised 涉外 shewai hotels is gradually being eliminated throughout China and doesn't exist in Beijing and many other large cities these days.

Nonetheless, you'll still come across the occasional place which will insist they can't take foreigners. No sense arguing: just leave and you'll soon find another place that'll take you.

[mrtoga]

I have stayed in certain cheap hotels fairly recently in Beijing only because a Chinese friend has 'lent" me their ID number (ie it is officially them in the room and not me). They are not allowed to use a passport number as the ID that they submit to the security bureau, so although they want to accept you unless you have a Chinese ID they legally can't.

The last instance was in actually quite a nice hotel (three-star equivalen) that cost 180 renminbi per night. I think the govt does this to force the foreigners into the more expensive accommodation.....

[889]

The 涉外 shewai system was eliminated in Beijing on October 1, 2003.

"从1日起，凡是取得旅店业经营资格的企事业单位均可接待依法办理了临时住宿手续的境外人员留宿.

"北京警方称，取消限制后，境外人员入境后可以随意选择住宿 . . ."

Not to say that every bingguan, lüguan or zhaodaisuo recognises it, though.

I suspect there's an extra step involved in properly registering foreigners and many places just don't want to be bothered.

Or they don't read the newspapers:

http://news1.jrj.com.cn/news/2003-10-02/000000658588.html