The short version

Book hotels that explicitly handle foreign passports, confirm before arrival if the property is small or remote, and keep your passport ready at check-in. The risk is not usually luxury hotels in major cities; it is small guesthouses, rural inns, apartment rentals, and last-minute local listings.

Before booking

Prefer major platforms or hotel brands when arriving late, crossing borders, or traveling with family.
Message the property: “Can you register foreign passport guests?” Save the answer.
Check whether the front desk is open at your arrival time.
Keep the booking under the same name as your passport.
For remote scenic areas, ask if the property can arrange pickup from the station or bus stop.

Check-in flow

At most hotels, the front desk scans or records your passport and completes temporary accommodation registration. This can take longer than a domestic check-in, especially when staff are unfamiliar with foreign passports. Be patient, keep your visa or visa-free entry basis available, and avoid arriving at midnight to a tiny inn that has never handled international guests.

Red flags

The listing says “mainland ID only” or only accepts Chinese ID cards.
The host asks you to register yourself but cannot explain where.
The property is a private apartment with no clear check-in desk.
The hotel asks for payment through a method you cannot use.
Reviews mention foreign guests being moved elsewhere.

Safer patterns

Use chain hotels near stations for arrival nights, then move to boutique stays after you are settled. For heritage towns and mountain villages, pay more attention to check-in reliability than decor. A beautiful guesthouse that cannot register you is not a good travel product.

Backup plan

Keep one cancellable hotel option in the nearest city for high-risk legs. Save the Chinese address of both the primary and backup hotel. If a property refuses check-in, contact the booking platform immediately and ask for relocation support in writing.