What is the most cost-effective way of hotel reservation?

At present, there are various ways of hotel reservation, and price of hotel reservation in each way differs from each other.

1. Hotel reception: The price for room reserved at the reception is the most high. The price of reception may have certain discount in different seasons or circumstances for sales promotion; however, the extent of discount is very small. The higher the star-grade of the hotel is, the smaller the extent of discount will be.

2. Hotel reservation dept.: according to different managements of each hotel, prices offered by some reservation departments are about the same as that by the reception, therefore, reservation department only plays the role of reservation; however, prices offered by some other reservation departments are lower than that by the reception.

3. Travel agency: almost all the travel agencies can help you to reserve hotels. The hotels signed by the travel agency are comparatively stable, well-reputed and cheap. For individual traveler, discount room is accessible through travel agency’s reservation in general.

4. Online reservation: The well-known reservation companies include: China Hotel Reservation League, E Dragon, Xiecheng Net and etc. Generally, customers can reserve directly on line, and the price is 30 percent—70 percent lower than that offered by the reception.

5. By contacting the hotel by oneself, we can usually reserve the reasonable- price hotels. However, the hotels above Three-Star will not offer a too cheap price generally, and it involves a lot of time and money.

6. You’d better avoid the day and place while there is a massive or public activity in the case of time and region.

7. You should pay attention to the period of hotel’s sales promotion.

8. You can choose the bulk booking with your friends.

How to Find a Suitable Hotel

1. Price, which is the leading factor, you can choose the one by comparing prices through the ways above mentioned.
2. Communication and location, which is relatively important, you can find out the communication and location by looking up the map. And then what can you do if you haven’t found out the hotel sign in the map? You’d better find out the address of the street where the hotel is located or the address of hotel’s neighborhood at first and then you can look up the map, because maps usually have expanding functions, such as the bus routes or marks about whether there are subway or highway etc, and maps at present are with many inquiry service features, with which you can make much use of, and you can drop by the neighborhood to see whether there is shopping center, or you will be depressed when you want to go out but have to walk a very  long distance.
3. Hotel environment: What should these persons do if they want to reserve a hotel? For those who has never been staying in a hotel before and have no idea about the environment? Firstly, opinions of others who have stayed there before shall be found out, even though the reactions of everyone differ, you can still form a standard opinion about that. Secondly, you’d better try to find out the official site of the hotel by searching Google or Baidu; if you know English name of the hotel it would be much easier to find out the site, and you can get more details of the hotel when you get into its official site. 
4. Hotel facilities. It is more or less the same as you observe environment of the hotel, everyone’s interests differ too, for example, they will check whether there is fitness center, snooker room, shopping plaza and etc.
5. Preferential prices or sales promotions of hotels: some times, some hotels will hold activities once a while or have different period discounts. For example, you could pay attention to whether there is free hotel shuttle bus, present, discount for consecutive accommodation, free breakfast or ticket for scenic spots nearby; as a smart visitor, you should pay more attentions to these.
Notes for Checking in a Hotel in China
1. The waiting time may be long comparably in respect that related data are required to be filled in and there are many procedures of checking identity card and passport at the information desk when checking in.
2. Generally, deposit shall be paid by guests while checking in at the information desk, and the amounts differ somewhat according to regulations of each hotel.
3. Please keep quiet in the hotel hall or other public places and the conversation should not be heard out of three meters generally.
4. Check facilities first when you enter your room, drawing a clear distinction between common necessary article and disposable articles and whether lack, damage or pollution occurs, if these above-mentioned has found, inform server or tour guide without delay, otherwise, you will have to compensate according to the set prices.
5. You shall keep valuables in the small safe in the room or safety box in the hall with accompany of tour guide instead of putting them everywhere at will so as to avoid unpleasant incident.
6. If you make a long-distance call in the hall or in your room, deposit must be paid in advance, and so do the long-distance fee and service charge regulated by the hotel.
7. Please do pay attention to the prices listed on the desk (hotels above Four-Star have had the service charge prescribed) if you want to have some fruits, beverages and alcohols in the fridge.
8. Please confirm that you know the charging standards of charging television channels in some hotels before use them.
9. Please do not appear in pajamas and slippers in elevator and public places.
10. Please do not scribbles the room all over and please leave the message paper in the Service Direction.
11. Before taking a bath, please do open the cold water before hot water to adjust the temperature in order to avoid being scalded. Please pull the under closure of the bath curtain up into the bathtub, and if the carpet in the room is wetted incautiously, the hotel will ask for a compensation.
12. Pleas do not smoke in bed.
13. Please do not hang the washings outside the window or on the balcony.
14. If some of your clothes need to be washed by the Housekeeping Dept., laundry list is required to be filled, and then you only need to put the list and your clothes into the laundry bag （which is generally in the drawer of the writing desk） prepared for you by the hotel,, at the same time, please read carefully the remark column in the laundry list.
15. Please take good care of the hotel facilities, and you have to pay for articles for damage.
16. The disposable personal articles, such as toothbrush, shower cap and etc. can be kept as souvenirs, but other articles, such as tissue, coat hanger, hand towel, electric hair dryer and etc. should not be taken away.
17. Extra bed and breakfast for children should be charged by oneself according to the hotel’s standards.
18. Please take foods according to your actual consumption when you have buffet in the hotel; you can take food several times but should not pile foods up, and shall not leave foods uneaten or take foods out of the hotel either.
19. The department of knowing different departments of the hotel have been set, and problems occur during stay in the hotel can be solved readily.
20. To prevent fire disaster, attention shall be attached to getting familiar with location of the emergency exit, acquainting yourself with fire fighting devices, and having abreast of information on having a narrow escape and self saving.
21. Please close the door and windows when you take sleep at night, and carry personal valuables when you go out.
22. When you go out, please do keep the hotel card, together with more than 3-5 persons, look out for pickpocket, and pay attention to personal and property safety.
23. You can call the reception for server for any problems; if it’s inconvenient, you can call  tour guide at any time.
24. It is general practice that the time of check- in or check- out of hotel is 12:00 at noon. If you check in before noon or check out after noon, you are required to pay certain extra charges accordingly.