How to Book Hotels in Chengdu

Chengdu is extremely popular with tourists because of its proximity to Tibet. A vibrant city of 11 million, Chengdu attracts many international business people, along with local and national tourists. Chengdu is also famous for having the biggest Panda habitat and the only Panda breeding center in the world.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Book a Hotel in Chengdu

1. Book a hotel in the city center for easy access to attractions, transportation and great food. Hotels situated in or around Chunxi Road are the best, as this is both the business center of the city and the best place to find luxury rooms.
2. Stay at a youth hostel if you want cheap accommodations in a prime location. Most hostels in Chengdu have private rooms available, and all of them provide free transportation to and from the airport.
3. Check with the hostel for age limits. Most will take visitors of any age if they have plenty of empty beds. In busier times, they may limit the rooms to people under 26.
4. Visit the city's official website for recommendations and reviews of hotels in Chengdu (see Resources below).
5. Book well in advance for great discounts. If you look around with enough time, you should be able to find nice hotel rooms that are as cheap as a campsite might be in the U.S. Hostels with shared rooms are even less expensive.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're traveling on your own, it makes sense (both financially and for convenience) to connect with other travelers. Search the Internet for forums that discuss the event you're attending, and share tips and details with other people who are also attending that event. Agree to meet somewhere in the city once you're all there.
• If you want to look for hotels in Chengdu that are off the beaten path, find out in advance if they offer transportation to and from the city center. For example, it's possible to stay near the Wolong Giant Panda Breeding Center, a few miles out of the city, at either The Panda Inn or the Wolong Hotel--but since there is no public transportation available, you will be required to pay for a taxi to come back into the city.
• Don't be tempted by hucksters at the airport promising cheap accommodations in the city center. This is a common scam. While the rooms promised often do exist, they're mostly situated in moldy buildings in unsafe or out-of-the-way areas.