{
  "id": 13088599,
  "title": "China’s hotel room rates disappoint during ‘golden week’ despite tourism boom",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/chinas-hotel-room-rates-disappoint-during-golden-week-despite-tourism",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-09T10:00:13.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "South China Morning Post",
    "slug": "south-china-morning-post",
    "url": "https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3370279/chinas-hotel-room-rates-disappoint-during-golden-week-despite-tourism-boom"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Hotel room prices across mainland China failed to meet forecasts during the recent National Day \"golden week\" break, despite a surge in tourism, according to industry experts. Hotel owners and analysts are urging better asset and revenue management to mitigate pricing pressures. Room rates remained largely flat from October 1 to 7, even as reservations surged, according to executives from hotel operators and travel agencies. \"The era when hotels and resorts could anticipate a bonanza during the week-long holiday appears to be over,\" stated Li Wenjie, CEO of Shanghai Yaheng International Travel. \"Middle-income tourists are no longer willing to splurge on lodging.\"\n\nThis scenario stands in stark contrast to the steep price increases witnessed three years ago following Beijing's abandonment of its zero-Covid-19 policy. In 2023, some hotel chains hiked rates up to 10 times their usual levels. Online travel platform Qunar forecasted a 30% increase in hotel bookings in popular tourist hotspots on the mainland leading up to the holiday. Zhou Tao, head of hotels and hospitality at JLL in China, attributed the price drop to new supply, corporate travel, and outbound tourism, which are gradually suppressing room rates. \"Operators must employ total-revenue management, price strategically around events and peak periods, and broaden into local, MICE, and extended-stay demand,\" he advised.\n\nSome Chinese hotels are also grappling with obsolete designs that no longer align with the preferences of modern travelers. Leading global hotel chains such as Hilton and Shangri-La have been focusing on lifestyle brands in recent years to cater to mainland tourists' increasing desire for personalized and culturally rich experiences. Last year, Shangri-La launched its high-end Shangri-La Signatures brand in China, blending cultural heritage and natural beauty to attract affluent visitors with exclusive offerings. In July, Hilton unveiled its Tempo brand for the Chinese market. Alan Watts, president of the Asia-Pacific region for Hilton, explained that the new strategy aims to capture mounting demand for lifestyle-oriented hospitality through a flexible business model.\n\nIn July, Hong Kong developer Hang Lung Properties' senior director of office, hotel, and residence, Alan Watts, emphasized that contemporary hotels should offer guests more tailored experiences, such as selecting in-room amenities like teapots and allowing them to bring their pets. \"Refurbishment should follow a clear target-segment strategy rather than a generic upgrade, with labor, energy, and procurement costs in sync with demand,\" Zhou added. \"Professional asset management is essential for strategic repositioning, rebranding, and renovation to rejuvenate hotels, enhance performance, and boost asset value.\"\n\nDespite the challenges, there are glimmers of optimism for the sector. Experts suggest that events could generate concentrated, date-specific demand from visitors traveling between cities, thus boosting venue-adjacent hotels' pricing power. The Shanghai International Arts Festival (CSIAF), a prime example, is set to commence on October 17, featuring about 400 programs and more than 1,100 performances. The month-long cultural extravaganza will showcase top-tier artists and performances, aiming to cement Shanghai's status as a premier global destination for the performing arts, according to CSIAF president Li Ming.",
  "summary": "Hotel room rates across mainland China fell short of expectations during the National Day “golden week” holiday despite a tourism boom, as company officials and analysts called for stronger asset and revenue management to ease pricing pressure. Hotel tariffs remained largely unchanged from the previous month between October 1 and 7, even as bookings jumped, according to executives at hotel…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "SCMP Business",
        "title": "China’s hotel room rates disappoint during ‘golden week’ despite tourism boom",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/chinas-hotel-room-rates-disappoint-during-golden-week-despite-tourism-13090267",
        "published": "2026-10-09T10:00:13.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}