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This model is extremely popular in China and suitable for solo trips. For those who love wandering and traveling alone.
That day I only stayed in Tianjin for 1 day and didn't sleep overnight to leave for another province that evening, so I hastily booked the CHEAPEST hotel I found on Ctrip. One night they charged 32 yuan per person (about 128k VND).
Initially I only booked mainly to store luggage and have an address to register for travel in China. But what I received was truly amazing.
They run the hotel as shared dorms with very cheap prices. One room has 2 beds, divided into 4 sections for 4 people to stay. Only accepts guests aged 18-45. There are around 100 rooms, spanning 2-3 floors as huge as a maze.
What amazed me was the common living space. Many Chinese students sitting in the main lobby, eating, playing games, watching TV, studying.
They separated the shower area and laundry area into 2 separate zones, divided by gender. Hot water available, shower gel and shampoo provided. Need your own towel and toothbrush, then pay an extra 3 yuan. The hair dryers are so nice I had to order one just like it on Taobao to use at home =))
The laundry area has washing machines, dryers, drying racks. Pay an extra 2 yuan for fragrant laundry powder.
Students from other cities studying here all stay in these types of places, only returning to their rooms to sleep, otherwise just hanging around the common lobby which is always bustling. Like every day losing over a hundred customers cheaper than staying in university dormitories.
Food is delivered to the door, there's a kitchen and even microwaves of all types.
It completely changed my mindset about dorms, about those shabby tiny rooms lacking amenities at cheap prices.
Next time I'll try going to other cities and continue experiencing this model.
- Oh there's one more thing to note: not all hotels accept foreign passports. When I booked I didn't pay much attention, but upon arrival they said they only serve Chinese people with Chinese ID cards. However, I explained that I wouldn't be sleeping that night so they happily accepted the booking.
However, everyone should note this when booking on Ctrip. Many hotels still allow foreigners to stay; they note it right at the beginning of the introduction section.
Credit: Dương Mai Phương
