4 platforms hotel should use to maximize bookings in China
If you own or manage a hotel and want bookings from Chinese travelers, you need to be on specific platforms. Not all of them. The right ones. Here are the four you cannot skip in 2025, plus how to use each one effectively.
Three numbers to set the context:
- Ctrip (Trip.com) processed over 480 million accommodation bookings globally in 2024, with Chinese outbound travel as a major driver.
- Douyin reached 700 million daily active users in China by end of 2024, with travel the top content category.
- Xiaohongshu has over 300 million registered users, of whom roughly 70% are aged 18-34, the core outbound travel demographic.
The Four Platforms That Drive Hotel Bookings from China
1. Ctrip (Trip.com)
This is where most Chinese travelers book their accommodation. Not optional. Ctrip dominates the Chinese OTA market. A listing here gives you instant visibility to people who are already in booking mode. Chinese travelers trust Ctrip for everything travel-related, which means your hotel gets credibility by association the moment you appear on the platform.
How to get started: Visit the Trip.com extranet and create a business account. Provide complete property details, high-quality images, and room type information. Agree to the commission structure (typically 15-30% depending on negotiation and property type). Connect your channel manager to keep availability real-time and accurate. Respond to every guest review. Chinese travelers read responses as a signal of how seriously you take their experience.
2. Xiaohongshu (Little Red Book)
Think of this as China’s version of Instagram and TripAdvisor combined. It is where younger, higher-spending Chinese travelers go to research and get inspired. Posts from real guests showing their stay at your hotel carry more weight here than any ad you could buy. If you want to be on the list for affluent young travelers, you need a presence on Xiaohongshu.
Set up a verified business account. Post regularly with strong visuals: room views, dining experiences, local area highlights. Encourage guests to tag you when they post. Respond to comments. Run exclusive offers for RED followers. Use relevant hashtags for your location. This is a long-term investment in trust, not a quick-win channel.
3. Douyin
Douyin is where your hotel gets discovered by people who were not yet looking for you. With 700 million daily active users and travel as the top content category, the reach is extraordinary. Short videos showing the hotel’s personality, views, food, and guest experiences do the work. You do not need a production team. Real, authentic 30-60 second clips perform better than polished promotional content.
Run In-Feed Ads to drive direct booking traffic. Use Hashtag Challenges to get guests creating content. Partner with travel KOLs for reach. Set up a business account and post at least twice a week. Use Douyin’s analytics to see what performs and do more of it. Read our full Douyin marketing guide here.
4. Your Website, Optimized for Baidu
Google does not exist in China. Baidu does. If your website is not optimized for Baidu, you are invisible in Chinese organic search. This means Mandarin content, fast-loading pages hosted in China or via a CDN with Chinese coverage, relevant keywords in Chinese, and an ICP license (required for sites hosted in China).
Get this right and you capture organic traffic from people actively searching for hotels in your area. Pair it with Baidu PPC and you cover both organic intent and paid visibility. Direct bookings through your own site have no OTA commission. The setup cost pays for itself quickly.
According to Ctrip‘s 2024 travel report, hotels with both a Ctrip listing and a strong Baidu presence receive significantly more total bookings than those using Ctrip alone. The channels reinforce each other. Mafengwo is also worth noting: it is China’s leading travel community and review platform, similar to TripAdvisor. Getting positive reviews on Mafengwo builds additional credibility that helps all your other channels convert better.
Why Your Chinese Digital Presence Matters
Each platform in the list above covers a different stage of the booking process. Together, they form a complete system:
- Douyin: discovery. Chinese travelers find out your hotel exists.
- Xiaohongshu (XHS/RED): trust-building. Real reviews and photos convert interest into serious consideration.
- Baidu: search intent. Travelers actively looking for accommodation in your area find you through search.
- Ctrip: booking. The OTA where most Chinese outbound bookings are finalized.
- WeChat: loyalty. Your Official Account keeps past guests engaged and drives repeat bookings.
- Chinese website with ICP license and China hosting: the foundation that ties everything together and supports direct bookings.
See all our services at chinesetouristagency.com/our-services, and learn how we help hotels specifically at our Chinese digital marketing agency page. For a detailed Xiaohongshu strategy, visit our Xiaohongshu marketing guide.
Quick Reference: Platform Roles for Hotels
| Platform | Primary Function | Key Action |
|---|---|---|
| Ctrip / Trip.com | Bookings | List your property, manage reviews |
| Xiaohongshu (RED) | Trust and research | Post consistently, encourage UGC |
| Douyin | Discovery and awareness | Create video content, run ads |
| Baidu + Chinese website | Search and direct bookings | SEO, PPC, ICP license |
| Loyalty and communication | Official Account, direct messaging |
FAQ
How long does it take to get listed on Ctrip?
The registration process typically takes one to three weeks from submission to your property going live, depending on how quickly you complete all the required documentation and sign the contract. Having high-quality photos and complete property information ready before you start speeds things up significantly. Once live, your listing appears in search results immediately. The first few weeks, focus on getting your first reviews from Chinese guests, as these directly impact your ranking on the platform.
Do I need to be on all four platforms at once?
Ideally, yes, because they work better together than any single platform alone. But if you are just starting, prioritize Ctrip first since it is where bookings actually happen. Then add Xiaohongshu for trust-building, which directly improves your Ctrip conversion rate as Chinese travelers research you before booking. Douyin and Baidu can follow. The key is to start and build, rather than waiting until you can do everything perfectly at once.
What should I post on Xiaohongshu as a hotel?
Real, visual content that shows the actual guest experience. Room tours, dining moments, the view from the pool, local area highlights, seasonal events, staff introductions, and guest stories all work well. Authenticity is valued on RED over production quality. A genuine photo from a happy guest with a natural caption outperforms a polished promotional post. Post a minimum of twice per week and engage with every comment. Over time, your account builds a reputation that directly influences booking decisions.
What is an ICP license and do I really need one?
An ICP (Internet Content Provider) license is required for any website hosted on servers in mainland China. Without it, you cannot legally host your site on Chinese servers. Without Chinese hosting, your site typically loads very slowly in China due to the Great Firewall, which kills trust and conversions. Getting an ICP license requires a Chinese business entity or working with a local partner who can apply on your behalf. It is a one-time process and absolutely worth it for hotels serious about the Chinese market. The speed and trust improvement is immediate.
Get Your Hotel in Front of Chinese Travelers
The platforms are here, the tools exist, and the Chinese outbound tourism market is growing. What hotels that attract Chinese bookings consistently have in common is presence on all the right channels, managed actively. If you want help setting this up efficiently, visit our services page and let’s talk about what makes sense for your property.
Marcus Zhan is a digital strategist at CTA with over 10 years of experience helping international brands grow in China. He specializes in Douyin, Xiaohongshu, and Chinese SEO.
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