Will Hotel Prices Rise or Fall During China’s National Day Holiday?

September 30, 2026

As China’s National Day holiday approaches, hotel prices have once again become a major concern for travelers. This year’s Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays create an unusually long travel window, with some workers taking only a few days off to turn the break into as many as 13 consecutive days.

Unlike the traditional pattern of nationwide holiday price increases, however, this year’s hotel market is showing a much more complicated picture. Prices are still rising in major tourist destinations and around popular attractions, while some less-central areas and mid-holiday dates are seeing more moderate prices.

In other words, the market is increasingly characterized byhigher prices in popular areas, stable or lower prices elsewhere, and expensive peak dates followed by cheaper mid-holiday periods.

Hotel Average Prices Are Rising in Some Markets

Overall, hotel prices have not fallen across the country.

According to a September 20 report by CLS, data from some hotel groups showed that both average room rates and bookings during this year’s Mid-Autumn and National Day holiday period were higher than during the comparable period last year.

An executive from ECHO Hotel Group, a brand under BTG Hotels, said bookings through Ctrip showed that the brand’s nationwide average room rate and bookings per hotel were both higher year on year during the September 24-October 7 holiday period.

However, regional differences are substantial.

Some popular destinations are seeing stronger booking growth, while several cities, including Beijing, Tianjin and Xi’an, have experienced weaker demand for some hotel brands. Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Nanjing and Xuzhou, as well as destinations in Tibet, Xinjiang and Yunnan, have shown stronger demand.

This means it would be inaccurate to describe the situation simply as “all Chinese hotels are raising prices.”

Beijing’s Popular Areas Are Seeing Both Higher Prices and Demand

Beijing provides a clear example of the pressure facing hotels in popular tourist areas.

As the National Day holiday approaches, tourism activity in the capital continues to strengthen. Beijing Business Today reported on September 30 that hotel prices and booking volumes were both rising in major tourist zones such as Qianmen and the Universal Beijing Resort area. Some popular room types were reportedly sold out a month in advance.

Meanwhile, bookings for suburban Beijing homestays were reported to have increased by about 70% year on year.

The reason is largely a matter of supply and demand.

Popular attractions have a limited number of nearby hotel rooms, while visitor numbers can surge during a national holiday. When demand grows faster than available accommodation, room rates naturally come under upward pressure.

For this reason, travelers should not necessarily expect last-minute discounts in the most popular tourist zones.

But Not All Hotels Are Raising Prices

A very different picture emerges when travelers move away from major tourist centers.

This year’s unusually long holiday period is spreading travel demand across more dates. Some tourists are departing before the National Day peak, while others are waiting until October 3 or later.

This shift is changing the traditional holiday price curve.

Travel-industry data shows that some travel products become cheaper after October 2, while certain itineraries departing during off-peak periods can be as much as 50% cheaper than comparable departures on October 1.

The same dynamic can affect hotels.

When large numbers of travelers check in between September 30 and October 2, room rates can reach temporary peaks. If demand weakens later in the holiday, hotels may respond with discounts and promotional packages to improve occupancy.

As a result, hotel prices this year may form distinct peaks and valleys rather than moving uniformly upward.

The “13-Day Holiday” Is Changing Hotel Demand

One of the biggest variables this year is the unusually long combined holiday.

Many employees are taking several days off to connect the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, creating a potential 13-day travel period.

This has significant implications for hotels.

In a traditional Golden Week, demand tends to concentrate around a few predictable dates. Hotels can therefore adjust prices based on established patterns.

This year, however, travelers may leave in late September and continue traveling into early October.

By spreading demand across a longer period, the extended holiday could transform the traditional one-time price surge into a more dynamic pricing pattern.

That is one reason some destinations may have very expensive rooms around October 1 while offering better rates later in the holiday.

Popular Attractions Remain the Most Vulnerable to Price Increases

From a supply-and-demand perspective, hotels near major attractions, commercial centers and transportation hubs remain the most likely to see significant price increases.

The common factor is simple:

There are many tourists, but only a limited number of rooms.

Travelers are often willing to pay more for accommodation near major attractions because it reduces travel time and transportation costs.

Hotels farther away but close to subway lines, railway stations or major roads may face stronger competition and therefore offer more competitive rates.

For consumers, moving just a few kilometers away from a major attraction can sometimes make a substantial difference in the room rate.

Smaller Destinations Can Also Experience Sudden Price Surges

The traditional assumption that large cities are expensive while smaller towns are cheap is also becoming less reliable.

As travelers increasingly explore less crowded destinations, some counties, mountain areas and autumn-viewing locations can experience sudden increases in demand.

Recent media reports, for example, have described sharp increases in accommodation prices in some popular autumn destinations in Hulunbuir, with some hotels reportedly selling out during the holiday period.

This demonstrates that hotel prices are ultimately determined by the relationship betweenlocal tourist demand and available rooms, rather than simply by the size of a city.

A small county with limited accommodation can experience dramatic price increases if its visitor numbers suddenly surge.

Why Are Some Hotels Still Offering Lower Prices?

If the National Day holiday is such a major travel season, why are some hotels not raising their prices?

The main reason is still supply and demand.

The longer holiday period is spreading travelers across more dates, while some destinations have ample hotel capacity.

Travelers are also changing their accommodation habits.

Instead of insisting on staying directly beside an attraction, some are choosing hotels near subway stations, railway stations or residential areas farther from tourist centers.

That behavior increases competition among hotels.

It is therefore possible to see one hotel zone with sold-out rooms and very high rates while hotels 10 or 15 kilometers away still offer discounts.

The Mid-Holiday Period May Offer Better Prices

Current market conditions suggest that there is no single nationwide answer to whether National Day hotel prices will rise or fall.

A more likely pattern is:

Higher prices around September 30 to October 2, followed by more room-rate flexibility in some destinations from October 3 onward.

Beijing Business Today has also reported that the holiday travel market is showing clear opportunities for staggered travel, with some transportation prices falling during the middle of the holiday. More than 20% of travelers were reportedly choosing to book only their outbound journey and decide later how to continue their trips.

This more flexible travel behavior could also create opportunities for last-minute hotel deals.

However, waiting is not without risk. In destinations with limited hotel capacity, prices may rise further or rooms may sell out.

Hotel Booking Platforms Face Greater Regulatory Attention

With National Day hotel bookings reaching a seasonal peak, regulators are also paying greater attention to online hotel-booking services.

On September 15, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism held an administrative guidance meeting for online hotel-booking platforms, calling for stronger compliance and more standardized booking services.

For travelers, this means that the headline room rate is not the only thing to check.

Cancellation policies, final payment amounts, room descriptions and promotional conditions can all affect the actual cost of a booking.

A room that appears unusually cheap may, for example, come with stricter cancellation rules or other restrictions.

Hotel Prices Will Ultimately Follow Supply and Demand

The biggest change in this year’s National Day hotel market is that the old assumption that all hotels must become more expensive during Golden Week is becoming less absolute.

Major cities, popular attractions and sought-after autumn destinations may continue to experience upward price pressure. Less popular areas, destinations with abundant hotel supply and mid-holiday dates may instead see more stable or lower rates.

For travelers, the more useful question is therefore not simply whether “National Day hotel prices will rise or fall,” but what type of market their destination belongs to.

For highly popular attractions, early booking remains important. Travelers with flexible schedules may have better opportunities after the October 1-2 peak.

This year’s extended holiday is reshaping China’s Golden Week tourism market.

Hotel pricing is becoming less about a simple “holiday surcharge” and more about dynamic pricing based on dates, destinations and real-time demand.

So, will hotels be more expensive or cheaper during National Day?

The answer may be both: some travelers will face sharply higher room rates, while others may find discounted rooms during the middle of the holiday.

Ultimately, prices will depend on visitor numbers, hotel supply and the exact dates travelers choose to stay.