A roof over your head is also something of importance. The major hotel chains are easy to find information about but the
smaller places are more difficult. Naturally, in some way out places camping is an alternative but not for the faint hearted. Each city has at least one hotel run by the local government. They are very cheap to live
in, even in Central Shanghai I found one for 180 CNY/night, and are clean. The problem is finding them. As usual, there will be hotel service desks at the airport, where someone usually speaks English. Otherwise,
there will be a travel agent there. Don’t forget to haggle. I have lived in some simple hotels and guest houses, especially in northern China. Spartan is the word that springs to mind. General Hotels China Excite Search for hotels all over China
Association of Business Travellers Hotels in China Shanghai Window Price examples for hotels in Shanghai, Beijing and other cities.
Housing As an ex-pat residing in China for some time I was able to experience another side of China that
passing visitors do not see. For long term residence there are a number of options available but they all have one thing in common - they are expensive! The options include, houses, apartments - both furnished and
unfurnished, service apartments and hotels.
In my case I chose to live in a house. My company paid the rent which was a “bargain” at just less than $5000 per month. Sound exorbitant? When I moved to Shanghai
there was little available accommodation and copious amounts of red tape, so it was a sellers market. Today, the situation is different as choice of accommodation has increased and the market is not quite as much
the sellers market anymore. The house I lived in was in a compound with a central gym, swimming pool, restaurant, pub and administration. I never saw anyone in the restaurant and pub in the time that I lived there.
My house was spacious and well appointed. It was a pain to keep clean due to all the dust finding it’s way in through the huge gaps around the doors and windows. It was cold in winter and hot in summer despite
having both a heating and cooling system. My only major complaint was finding all my belongings in the cellar were green when I returned after a four week trip abroad.
