Mandarin Monday: Defining the Different Words for Hotel in Chinese

Katie Coy, Managing Editor | Jul 11, 2022 5:29 pm | 4 comments | 3200 reads

In Mandarin 酒店 jiǔdiàn, 饭店 fàndiàn, 宾馆 bīnguǎn, 旅馆, lǚguǎn can all be translated as “hotel” in English but what’s the real difference between these four words? 

Well, as can often be the case with Chinese, the answer isn’t entirely straight forward, with some words having different meanings depending on region, having a different historical meaning or sometimes just coming down to a someone’s personal associations. However, there are some general key differences between the words, so let’s have a look at what they are. 

酒店 jiǔdiàn

Nowadays, at least on the Chinese mainland, jiudian is one of the most commonly used words for hotel. Generally jiudian can be seen as what you would think as a “modern” hotel, with multiple facilities such as restaurants and bars etc. Jiudian also usually refers to more high-end hotels, and most 4/5 star hotels will normally use this name. Sometimes the word 大 dà (big) will also be added to the name of more upscale hotels to emphasize they’re more luxurious than an average hotel, for example Beijing’s China World Summit Wing Hotel is called 北京国贸大酒店 Běijīng guómào dà jiǔdiàn in Chinese. 

饭店 fàndiàn

In mainland China today fandian normally refers to a restaurant rather than a hotel. Although in the past it was more commonly used for hotels, and there are still some hotels in Beijing that use this name such as Beijing Hotel Nuo 北京饭店诺金 Běijīng fàndiàn nuò jīn. These hotels tend to be historic hotels, with Beijing Hotel Nuo having been established way back in 1917. Whereas the majority of hotels now opt to use jiudian instead to avoid confusion.

宾馆 bīnguǎn

In the past binguan used to be associated with more high-end hotels but these days it’s become more of an old-fashioned word for hotel and jiudian has largely replaced it instead. For example, doing a search for a binguan in Beijing on Dianping will land a few hotels that still use the name. The word binguan also now has the association of referring to smaller, more basic hotels, normally in the three star hotel range, although there are some exceptions. 

旅馆 lǚguǎn

Finally, lüguan is normally used for the most basic hotels, or “guest houses” and are normally places under three stars. These hotels normally don’t include a dining service and mainly function just as somewhere to sleep.  For example, motel in Chinese is a 汽车旅馆 qìchē lǚguǎn literally meaning “car hotel”. Lüguan can also be used to refer to hostels, although most places use the word 青年旅舍 qīngnián lǚshě instead. 

Basically if you want to search for a hotel in Chinese or refer to a hote, your best bet is just to stick with using jiudian.  

READ: Mandarin Monday – A Little Poem About When to Get Tested

Images: Dianping, Katie Coy, Unsplash Marten Bjork

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BauLuo's picture BauLuo Submitted by Guest on Tue, 07/12/2022 - 19:23

BauLuo wrote:

So there we was, me and Hairy Mary Anne Rayce had finally committed to each other and were now shacked up on a mattress, jus behind The Ezzy Quick Motel and Slot Machines, Highway 66, outskirts of Flagstaff. We had managed to sneak into motel, 3:33 am. and purloin said mattress from room 520, unbeknownst to somnolent front desk staff. That, an with a couple rolls of saran wrap dear Mary absconded with from the QuickquickE Mart, we managed to construct ouselves a sweet hovel. Mary stole a `There's No Place LIke Home' plaque from nearby pawnshop, strung it on an overarching branch, and we were all set up, Jus like our parents Ward and June had been. (June later transitioned and is now Juan, but that is beyond the scope of this post.)

So there we were, of a lazy Monday afternoon, lolling post-coitally in reverie, when a snuffling is loudly heard behind us in the tulgey wood.

I immediately arose, and with vorpal blade, went to investigate.

Not to worry, it was only Timmy.

`Timmy' I cried exponentially, `whaddya u doing here?' I convolvulated.

`I am examining the undersides of leaves, and the structure of the twining of their veins'. he curtly stated, `Therefrom to extrapolate the future value of Bitcoin'.

`Well, carry on,' said I, `should you desire a respite, Hairy Mary and I have a lovely mattress nearby, you're welcome to visit'.

Just then, a screaming came across the sky. Two objects, bodylike, fell from the jet wheelwells and came hurtling earthward. Fortunately, they landed smack dab in middle of me and Mary's mattress, so were none the worse for wear, though they gave Mary quite the start, as she painted her nails, causing a long ruby stripe up her forearm.

Who was it but Mike and Gino!!! Gino pulled a full 2.57 liter bottle of grappa from vest pocket (he was always well dressed) unscrewed up the cap, took a hale swallow, and passed it about.

Soon we were all jolly and merry. Timmy came by, festooned with a collection of leaves, and it was just like old times all over again and again.

After a while, towards the dimming of the day, while the whole gang of was resting peacefully upon mattress, dozing a bit, came a sudden crashingness, trouncingly through the scrub brush.

I was quickly and suddenly erect, vorpal blade in hand. Gino likewise, empty grappa bottles handheld ready to crash upon intruders.

Suddenly a multicoloured pig crashed through the underbrush, upon which back stridled our Lord and Overseer, Tony F. Canute Gates.

`None of you are wearing your garlic wreaths!!' He scowled resolutely. `All people must employ garlic wreaths at all time, there is a contagion upon the land!'

`Soon our drug manufacturers will provide with some anal suppositories to protect you from the contagion; nonetheless, until then, it is absolutely necessary that you wear your garlic wreaths at all times, on pain of forfeiture of life and livelihood.

So saying, he again mounted his pig, and galloped off into the setting sun.

The all of us had a good chortle and Gino somehow found another bottle of grappa, and we all were jolly and merry.

I am Doktor Aethelwise Snapdragoon.

BauLuo's picture BauLuo Submitted by Guest on Tue, 07/12/2022 - 00:16

So there we was, me and Hairy Mary Anne Rayce had finally committed to each other and were now shacked up on a mattress, jus behind The Ezzy Quick Motel and Slot Machines, Highway 66, outskirts of Flagstaff. We had managed to sneak into motel, 3:33 am. and purloin said mattress from room 520, unbeknownst to somnolent front desk staff. That, an with a couple rolls of saran wrap dear Mary absconded with from the QuickquickE Mart, we managed to construct ouselves a sweet hovel. Mary stole a `There's No Place LIke Home' plaque from nearby pawnshop, strung it on an overarching branch, and we were all set up, Jus like our parents Ward and June had been. (June later transitioned and is now Juan, but that is beyond the scope of this post.)

So there we were, of a lazy Monday afternoon, lolling post-coitally in reverie, when a snuffling is loudly heard behind us in the tulgey wood.

I immediately arose, and with vorpal blade, went to investigate.

Not to worry, it was only Timmy.

`Timmy' I cried exponentially, `whaddya u doing here?' I convolvulated.

`I am examining the undersides of leaves, and the structure of the twining of their veins'. he curtly stated, `Therefrom to extrapolate the future value of Bitcoin'.

`Well, carry on,' said I, `should you desire a respite, Hairy Mary and I have a lovely mattress nearby, you're welcome to visit'.

Just then, a screaming came across the sky. Two objects, bodylike, fell from the jet wheelwells and came hurtling earthward. Fortunately, they landed smack dab in middle of me and Mary's mattress, so were none the worse for wear, though they gave Mary quite the start, as she painted her nails, causing a long ruby stripe up her forearm.

Who was it but Mike and Gino!!! Gino pulled a full 2.57 liter bottle of grappa from vest pocket (he was always well dressed) unscrewed up the cap, took a hale swallow, and passed it about.

Soon we were all jolly and merry. Timmy came by, festooned with a collection of leaves, and it was just like old times all over again and again.

I am Doktor Aethelwise Snapdragoon.

BauLuo's picture BauLuo Submitted by Guest on Mon, 07/11/2022 - 20:54

A couple more things worth mentioning: When booking a hotel ( I have always used Ctrip) , as a waiguoren, you can save yourself some trouble by booking at something called an `International Hotel'.. 国际酒店， 。 More than once I have booked and paid for a hotel and when getting there being told they don't admit foreigners. Both times I was able to get them to change their mind (demanding an immediate refund in cash does wonders for influencing them), but it was a lot of hassle. In the larger cities, (Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen etc) this may be less of an issue, however I have a penchant for visiting out of the way little places, where nary a laowai has trod, and it is definitely an issue. Another thing: If possible use Ctrip.com (which is trip.com in its international version) when booking and use Chinese search terms. Same hotel, same size room, that might be 500 kuai when searching trip.com using English search terms, might be 140 kuai using the Chinese website.

I am Doktor Aethelwise Snapdragoon.

BauLuo's picture BauLuo Submitted by Guest on Mon, 07/11/2022 - 20:26

Giovanni Martini wrote:

One could do the same for English, too:

Hotel, Motel, Hostel, Hospice (Death's waiting room), Fek-tel (rooms by the hour), Crack-tel (druggie clientele), Ille-tel (where the U.S. gummermint houses undocumented invaders before dispersing them across the land), William-tel (where you hole up in your room with archery gear after the gun-grab and in order to avoid 'mostly peaceful' protests that fentanyl claimed another folk hero)...

Ya forgot No-tel, that is sleeping on a blood stained mattress stinking of months old urine, in the shrubbery out back of the Motel.

I am Doktor Aethelwise Snapdragoon.

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