With the 2026 Beijing Auto Show yet to open, hotel bookings in the vicinity have already surged. On April 22, it was learned that the Atour X Hotel near the exhibition venue is charging 3,157 yuan per night for a twin room from April 23 to 25—3.6 times the rate for the same room type during the May Day holiday. Some hotels reported that certain exhibitors began inquiring and making reservations as early as half a year in advance, and available rooms are now extremely limited. The strong demand for accommodations is not confined to the exhibition area but has also spilled over into core business districts such as Liangma River, with some high-end business hotels seeing a 10 percentage point increase in occupancy rates and a 64% rise in revenue compared to the same period last year. Industry experts noted that major exhibitions significantly drive accommodation demand, leading to higher occupancy and prices in the hotel market. When hotels near the core exhibition area are fully booked, demand naturally extends to broader regions.
Zhou Jun, an automotive content creator based in Beijing’s Daxing district, recently discovered while booking a hotel near the Capital International Exhibition Center that rates at an Atour hotel had skyrocketed from a few hundred yuan on regular days to over 3,000 yuan per night—more than three times the price during the upcoming May Day holiday. Since Daxing is far from Shunyi district, where the auto show is held, Zhou chose to stay near the exhibition center to save time and effort. He explained that his schedule during the auto show was uncertain due to extensive filming commitments, and by the time his plans were finalized, hotel prices had risen sharply.
Following Zhou’s lead, a search on the Ctrip app showed that the Atour X Hotel in Beijing’s Shunyi district is charging 3,157 yuan per night for a premium twin room from April 23 to 25. The same room type costs only 640 yuan per night on a regular weekend (May 14–16) and 869 yuan per night during the May Day holiday (May 1–3). This means the rate during the auto show’s opening weekend is 3.6 times higher than the holiday price. A staff member at the hotel confirmed that, based on current bookings, only one twin room remains available for a two-night stay from April 23 to 25, while other room types were fully booked much earlier. The staff also mentioned that the Beijing Auto Show is one of the year’s largest exhibitions, with some exhibitors making reservations about six months in advance.
Zhao Huanyan, a senior economist in the tourism and hotel industry, stated that major exhibitions greatly boost hotel business, and price increases amid high demand are a market response. However, excessive price hikes may have negative consequences. Therefore, local industry associations and regulatory authorities could consider setting price caps to avoid adverse effects.
The strong accommodation demand generated by the Beijing Auto Show is not limited to Atour hotels but has spread to hotels in surrounding areas and even core business districts farther away. A staff member at the Hilton Garden Inn near the exhibition center reported that due to the biennial auto show being held at both the China International Exhibition Center (Shunyi) and the Capital International Exhibition Center, hotel rooms are in short supply. As of now, only five rooms remain available on April 23 and four on April 24, with these likely to be booked soon if reservations are delayed. The staff added that the auto show, as a large-scale international event, attracts many foreign guests from various countries. Inquiries and bookings began as early as half a year ago, with the most active reservation period occurring over the past three months, particularly since January and February of this year.
Near the Capital International Exhibition Center, most room types at hotels such as the Beijing Minghao Ramada, Homeinns Selected Hotel, and Atour Hotel are already sold out. Meanwhile, the Orange Hotel only has family suites and deluxe suites remaining, with all other room types fully booked. A further search revealed that many hotels near the venue, including Starway Hotel, GreenTree Inn Select, Super 8 Select, and Ibis Styles, show no available rooms from April 23 to 25. Similarly, Hanting Premium Hotel and Qiuguo S Hotel have no rooms available for two consecutive nights during this period; guests can only book by switching rooms midway.
Accommodation demand related to the auto show has also extended to the Liangma River area. A representative from the Beijing Kempinski Hotel reported that compared to last year, occupancy rates during the auto show period have increased by 10 percentage points, with the average daily rate rising by 39% and revenue growing by 64%. The representative analyzed that the 2026 Beijing Auto Show involves numerous automotive brands and attracts many participants from across the industry chain, including dealers, parts suppliers, and media outlets. Large automakers often book hundreds of rooms at once, leading to a shortage of accommodations near the exhibition center and driving demand to broader areas such as Chaoyang district.
Since the 2026 Beijing Auto Show overlaps with part of the May Day holiday, the tourism market has also been boosted. According to Mafengwo data, the popularity of "exhibition tourism"—combining visits to events like the Beijing Auto Show and the Canton Fair with holiday travel—has increased by 169% year-on-year. Zhao Huanyan pointed out that major exhibitions attract large numbers of visitors, significantly increasing accommodation demand and causing it to spill over into surrounding regions. As a result, hotels both near the venue and in peripheral areas can expect higher occupancy rates. In addition to exhibitions, large concerts and sports events also notably drive hotel business. Hotels can enhance their appeal by incorporating event-themed decorations and offering convenient services such as shuttle transportation, thereby improving both capacity and service quality.
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