Chengdu Tujia Sweetome Holiday Apartment, Lucheng International, 348 RMB/night (19 RMB cashback)
High prices at star-rated hotels Mid-Autumn bookings cool down
"Mooncakes aren’t selling well, and we can’t book out Mid-Autumn dinners or rooms." Against the backdrop of a broader slump in traditional hospitality, most star-rated hotels are struggling with Mid-Autumn sales.
On this issue, a reporter interviewed Ms. Liu, a supervisor at a star-rated hotel, who said, "During such major holidays, we’ve never seen bookings this quiet before. This year, the proportion of high-end dining has dropped significantly, with diners shifting to family meals—and they prefer home-style dishes. In the past, our dining prices were much higher. Now, the current high prices are hard for the general public to accept, creating this year’s awkward situation."
A local resident shared, "It’d be nice to celebrate the festival at a star-rated hotel—the environment and service are great, and my family would definitely be happy." But, "the prices at star-rated hotels are steep, and most dishes are 'all show and no substance,' making it hard to enjoy a 'homey' taste. Family reunions are rare, and we just want warmth and togetherness. Star-rated hotels offer poor value for money—it’s just not worth it!"
Mid-Autumn "family dinner" and moon-viewing trend Holiday apartment bookings soar
Ms. Wang from Beijing told us, "I’ve already booked a holiday apartment in Hangzhou through Tujia. The southern weather isn’t hot anymore, and my family plans to visit the beautiful West Lake, enjoy the moon, and celebrate Mid-Autumn—it should be wonderful!" When asked why she chose a holiday apartment over a star-rated hotel, Ms. Wang said, "It’s rare for the whole family to get together during Mid-Autumn. Staying in a holiday apartment, we can eat dinner, then admire the moon and play cards together. The warm, joyful atmosphere is perfect. I usually stay in hotels for work trips, but this rare holiday relaxation—I don’t want to feel like I’m 'just surrounded by four walls' on a business trip again."
Contacting a Tujia representative, we learned, "As Mid-Autumn nears, Tujia holiday apartment bookings have risen sharply, with particularly notable growth in coastal cities like Hangzhou, Qingdao, Chengdu, and Sanya, as well as popular scenic spots like Dali and Lijiang. Bookings are mostly from families of three or extended families of three generations, around five people." Asked why Tujia apartments are so popular, the Tujia rep attributed it to several factors: First, Tujia offers a richer, more private selection of properties—from studios to two-bedrooms and villas—often at about half the price of comparable hotels in the same area, making high cost-performance a consumer favorite; second, Tujia adopts a five-star hotel management system, including strict quality control over linens, toiletries, and housekeeping to ensure a consistent guest experience; third, the homely feel of being able to do laundry and cook is unmatched by traditional hotels, better suiting extended stays and leisure travel; fourth, Tujia also offers innovative value-added services, such as airport/railway station transfers in each city, and no check-out wait—guests can simply hang the key behind the door and leave.
Festive marketing: Hotels lower standards Struggle to meet deep consumer needs
The traditional hotel industry, hit by the "cold spell" of Mid-Autumn, has been lowering its "standards" to appeal to mass consumers, adapting to market shifts. According to a star-rated hotel manager, "Before Mid-Autumn, we might cancel past policies like 'minimum room charges,' service fees, or per-person pricing to adjust."
Industry experts note that the "cold spell" in traditional hotel Mid-Autumn bookings may seem like an "accidental phenomenon" post-policy changes, but it actually reflects new trends in travel accommodation. Over the past decade, how people travel and their lodging needs have quietly evolved—and the "traditional hotels cooling, holiday apartments booming" trend is a collective outburst of these deeper demands.
Although traditional hotels are lowering their "standards" to attract consumers during holidays, holiday apartments still far outperform in cost-performance. Take Tujia’s high-quality service apartments, for example—they beat star-rated hotels in both value and service, with more innovative extras, making them better suited for independent and deeply leisure-focused travelers. If traditional hotels don’t focus on evolving consumer needs, even lowering their "standards" may not turn things around. Not to mention, holiday apartments like Tujia also run promotional deals for customers during holidays.