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How to Order Food Delivery to Your Hotel with Meituan

Last updated: 2026-04-30

Meituan
Meituan
utilities · intermediate
View Guide → is China's largest food delivery platform, covering virtually every city and town. Delivery is fast (typically 30–45 minutes), cheap (¥5–15 delivery fee), and available from thousands of restaurants. For late nights, rainy days, or when you just want to eat in your room, it's the most convenient option.

Setting Up for Delivery

Before ordering, you need a delivery address. Hotels work well — use the hotel's address and add your room number in the notes.

  1. 1. Open Meituan and set your delivery address

    Tap the location field at the top of the screen. Search for your hotel name in English or Chinese. Select the correct hotel from the list. Add your room number in the address notes field.

  2. 2. Browse restaurants

    Meituan shows restaurants that deliver to your location, sorted by distance and rating. Use the category filters (Chinese food, fast food, desserts, etc.) to narrow down options.

  3. 3. Select a restaurant and browse the menu

    Tap a restaurant to see its menu. Most menus are in Chinese — use Google Translate's camera mode to read dish names, or look for photos. Tap items to add them to your cart.

  4. 4. Review your order and checkout

    Tap the cart icon to review your order. Check the estimated delivery time and total cost (including delivery fee). Tap Checkout.

  5. 5. Pay and track

    Pay with WeChat Pay or Alipay. After payment, a tracking screen shows the order status: restaurant preparing → rider picked up → on the way → delivered. The rider's real-time location appears on a map.

✓

Add a note in the delivery instructions: "Please call when you arrive" (请到了打电话). Most riders will call your room or the hotel front desk. If you don't speak Chinese, the hotel front desk can receive the delivery for you.

Reading the Menu

Most Meituan menus are in Chinese only. Strategies:

  • Photos: Most dishes have photos — tap the photo to see a larger image
  • Camera translate: Use Google Translate's camera mode to translate dish names
  • Popular items: Look for items marked with a flame icon or "爆款" (popular) — these are the restaurant's best sellers
  • Ratings: Each dish shows its order count and rating

Understanding Delivery Fees and Minimums

  • Delivery fee: Typically ¥3–15, shown before checkout
  • Minimum order: Most restaurants have a minimum order amount (usually ¥15–30)
  • Estimated time: Shown on the restaurant listing — typically 30–45 minutes
  • Rain/peak surcharge: Delivery fees increase during rain and peak hours (lunch 11am–1pm, dinner 5pm–8pm)

Practical Tips

  • Hotel address in Chinese: Ask your hotel for their address in Chinese and save it as a delivery address. This avoids address recognition issues.
  • Convenience stores: Meituan also delivers from convenience stores (7-Eleven, FamilyMart) — useful for snacks, drinks, and toiletries.
  • Cancellation: You can cancel within a few minutes of ordering if the restaurant hasn't started preparing. After that, cancellation may not be possible.
  • Rating: After delivery, you can rate the food and rider. Ratings help other tourists find good restaurants.