Book early to avoid being left out in the dark

City's hoteliers warn rates may climb during Expo once vacancies drop

Visitors to the Shanghai Expo are advised to book their hotel rooms early to secure lower rates and to ensure they have a place to stay as the event is expected to draw a record number of tourists to the city from May to October.

"Shanghai currently provides 550,000 beds at its hotels and hostels in addition to the 200,000 beds available in nearby cities," said Huang Jianzhi, deputy chief of the Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau.