My son and his chinese girlfriend are going to Sanya, Hainan on the 20th to the 26th. He is a student in Xiamen, on a student residence permit. If he is going to stay in Hainan at a hotel, is he required to go through PSB registration at that hotel (the automatic computer registration, etc), even though he already has a residence permit and lives in a rented apartment in Xiamen?

I know most hotels will do this regardless, but I'm asking because the hotel he is planning to stay at is suddenly insisting that they either don't know how to do it, or don't have the 'technology'. I find this strange, but understandable if a hotel doesn't often deal with foreigners. Choosing a different hotel is a possibility but they'd rather stay at this lovely place.

Is he required to make the hotel register him, or since he has a residence permit, can he just stay anywhere without restriction?

Many thanks!