Start by asking whether the second scenic area would be weakened by the first transfer day
The real question is not whether one more hotel is annoying. It is whether the next important scenic area would be reached too late or too tired. If the group arrives worn out and the evening becomes rushed, the following day often loses quality even before sightseeing starts.
A transition night works by breaking pressure, not by making the route more complicated
Xinjiang itineraries become tiring when two heavy days sit back to back. A middle overnight stop can restore a normal sequence of dinner, check-in, sleep and departure, so the group does not carry unresolved fatigue into the next important section.
Even a simple overnight stop can be worth it
Some travellers worry that a transition town has little sightseeing value. That misses the point. Its job is to reduce late arrivals, protect showers and sleep, and help both passengers and driver start the next day more steadily. It is mainly buying rhythm, not scenery.
Skip the extra night when the hotel change itself becomes the bigger problem
If the group has bulky luggage, seniors need time to settle into each room, or children struggle with repeated hotel changes, the extra night may create more friction than it removes. In that case, it can be smarter to keep the original base but trim minor stops on the road.