Never had this happen before. I live i tokyo and have had a certain level of expectation of customer service since but;
So i have made reservations, have my confirmation number, i am in the hotel’s system on check in, but they dont have my room available as it has been given to someone else. The only other available room is a room that is more expensive than my original room price. As the hotel messed up are they allowed to charge me more for the new room?
Legally of course.
And this is the Lequ hotel in chatan okinawa.
6 comments
Typically no.
What usually happens is the hotel will offer the upgraded room at the same original price. Insist on this.
I’m not 100% sure about the hotel laws in Japan but in most countries a hotel reservation is considered a legal contract.
no. Demand a room for a reserved price
Is this a Japanese hotel chain or Japanese business hotel? Any US or European owned hotel in Japan would never do that and would either upgrade you for free, or find you a room at another hotel of similar quality, at the same price.
Either way, it’s unacceptable. You should pull the Gaijin card and demand they upgrade you for free, since the fault is theirs.
Don’t make a fuss like raising your voice. But keep insisting that you get a room for the price of the reservation in a polite and human way.
I have moved rooms a few times in Japan due to hotel errors.
Never had them try to charge when the new room was better than the old one. In fact never once have they even mentioned there was a difference in price. Usually they just politely ask you to wait, work out what they are going to do and take you to the new room with an apology for the mistake.
Most of the time it’s pretty similar, but I have had times the room was bigger or higher up the building so was likely more expensive.
I do wonder if hotels in Japan in general are struggling though.
One thing I have seen a couple of times recently but NEVER before is trying to charge to use the hotels onsen / pool / bathing facilities. It’s pretty cheeky really when nothing is mentioned in the booking process.
First time in almost twenty years and then twice in the space of a month at different hotel chains this year.
Usually they offer the upgrade for free due to their mistake. But if they don’t just insist on it politely due to their error.