Osaka hotel online booking debacle triggers warning

Adelyn Lau

Famous radio host Sammy Leung Chi-kin says he was denied a room in an Osaka hotel despite booking in advance through an online travel agency, prompting a warning to travelers to confirm with hotels directly before going to Japan.

Leung, 50, said he reserved the room a week ahead of his and his wife's trip, but was told by the agency they could not check in when they arrived in Osaka on Saturday. After failing to convince hotel receptionists and the agency to honor the reservation, the couple were forced to look elsewhere for accommodations at midnight.

Fortunately, he said, they were able to secure a hotel reserved by his friends after posting about the incident on social media.

Travel writer James Hong Ming-sang, who previously worked in the hospitality sector, said on a radio program yesterday that hotels are often reluctant to accept bookings from online agencies due to low prices and high commissions.

When a customer books through these agencies, the hotel holds the room but a loophole allows it to rent it out at a higher rate before the agency pays.

It also means that hotels might unilaterally cancel such a reservation before payment is settled.

Hong said most people assume everything is finalized once they receive a confirmation e-mail from the intermediary website, not realizing that issues can still arise.

He said he had been in a similar situation when he booked a hotel room through an online agency, but found that the hotel could not find his confirmation number upon arrival. While in most cases he was able to negotiate to secure a room, it has become more difficult during the busy travel season in Japan, Hong said.

"Ultimately, the decision to provide a room rests with the hotel," he said, adding that travelers should send a follow-up e-mail to the hotel after booking through online agencies to confirm whether the reservation is indeed in place.

"Booking directly through the hotel's official website is the safer option," he added.

He advised travelers to compare options from different platforms before booking a hotel and check the information on the hotel's official website first.

If a desired room type is fully booked on the hotel's official site but appears available on the intermediary website, it is essential to be cautious he said. Hong said that even if one manages to check in, they may end up with a less desirable room.

Some web users said they had the same experience - and not just in Japan. One recounted arriving at a hotel in Bangkok only to be informed that his booking had not been received despite having paid in full with confirmation from the online agency.

adelyn.lau@singtaonewscorp.com