26th June 2025 – (Tokyo) Toyoko Inn, a major Japanese hotel chain, issued a statement on 15th June highlighting persistent booking issues associated with Agoda and other overseas reservation platforms. The problems include delays in notifying hotels of customer bookings, errors in room types and reservation dates, and discrepancies between listed prices and actual charges.
According to reports from Japanese media on 23rd June, the Japan Tourism Agency has demanded that Agoda improve its operations in Japan, warning that failure to do so could result in administrative penalties. Earlier this year, in March, the agency had already requested Agoda to address significant booking problems, including instances where guests arrived at hotels without any record of their prepaid reservations.
In April, Agoda submitted a list of proposed measures to the agency aimed at resolving these issues. However, several hotel operators in Japan have indicated that booking problems persist as of June.
Sources suggest that should Agoda fail to implement the necessary improvements, the Japanese government may impose sanctions. Toyoko Inn has advised customers to contact the booking platform directly for any changes, given the ongoing issues with reservations made through international websites like Agoda.
AloJapan.com