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Hotel Reservations in Japan

Flashjeff

Pink Lady's Number #1 Fan
28 Dec 2003
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I don't know if any readers here experienced this, but here's a little something to keep in mind if you plan on traveling to Japan.

In June of last year, I made arrangements to visit Japan in August to see Pink Lady perform in their reunion tour. After several days of trying to find the right hotel, I settled on the Shinagawa Prince which was right across the street from the Shinagawa train station. It had been 25 years since I was last in Japan during my Navy days and didn't want to risk getting lost until I re-acclimated myself to the territory.

Anyhoo, when I made my reservation for the hotel online, I was quote a room rate of $83.00 for the cheapest room there for a seven day stay. Two and half months later when I arrived at the hotel for check-in, I was told at the desk that my room was $98.00 a night. To say the least, that floored me. When I told the clerk about the price I had been quoted, I was told that room rates flucuate with whatever the currency exchange rate happens to be at the time.

Fortunately, I had more than enough money to cover the increased room rate, so that wasn't a problem. Still, I was rather puzzled and slightly annoyed about the change in price. Of course, it could've been the other way around and I could've paid LESS for my stay. Since that had been the first time I travelled out of the continental U.S. since I retired from the Navy in 1995, I was pretty ignorant about that sort of thing. :eek:

This naturally begs the question: Are fluctuating room rates the norm for travel to Japan, or does that happen everywhere? Inquiring minds wanna know. And, like I said earlier, you might want to take my little adventure into account if you plan to journey to Japan.
 
well its almost to be expected if they (they being a business in any foreign country) are quoting the price in US dollars. as the exhange rates fluxuate they have to change the quote accordingly and while the US dollar amount may change, i would beleive the price in yen (or whatever) would still be the same. its like a movie ticket still costs 2000 yen whether its 90 yen or 120 yen to the dollar.

thats my 2 rupiahs anyway
 
This naturally begs the question: Are fluctuating room rates the norm for travel to Japan, or does that happen everywhere? Inquiring minds wanna know.

Probably from the hotel's point of view the rate did not fluctuate. I don't remember if the yen strengthened that much last summer though. Did you ever check to confirm that it did? In any case, they should have made clear the fact that the price was set in yen, not in dollars.
 
It never occured to me to check one way or another. Like I said, that had been the first time I traveled out of the U.S. since I was in the Navy, so that was quite a new experience for me. However, if I do this again in the future, I'll definitely do more homework and more checking beforehand.
:)
 
i don't know about that, but i can say that i went to see jeff mills in october
did not get to go
matron of hotel in shibuya says, no! you cannot stay out late, we don't allow it
i am thinking, man, they (the people who reserved the hotel) told me this hotel didn't have a curfew! WHAT is UP!
spend the night (to sleep with anger for real -- man, i could have stayed in sumidagawa from the get!), get kicked out the next morning 58 dollars lighter
went back in december to see josh wink, people who reserve hotel are like, no they don't have curfew, please stay there, otherwise you maybe get capsule :)
so i go again huuuu
same lady, until we start talking about curfew, oh no we got problems
she goes and gets a younger lady, not of japanese ancestry
the whole time i am being POLITE but firm
then i say, the office told me "no curfew"
no
yes...
no
yes...
they look at each, then, the younger one says, okay, this is how you get in after 12:00
my thinking thus far? GET the price IN WRITING.
 
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