Many hotels and restaurants in Japan have issued warnings one after another calling on them to "please do not use Agoda to book rooms." (European News Agency file photo)
[Financial Channel/Comprehensive Report] Agoda, a well-known hotel booking platform, has another room booking dispute! Many hotels and restaurants in Japan have issued warnings one after another, "Please don't use Agoda to book rooms!", pointing out that some rooms have been listed for sale even though they have not directly signed a contract with Agoda. There have even been problems such as successful reservations, but no room upon arrival, or failure to receive the check-in code. The Japan Tourism Agency asked Agoda to improve as early as March 2025, but it has still not been resolved.
According to Japanese media reports, in early October 2026, a consumer booked a youth hostel in Japan through Agoda. Upon arrival, he found that the hotel had posted warning notices such as "This hotel has not signed a contract with Agoda." The hotel explained that due to the resale of rooms, there have been cases where guests did not receive check-in codes or door unlock codes. The traveler finally happened to meet the staff returning to the hotel and was able to check in smoothly.
Similar situations are not isolated cases. A hot spring hotel in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan, also posted a message on the social platform on September 22, directly calling on tourists to "please do not use Agoda and other overseas websites to book the hotel." The reason is that the hotel has not directly signed a contract with these platforms, but the rooms have been put up for sale.
The hotel pointed out that related problems include the reservation information not being sent to the hotel, the room type or the number of guests not matching the reservation, the information on whether meals are included, and the room being sold at a price that is much higher or significantly different from the price set by the hotel. What is even more worrying is that the hotel may not be able to obtain the correct contact information of the passengers. If an accident or disaster occurs, it may not be able to notify the guests in time.
The hotel also emphasized that the warning was not intended to require travelers to book rooms only through the official website, but to avoid unnecessary trouble. Industry operators said that similar problems did not occur when booking through Japanese domestic booking platforms Jalan, Rakuten Travel and other websites.
In fact, Toyoko Inn, a large Japanese hotel chain, issued an announcement as early as June 2025, reminding consumers to be careful when using some overseas booking websites, and directly named Agoda and other platforms. Toyoko INN stated that the vacancies provided by the hotel to the cooperative booking platform may be resold by other operators and finally appear on overseas websites. As a result, the hotel does not receive the information even though the hotel has completed the reservation, or the date and room type do not match, and the accommodation price is significantly higher than the hotel's original setting.
In the same month, the CEO of Hoshino Resorts also publicly stated that many of the group’s guest rooms appeared on the Agoda platform that was not directly contracted, resulting in frequent inability to secure rooms.
In the face of external criticism, the Japan Tourism Agency has required Agoda to improve its business since March 2025. Agoda subsequently announced that, starting from June 26 of the same year, it would stop selling rooms through some third-party operators that had caused problems. In July, it further introduced an AI monitoring system and strengthened partner management. In October, it launched a function to detect incorrect listing information and improper prices, as well as 24-hour Japanese customer service.
However, the relevant measures do not seem to have completely solved the problem. Agoda's suspension of sales only covers some operators, and the channels for third parties to resell rooms still exist. In other words, accommodation facilities that have directly contracted with Agoda may have improved, but hotels that have not directly contracted with Agoda may still face problems such as incorrect booking information and room resale.
There are also many consumers criticizing on social platforms, believing that Agoda should resolve booking disputes first instead of constantly running TV ads. Others question whether the Japanese regulatory authorities' treatment of overseas companies is too lenient, which is why the problem has not been eradicated.
