hi there

i will be in tokyo for a 2008 visit
i am considering booking with asiarooms.com
but i don't know anyone who has used them
are there any experiences you wish to share with me
good or bad ... from booking with asiarooms.com

thanks a lot for any responses!

i have found them to be just fine....but what you have to realize with all of these discounters is that if you need to change a res or cancel it, that is not so easy....so beware...

One complaint we hear a lot is that asiarooms sometimes advertises great rates, but when you try to book, they can only confirm for a much higher rate.

so does that mean that i am committed to the booking even at the rates they come back with if they are higher than what i try to book at?

I have no personal experience with asiarooms. I have made my reservations with hotels directly when I went to Japan twice - once to Tokyo and once to Kyoto. They did not even require a credit card number to make my reservation. I don't understand why you would want to book and pay now for a room in 2008....

Just my opinion obviously.....

if i can get a clean single room for $50 and $63 in tokyo ... rather than paying $125+ ... it is worth it to pay now. do you have any hotel names with the rates so low and private baths? i would be MORE than happy to book directly with hotels. i would PREFER that way but all i find is expensive.

Hi

I have used them before and I didn't have any problems with them. Here is my trip report with pictures and links from Japan by the way: http://gardkarlsen.com/japan_tokyo.htm

Regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures

Maybe Kimjapan can help if you suggest what area of Tokyo you need and you will no doubt get some tips, I saw about 25+ hotels mostly 3 star for 2008 between US$ 47 and 80 on the people we use around Asia, also perhaps say when you are going, it might not be a busy time and you might get some good late deals.
Shop around and also note many places only want 1 night deposit to 'tie in' a booking and rate.

no you are not committed until you give your credit card number and accept any counter proposal...

i have never had this trouble with them that others mention...

here is how it works....they get a general agreement with each hotel to offer rooms at a certain price, based upon availablitiy.....you ask for a room at a certain price.....they contact the hotel and ask for availability....the hotel responds either yes or no and maybe says that a slightly higher rate is available because the cheaper rooms are all sold....they come back to you with the new higher rate....

personally i feel that it works just that way....others may disagree....i don't think they try to scam you!!

http://toyoko-inn.com/eng/

The Toyoko Inns are a national chain of business hotels. The rate for a single room is about 7000 JPY which is around $60 US. I have not stayed in one myself but they have a lot of good reviews on japan-guide.com. They have private baths but you can't make a reservation until two months before your arrival date.....

I sent a message through asiarooms to the hotel I was interested in in Thailand and the hotel replied to me directly. They indicated what the process was to book directly through them and that's what I did (faxed in a reservation form with credit card #, nothing charged until arrival). The price during high season was in line with what was suggested on this forum.

So in my case, asiarooms was just helpful in getting in touch with the hotel.

Wow Tokyo at $60 a night???I think I sawy Kyoto for 6,000 yen.

Thanks asia board people, I have to troll around here more often

emmett,

Out of the hotels that asiarooms lists at $50 to $60 per nite that I recognize are the Tokyu,Washington, and the Chisun Inn. I would try and make a reservation with Asiarooms and give them your date info and let them come back to you with a price. They will not make the reservation without confirming with you first. Then you will know what price you have to beat. The Toyoku site listed above is a good one. Also use

http://www.jcha.or.jp/english/

http://www.itcj.or.jp/en/index.html

http://www.tokyuhotelsjapan.com/en/index.html

Hope this helps.

Aloha!

I used asiarooms.com for my trip to Tokyo in November 2007. As other posters have stated, you have to e-mail your date and they check back with the hotel to confirm the rate. In my particular case, the hotel was much cheaper than available on other websites, including the hotel website.
I do suggest that you reconfirm with the hotel directly prior to the trip. Again, in my case, the hotel had the wrong date listed! I had to contact asia rooms, and they corrected the date.Even with two international calls, I saved a lot of money.

Realize there will be no instant answer. It takes at least 24-48 hours.

Shop around. There are lots of deals and offers from different websites. Some charge just 1 night deposit and the balance a few weeks before arrival, others want the whole lot now. It varies a great deal.

Definitely shop around. I have yet to see a hotel that has a better rate at asiarooms.com for Japan...BUT, often I cannot find the best rate for direct booking using the English language website for the hotel...often, the best rates are available for direct online booking only in Japanese. asiarooms rate will likely be less than the rack rate listed on English language websites, but not less than the real market rate for the hotel which is much less than rack rate. asiarooms rates are especially high for business hotels I've found.

I have used them before. The only problem is, many times after you make a request, they reply the hotel is unavailable, then offer a different hotel. This happens more than occasionally, so I wonder about it. I have also used a website called "Agoda", formerly "Precision Reservations" without any problems. Good luck!