Hoshino Resorts Sounds Alarm on Agoda Booking Issues: A Growing Concern for Travelers
The online accommodation booking platform Agoda has long been plagued by reports of various troubles across the internet. In an unprecedented move, Yoshiharu Hoshino, the representative of Hoshino Resorts, has taken to social media to voice a series of direct, named complaints against the company.
On June 16, major hotel chain Toyoko Inn issued a caution on its official website regarding Agoda-related issues. Then, on June 24, Yoshiharu Hoshino cited a Kyodo News report on X, noting that the Japan Tourism Agency had urged Agoda to address its problems. Hoshino followed up with this comment:
“Hoshino Resorts has not contracted with the online travel agent Agoda. However, we are repeatedly seeing cases where guests who booked through Agoda arrive and we cannot secure their rooms. Just the other day, a guest with an Agoda booking showed up at a hotel that was closed for maintenance. There is clearly some issue with Agoda’s system.”
(Yoshiharu Hoshino’s X post)
The next day, on June 25, Hoshino echoed this sentiment, highlighting just how serious the “Agoda problem” has become for Hoshino Resorts.
According to the company, they have been raising red flags about these issues on their official website since early 2025. Yet, there’s no sign of improvement—worse still, the situation may escalate further.
Domestic Travelers at Risk Too
“Recently, we’ve noticed more Japanese guests booking through Agoda. We’re concerned that these same troubles could soon spread to domestic travelers,” said Jun Sakurai, Group Director of Marketing at Hoshino Resorts.
Sakurai revealed that Hoshino Resorts is grappling with 5 to over 10 Agoda-related issues daily. We reached out to the company to uncover the specifics of these problems and their underlying causes.
Agoda’s Persistent System Failures
Based in Singapore, Agoda launched in 2005 and was acquired in 2007 by Booking Holdings (formerly Priceline Group), the parent company of Booking.com, making the two platforms part of the same corporate family.
Jun Sakurai pointed out that Agoda booking troubles have been frequent since before the COVID-19 pandemic. While similar issues have cropped up with other foreign online travel agencies (OTAs), some have since improved their systems. Agoda, however, shows “absolutely no signs of progress,” according to Sakurai.
Hoshino Resorts prioritizes direct bookings through its own website and is selective about the travel agencies it partners with. While they do collaborate with some OTAs, they have no contract with Agoda for their domestic properties.
“For the OTAs we work with, our hotel systems are integrated, so bookings are instantly reflected on our end. But since we don’t have a contract with Agoda, their bookings aren’t linked to our system,” Sakurai explained.
This disconnect causes delays in receiving booking information, leading to situations where Agoda customers arrive only to find no room has been reserved.
Non-Existent Plans, Incorrect Details, and Inflated Prices
“Even when we do get booking notifications from Agoda, the details are often wrong. Dates, guest numbers, room types, or prices might be off. Sometimes, the booking includes conditions that don’t even exist,” Sakurai said.
For travelers, it’s unthinkable that a confirmed reservation could fall through upon arrival. As a result, many guests turn to Hoshino Resorts’ staff, pleading for a solution.
“When guests want to adjust their booking—like adding meals or more people—we have to charge them the difference. But they’re confused, saying, ‘I’ve already paid—why do I owe more?’ These interactions are unavoidable,” Sakurai added.
In some cases, resolving these disputes can take up to five hours.
The problems don’t stop there. While Agoda is known for competitive pricing, there have been instances where rooms were sold at rates far higher than Hoshino Resorts’ official prices. Aki Yoshikawa, who oversees travel agency partnerships at Hoshino Resorts, shared a striking example:
“We had a case where a room we priced at 50,000 to 60,000 yen per night was sold through Agoda for around 190,000 yen.”
