APA Hotels & Resorts review: Incorrect Information provided by reception about parking charges

Agoda Booking ID: [protected]

(APA Hotel Kyoto- Ekikita

Gary Horner

Feb 23 to Feb 27.

On my arrival at approximately 14:45, I parked my car in front of the restaurant and went into Reception. After checking in, I asked the people in Reception for information and advice on where to park my car over the following 4 days. Two staff promptly went on a laptop to research information. They handed me an A4 sheet of paper on which was the local area map and screen shots of the rates and conditions for car parks in the area close to the hotel (See attached document). We had a conversation about the daily rate and the location of the car parks. There were two car parks near the hotel. Car park (Number 1) was Yen 2,200 per day maximum and Car park 5 was Yen 1400 per day maximum. The comment made by the staff was that Car park 5 was better as it was cheaper. “ This one is OK!” I asked them to confirm the daily rate and they circled the Y1400 on the information sheet to confirm the price per day. You can see where they circled the price on the sheet.

When I moved the car to the car park from in front of the hotel, I returned to reception and told them where I had parked, pointing down the street and they confirmed that this was the car park in question (Y1400 / day).

Today (Feb 27), I went to the car at approximately 0730 to take the car out of the carpark and travel to my next destination. When I placed the ticket in the machine I was horrified to see the value Y43500 appear. I was expecting to see 4 days at Yen 1400 = Y5600 (maximum). This is the value I had been told by the hotel staff!

Over the next 3 hours I was continually asked to “please wait” while Iwao Yuko and subsequently Itai Yuki investigated this issue. I asked Iwao to contact the company. She told me after some time that the company said that the charge was correct. This fact completely contradicts the information that was written on the information sheet that the hotel staff had supplied incorrectly to me ( and probably other customers), that said a maximum charge of Y1400 per day. The hotel staff now know that the information that they have been giving to customers is out of date.

After 3 hours of me having to wait in the lobby, Iwao finally told me this through her translation function on her phone:

“We are the one who recommended it, but it is the customer’s responsibility to actually stop it. It is true that we are also at fault for conveying incorrect information. However, since this is what the customer did, we cannot pay the parking fee here. “

After waiting over 3 hours for this problem to NOT be resolved, the final cost for the parking was Y45,000.

I have been using APA hotels all over Japan for over 8 years, as has my sister and friends that we recommend your hotel chain to. We have always found them a very positive experience. I lived and worked as a teacher of Chemistry in Nagoya for 6 years and have many, many hundreds of friends and professional colleagues who still work in Japan. I have a strong presence online and many followers who like to see where I travel, photos etc.

When a tourist visits Japan and cannot speak or read the language, the only source of information (in this case) that they rely on (when it involves money), is the information given to them by the hotel. The hotel staff offered this incorrect information to me, convincing me that this information was true and correct. As Iwao has stated “ It is true that we are also at fault for conveying incorrect information”.

The fault is solely with the hotel staff. Why would I stay at an APA hotel to save money and receive a budget price ( in this case Y 11,863 per night) and then knowingly pay Y11,250 per day for parking ?

I seek compensation for the difference between the 4 days at Y1400 (Y5600) as told to me verbally and in writing by the hotel staff (numerous times) and the amount that I finally had to pay to get my car released (Y45000)- See attached receipt. This is a value of Y39,400.

I have a Japan post account that will simplify the transfer of these funds.

Thank you for your consideration of my letter.