Need help booking hotel in America for a Japanese friend

[BrennaCeDria]

Does anyone know of a website that my friend can use to book her flight/hotel room from Japan using her Japanese credit card? We have one reserved using my card to hold it, but the same room is over $20 cheaper if she books online, and it doesn't matter where she books it through to get the price, as long as it's over the internet. Expedia won't let her book it because of the non-American billing address, so we're trying to figure out what sites allow booking from outside the US.

Arigatou!

[misa.j]

There are many travel agencies in Japan.
I am sure it is easier for her to find the one that allows her to use Japanese address while she is in Japan.

I will post a site I've found.
http://www.jtbusa.com/enhome/

Good luck.

[BrennaCeDria]

She may have to do that, but I was asking because we don't think the Japanese sites have the same price (equivalent) that the American ones do... I'll check your link though and see if that helps! ^_^

Edit: Also, she's not coming from Japan--she's visiting New York for a few days first with friends, then coming here when they go back to Chiba. I don't know if that would change things, or not.

[Apollo]

I have found out that it is much cheaper to contact the hotel directly...this is my experience anyway, my friends and I have experience with this....instead of some booking agency. Maybe it depends...

There is a site called hotelguide.com, which allows booking online...

[BrennaCeDria]

The reservation I made "just in case" is through the hotel itself, and costs much more than what all the online sites have it listed as, and I was told that this is because it was the internet only-rate. If she only needed the hotel, she could probably get it online through Hyatt's own website, but she's also getting her flight, so she was trying for a discount from combining them.

[jeisan]

can you use your card to book the hotel online and then possibly have her pay you back from her card? expedia has several international sites however japan isnt one of them. or maybe try another online site such as orbitz or travelocity or priceline as long as the originatining flight is in the US, eg new york to where ever youre at. or just let her stay at your place and skip the whole hotel bit save her lots of money.

[Apollo]

I know I am getting a bit off-topic here, please excuse me...

Actually, many hotels in Europe and the US don't have a "standard rate." Moreover, most of the time it is cheaper when contacting the hotels directly (by phone, or turning up).

This is no secret, and there was a major American newspaper (and a Danish paper) who tried to call some hotels in Europe and the U.S. directly to book a room, and the results (prices) depended on the caller's accent, age, and country!!! Also, the TIME of call!
Furthermore, it depended on if the customer came personally to book a room and looked like a businessman, German tourist in the 20s, or an elderly couple from Europe....or booked a room through the phone.
E.g. a guy with a clear French accent, or someone with an American accent got a more expensive rate than the elderly couple from Britain....etc...there are many examples...I know it sounds weird! :blush:

I don't know the specific rules... :blush: nor do I know which age-group and accent is best to have - it all depends on the hotel! :-)

[BrennaCeDria]

Jeisan, that was the original plan but since I wasn't able to get off work entirely for while she's here, she decided to stay in a hotel closer to things to do until I get off work. I checked the other sites like Orbitz, and they all say the credit card has to have an American billing address to book with them, regardless of where the flight originates (and expedia says both).

For the hotel she's staying in, though, even the more-expensive-than-internet rate that I've got held is damn good--it's only the best hotel in the city! (And before anyone says about that for the price, she picked it off a list of all the historic district hotels knowing it's price range! We're just trying to get the best deal for the hotel now that we can.)

[Mandylion]

Sorry you are having so much trouble.

At some point cost becomes not simply just the dollar amount you will spend, but a combination of all the other things that goes along with the process; is the hotel close to things you want to do, is it worth all the trouble to reserve, will staying there save on transportation, balance out some disadvatages of location, etc. You can't really put a dollar amount on stuff like that, but if finding a way to hold a room online with a foreign adress is only going to save you something small (like 20 bucks) to one of the best hotels in one of the best districts of your city, is it really worth it?

I don't mean to sound cold, and you intentions are very honorable - helping out a friend - but there comes a point where you just need to cut your losses and figure the balance will work itself out in all the other stuff staying at that particular hotel will offer (and you have outlined briefly), and enjoy your / her trip! :-)

[budd]

http://www.hotwire.com i think, because they have http://www.hotwire.co.jp
?
i will do more research...