Rakuten Travel Review - Are They A Reliable Japanese Online Hotel Booking Company?
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Rakuten Travel Review - Are They A Reliable Japanese Online Hotel Booking Company
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Traveling in Japan is a dream come true for most. It's a fascinating country steeped in tradition yet futuristic at the same time. But when it comes to the prices of hotels in Japan it can become a real nightmare. Japan after all is one of the most expensive countries to visit in Asia. However, that does not mean that you won't find the best hotel deals in Tokyo, Kyoto and other exciting cities in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Rakuten Travel Inc. is just one of many hotel reservation agencies that is headquartered in Japan. But they are by far one of the most popular agencies on the Internet. Established in 2002 Rakuten Travel is a publicly traded company in Japan's stock market, further cementing Rakuten's reputation as Japan's premier hotel reservation system for tourist all around the world.
Though Rakuten Travel mainly focuses in Japanese hotel industry they are also able to provide discount hotel rates throughout Asia. Though I find that hotel rates for other countries are not as deeply discounted as hotels in Japan. Overall Rakuten represents over 24,000 hotels and Ryokans.
One great function on their website is the 'Search by Japan Map'. It's a great function that helps travelers plan on where to stay since the country has so many interesting districts and cities to visit.
How is Rakuten Travel able to provide the best hotel rates in Japan?
Rakuten Travel specializes in the city's hotel market and has a major advantage with its Internet presence. Hotels in Japan realize that being represented by Rakuten would mean that their property would be made known to even more travelers searching for a place to stay in Japan. These hotels offer Rakuten a deeply discounted room rates in which it is then passed onto guests who book through their reservation system.
As a travel consultant I always recommend travelers to book hotels through a local hotel agency. That's the essential tip for finding the best hotel deals. Since Rakuten is a locally based agency in Japan they are more knowledgeable about their own hotel market and offer the better hotel room rates than non-Japanese Internet travel agencies.