Agoda.com Hotel Reservation Company Review
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Is Agoda.com Reliable?
Agoda.com may not be a common household name when someone is looking to a book a hotel room on the Internet. If you've never heard of them you're not alone. What you've most likely have heard of is Priceline.com, especially if you're from the United States.
Agoda.com is actually a child company of Priceline.com, an extremely popular travel agency offering deals on hotels, plane tickets or anything else you need to reserve for a vacation.
All they do is basically focus on getting the best rates for anyone shopping for discounted hotel deals and rates all over the world. From my experience, I find that they are particularly good at providing travelers with special unpublished rates and last minute discount room rates for hotels throughout Asia.
I get a lot of emails asking me if Agoda has better rates than their competitors. And that's the 1 million dollar question. I can confidently and comfortably say that they've provided me with decent rates for hotels in Europe and Asia where I travel frequently for business.
I say decent because all hotel reservation agencies offer more or less the same prices with some offering lower than others.
However, Agoda does have an advantage over their competitors. They offer their customers a Lowest Price Guarantee. They state that they will either match or beat a price if you find a better deal within 48 hours from the time of booking.
But there is a way to get even more discounts from. And that's by using Agoda Reward Points that you can earn and can use for future discounts.
Personally I've used Agoda for about 3 years. I've recommended them to friends and family for hotel reservations all over the world. To date we don't have any complaints about their services and are quite satisfied.
Hotels I've Reviewed After Booking Through Agoda.com
Whenever I travel to Asia I always make a video review of hotels that I really like and recommend. Below is a list of hotels I've written and made video reviews of in parts of Asia. And all of the rooms were booked through Agoda's website where I found very good room rates and discounts.
Seoul, South Korea
Kaya Hotel
Tokyo, Japan
Sunlite Shinjuku Hotel
Hotel Sunroute Higashi Shinjuku Hotel
Malaysia
Piccolo Hotel in Kuala Lumpur
EQ Ferringhi Hotel in Penang
Kowloon, Hong Kong
BP International Hotel
Bangkok, Thailand
Amora Neoluxe Suites
Bangkok Cha Da Hotel
Bangkok Miramar Hotel
Boss Suites
Centric Ratchada Hotel
Fusion Suites Hotel
Hip Hotel
Hope Land Executive Residence
Mac Boutique Suites
Montien Hotel Bangkok
Palazzo Hotel
Ramada Encore Hotel
S15 Sukhumvit Hotel
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Truong Hai Saigon Hotel
- Agoda.com Website
Online Hotel Discount booking on 99500 Hotels worldwide. Agoda REAL-TIME bookings, 24-hr service, fast, secure, LOWEST RATES Guaranteed!!
What I like About Agoda
I've used many hotel reservation websites on the Internet and I still do to this day. Agoda offers rates that are either a bit lower or about the same as their competitors. But the real benefit of booking a hotel through their website is their valuable rewards program.
It's basically a customer loyalty program where you can accumulate points and use them for future hotel discounts. It's really easy to earn points and there are 2 ways to do so.
1. You can earn 4% - 7% of the price of the room automatically.
2. Write a short review about your hotel stay and earn 500 points.
Once you reach 12,500 points you automatically get $25 for future discounts. Or you can do what I do and accumulate more points for even bigger discounts.
Another really easy way to earn points is to write a review after you've checked out of the hotel. Agoda will send you an email within 2 weeks after your checkout date, requesting your review. In return you get 500 easy points to add to your account.
It's free to join the Agoda rewards program. All you have to do is make your first booking and you're automatically enrolled. It's really that simple.
Agoda accepts all major credit cards for payments, but I also like the convenience of paying for my rooms with PayPal, which is a company that handles payment transactions on the Internet. So I never have to pull out my credit card and type in my information for all the world to see while I'm at an airport.
Hotel Research Made Easy
If you are interested in what other guests have to say about any particular hotel represented though Agoda you can find out easily on their website.
It's a great way for me to determine which hotel I should stay or not stay in.
Also you will be given a chance to write your own short review too whenever you book a hotel room on their website. And for your review you will receive 500 extra rewards points.
My Agoda Review By Video
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Agoda - The Good And The Bad
Agoda used to have a live chat customer support function on their website but they've discontinued it. And it's a real shame because it came in handy whenever I needed to make quick amendments to a reservation.
Besides praises for Agoda's hotel reservation services there are also lots of negative reviews.
Any company in the travel industry with a large volume of customer intake such as Agoda will have a certain amount of unhappy customers. It's the law of probability. Anyone who flies frequently will have their fair share of airline service horror stories.
Though I believe there are many more positive and satisfied Agoda customers than there are unsatisfied ones.
That said, all I can say is I've never had a serious problem whether it be billing or reservation issue as a customer.
The only one hiccup that I've had through the dozen times I've made a transaction through Agoda is receiving a voucher a day late. But since I always email the hotel directly to see if my booking has been received, which the hotels already have, it's really a non-issue to me. But I can understand that it could be a problem for someone who needs a room quickly and made a reservation but does not have access to a computer afterwards.
Finally, I always recommend people to do some serious price comparisons. With the Internet it's so easy and convenient. And Agoda.com should definitely be a company to take a look at to find some really good hotel deals out there, for whatever country you are planning to reserve a hotel in.
Have you used Agoda before?Loading...
hulagirl, Agoda is one of the companies best known for discounted hotel rates in Japan. Thanks for commenting!
do we need to send the reservation details to the hotel after the confirmation?
Hi Stephaniemae, there is no need to do so since the hotel will have your reservation on file. Though you can always email the hotel with your booking detail just to double check for peace of mind.
I saw some negative review of www.agoda.com so I wanted to post my experience. Most issues seem to be with cancellation procedures. That was not an issue for me.
I wanted to book a hotel in Xiamen, China. Rate direct from hotel (and having to scan in credit card and passport and e-mail unsecured to them for processing) was $187 USD. Agoda rate for same room class was $147. I booked on Agoda and the next day sent an e-mail to the hotel to confirm that they had my reservation. They said that they did and all was in order. So at least for me, this saved me $40. I do think it is a good idea to always confirm directly with the hotel that they have your booking when you buy online.
Doresc sa ma folosesc de ospitalitatea lui AGODA!
In anul trecut am fost in Spania in concediu prin AsiRooms si am fost mutumiti. Nu am stiut de exisenta D-voastra.
In 21 februarie 2011 o sa fac rezervare pentru vara anului curent in Barcelona ,camera prin AGODA, unde mergem in concediu in anul acesta. Am ales AGODA,mi-a placut acuratetea informatiilor ,nemaivorbind de preturi convenabile. Cu stima D-na Totan Ileana.
Agoda's advertising notes 'Easy Cancellation'. And that it was. However the USD $15 fee for cancellation soon changed to a no refund policy (despite cancelling 14 days in advance). Do not book through Agoda. Discovered I could have booked for pretty much same rate directly with Hotel with full refund up until 4 days prior to check-in.
guangzhou hotel
great location - walking distance to shopping area n mrt.
bed is too hard. quite spacious.
It is my first try using Agoda but am already facing a problem with a cancellation policy which they have imposed on me. I am desperately seeking assistance directly from the hotel because I feel that it is unfair that they do not refund my cancellation especially when they have confirmed my cancellation via email.
@Hoon, so sorry to hear about your situation. I'm assuming you paid with your credit card. I suggest speaking with a customer rep at your credit card provider. They should be able to help mediate and expedite your matter.
Hey, its my first time booking with Agoda for my stay in Bangkok in December. Do u think its better to call up the hotel to check if my reservation is in the hotel's records?
And ya, when we check in, will there be any other additional payments such as hotel taxes or deposit needed?
I've been reading on Agoda lately, found a lot of negative comments. Just wanted to have a smooth stay during my trip! =)
@Hurul, December is the high season in Thailand so hotel rates do go up. However, Agoda can help you spot hotel deals and discounts during the high season.
After I book a hotel room through a hotel reservation agent I always email my room confirmation to check that they have a record. Personally I do this for peace of mind.
Hotel taxes are included in the Agoda rates. Hotel deposits however are in the discretion of the hotel properties and has nothing to do with Agoda.
I've used Agoda for years and so far I have never had any problems with them at all. They book millions of rooms every year. With that amount of volume I am sure there are customers who've had some sort of bad experience whether it be through Agoda or the customers fault through misunderstandings.
I would like to thank Kevin at Agoda. I had 2 confirmations from the Baywatch Tower in Manila. When I got there I was kept waiting for 1 hr. only to find out There was no room for us. I called Agoda and talked to Kevin in 15 minutes he had us booked in the Diamond Hotel. The staff there were great and went out of their way to help. This will not be forgotten after spending 23 hrs. on a plane. I am booking the diamond hotel again for next week. My thanks to Agoda for having people like Kevin working for them.
Oct 20/11 Terry Kalmuk
I've recently booked with Agoda based on the feedback here but never again. The amount and the currency I was charged were different from what was on the web page. The original quotation was in USD and alot cheaper! Due to the non-refundable policy, I'm more than USD2000 over budget with no recourse! My credit card company says a dispute takes at least 30 days and how do I prove the original USD quote?
Hi Edwin,
We have used Agoda for years and appreciated the online chats available as part of their customer service. It seems that now everything is automated or 24 hr help available via telephone at International phone charges. (precludes the cheap option)
We wanted to book an extra night and the system kept failing at the payment page. Despite an auto msg saying someone would call, no one did. After numerous emails without reply, we resorted to booking the extra night directly with the hotel. The automated Internet system is inadequate!!!! If you can actually get through to them ask them to bring back the live chat.
Thanks, Marian
I have been using Agoda for almost three years, up to date I have not faced any problem with Agoda and am very happy with their service. Keep the good work up Agoda.
Question, do i get charged right away if I pay via credit card? say,i am making a reservation as a back up plan. Thank you!
@sheng, whenever I make a payment with my credit card to Agoda I get charged immediately. But I use PayPal all the time simply because it's just easier and faster.
Hi.. Is it safe to pay via credit card? I mean, do I get an email with confirmation saying that my payment is successful and my reservation is secured?
Another, is the "Hotel Tax and service fee" written under the room charge already the total or is it on a per night basis? (I'm planning to stay for 4 days).
Thank you so much! First time to use agoda if ever :)
Hi DC, you can see the total price including taxes at the payment form of Agoda's website. As for payment I've used my Mastercard and PayPal to make reservations through Agoda. As you can see through my hotel reviews I have made a lot of bookings from Agoda website and I've never had a problem with billing.
Just a question..
Why is the room rate of agoda different from the main website of the hotel? and the difference is very huge.
Hi Chris, thank you for dropping by. It's good that you do your homework and compare rates. To better answer your question, which hotel are you referring too? Also I find that Agoda provides better lower rates for hotels in Asia. And that's from my experience which is all I can really add.
Hi thanks for the fast reply. I am eyeing on this hotel at Kota Kinabalu.. http://www.grandborneohotel.com/
chose that because of agoda's low rate but when i checked the website itself, it is diffrent.
Hi Chris, no worries, I'm always writing travel reviews so I'm always by my computer. Okay, I just checked the hotel's link and compared it to Agoda's website. I took a look at the Gallery room type on Grand Borneo's website and it says 188 Malay Ringgits (not sure if it's with taxes included or not). On Agoda's website a Gallery room cost 160 Malay Ringgits with tax included. That's a savings of 28 Ringgits through Agoda. Did you set the currency on Agoda's website to Ringgits? That's the only thing that I can think of that's causing a price discrepancy.
Please help me. I received a confirmation from Customer Support Feb 5th 2012 telling you would send me a voucher for my stay in Rome, Hotel Marechiaro 22nd to 28th of April 2012. The hotel has confirmed the booking, but I should expect to get a voucher from you?
Regards - Ole Wilhelm Boe, Lillehammer Norway. Customer number 351588202
Hello Ole, I do not work for Agoda. I am just a traveler who uses their website to find hotel discount. You should email Agoda directly for your voucher. I only I had one instance where I received my voucher a day later. Like you the hotel I booked with confirmed my reservation however. So everything worked out fine.
Issue is still not resolved. It looks like I have paid $745 for a room in Linden Suites which I am not aware of. Apparently, there were 4 reservations made, 3 of which I thought were cancelled as I received 3 emails confirming that the 3 reservations were cancelled. On the email, there was no mention of any non-refundable policy and I only found out that I got charged for 3 rooms last week when I saw the huge bill on my credit card. I feel that the website misleads its customer with their free cancellation rooms which they advertise for the hotels. As a customer, when a free cancellation is seen on the hotel page it would make the customer believe that you are free to cancel anytime. Plus the email that agoda sends supports that without notification that the booking is non-refundable. I can't believe that I have to chase the hotel myself for this to get this resolved. I have been a long time agoda customer and this issue frustrates me tremendously. I hope someone from Agoda can address my concern, or can anyone please give me an email address where I can complain about my concern. Would appreciate that a lot.
@Mary Rose Besinga-lyer, really sorry to hear about your bad experience. Hopefully someone at Agoda can help rectify your issue. Or you can contact your credit card company and have them involved in resolving this matter. Might as well use your credit card's services. Please let me know what happened in the end. And again, really sorry to hear about this problem.
Im planning to book a hotel in krabi through agoda. Before processing, i received an email frm agoda asking for a scanned image of my credit card as well as passport.. I was wondering.. Is that part of agoda's policies since i see no mention of them requiring such documents.. I dont mind showing the card at the hotel when i finally checks in.. I feel uncomfortable giving people such information that they can keep... Pls assist..thanks
Hi Evelyne,
Of all the times I've booked through Agoda I've never had to send any documents. My opinion is to hold off sending such information until you know what the purpose is. Let me know what they say because I'm curious myself to know why there is this extra step.
Hi there! Thanks for this post. I was just wondering, are there Paypal fees when paying for Agoda hotel bookings? Thanks!
Hi, I'm currently trying to book with Agoda for a trip to Boracay. I'm staying with a couple friends and the thing is, none of us have credit cards of our own, just debit cards. Is it possible for me to just use my parents' credit cards to pay for it, since it's to Agoda and not the hotel itself?
Hi,
I am looking at booking a hotel in KL through Agoda but read online that some websites don't take into account the nationalities own fees and taxes and when you arrive or go to check out you get an unexpected bill. on the Agoda quote there is a price for fees and taxes but no description so I am not sure if this is everything or if I should expect to be paying another 30% odd percent when i arrive. can anyone help me?
thanks
hulagirl 17 months ago
I've used Agoda for three trips to Japan and have never had any problems.