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Booked luxury hotel turns out to be overgrown 'ruin,' Japanese media reveal major flaw in global booking giant

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • A Japanese media report revealed that a luxury hotel booked by a consumer turned out to be a dilapidated ruin in Chiba Prefecture.
  • The incident highlights a serious flaw in Booking.com, one of the world's largest accommodation booking websites, where booked hotels may not exist or be in poor condition.
  • A 19-year-old traveler was deceived by a fake hotel listing on Booking.com, receiving only a partial refund for his expenses.

A booking on the world's largest accommodation website, Booking.com, led a young traveler to a dilapidated ruin instead of a luxury hotel. The incident, reported by Japanese media, exposes a significant flaw in the platform's system.

A 19-year-old man in Chiba Prefecture had booked what he believed was a luxury hotel for a trip with friends. Upon arrival in the summer of 2023, he discovered a weed-covered, abandoned house where the hotel should have been. He was shocked and saddened by the deception.

Rice paddies, a small house, weeds... I was really shocked and sad at the time.

· 19-year-old travelerRecalling his discovery of the fake hotel.

After requesting a refund, he only received approximately 33,000 yen, a fraction of his total travel expenses, which amounted to about 100,000 yen including car rental. The fake hotel's listing featured unnatural Japanese and used photos stolen from a legitimate rental property. Despite some comments suggesting it was a scam, the listing remained active.

This case is not isolated, with international media like The Guardian and The New York Times also reporting structural defects on Booking.com. The platform, headquartered in the Netherlands, is popular globally for offering competitive prices and a wide selection of accommodations.

As long as we haven't reached an agreement on all issues, we consider that we have agreed on nothing.

· Ali BagheriStating Iran's position on negotiations with the US.
About this summary

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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