Japan Hotel Prices Surge Up

Above, hotel room rates in Japan are soaring as travel rebounds. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Rising travel costs in Japan isn't just confined to the Japan Rail Pass, hotel rates have climbed around the country.

Travel and Tour reported:

Room prices at Japanese hotels are soaring on a rebound in domestic travel and foreign tourism, though the country’s ongoing labor shortage raises concerns about the supply of available rooms.

Nikkei surveyed 50 hotels with more than 100 guest rooms in five major Japanese cities: Sapporo, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Fukuoka. Hotels were asked to compare the average daily rate (ADR) for April 29, the first day of the upcoming annual Golden Week holiday period, with a year before.

Each city showed a strong rise in the rate, with no respondents reporting a drop. About 20% of hotels report an increase of 10% to 40%, with 60% saying ADR will climb at least 50%.

The rise was particularly notable in Tokyo, with ADR increasing by 50% or more at all seven facilities that responded to the survey.

A survey by U.S. hospitality research firm STR shows that Japan’s nationwide average room rate in March was 21% higher than before the pandemic in 2019, and up 59% on the year.

If one plans on traveling to Japan anytime soon, they will have to increase their travel budgets to cover the prices increases. At least for now, the U.S. dollar is at ¥133.93-94 as of last Friday, which helps.

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