I've seen trivago frequently in commercials and YouTube ads for a while. I've actually been using this site for a long time. Today, I'd like to introduce it to you. Incidentally, most of my travels are anime pilgrimages.
What is trivago?
Trivago is, simply put, a hotel comparison site. Instead of booking directly through trivago, it recommends hotels based on the search criteria you enter. It then recommends sites where you can book those hotels. In other words, it allows you to easily find the cheapest site. You might be wondering why the prices are so different for the same hotel. It's true that at one time, with the advent of hotel comparison sites, Japanese companies aligned with their competitors and offered the same prices, but now, there's a noticeable difference. This is just a guess, but I think the market has become so competitive that profit margins have fallen and major booking sites have changed course and stopped engaging in unreasonable competition. Excessive competition may be good for consumers, but it can also lead to problems in service and customer service.
How to Use Trivago
It's incredibly easy, and even those who aren't good with computers can easily search. While I'm using a PC screen to demonstrate this, it's also easy to use on the app. I usually use the app.
Search
First, search for your destination. You can type in your destination, or, as shown in the image, select a location by selecting popular domestic or international destinations. Then, simply select your stay period and room type. The process is very simple and easy to understand. The JPY in the upper right corner of the image is the currency display. You can see how much each country's currency costs, so we recommend searching in the local currency when traveling abroad.
Decide on a Hotel
Let's try searching for Sapporo. Hotels matching the search criteria will be displayed. You can also add criteria such as maximum room rate, rating, hotel rank, and location. You can also search by postal code. I often choose hotels by entering the approximate address of my destination in the hotel location field, searching within 2km of the destination, and sorting by price. Let's continue with the explanation, assuming you're staying at the Sapporo Grand Hotel. You might be tempted to click the green "View Details" box, but instead, click the Other Rate Plans button to the left.
Hotel Rates
Then, as shown in the image, the prices from each site will be displayed. Here, the official hotel rate is the cheapest. However, if you click "View Details" in the search results, you'll be taken to the Booking.com site. Perhaps this is due to the margin between the two companies, which is why it's ranked higher as a recommendation. I thought, "That's typical of a foreign company," but I've always believed that such efforts are the right thing to do as a company, so even though it's a bit of a hassle, I appreciate their hard work.
All that's left is to make a reservation
In this case, you might be tempted to click through to the official website because you found it to be the cheapest, but just to be safe, it's a good idea to check out the other rate plans on the hotel's official website. There are various plans available, such as those with breakfast included or suites. Once you've confirmed this, click on the official website and make your reservation there.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Trivago
Advantages
I use Trivago because it's incredibly easy to use. Searching for destinations is easy, and there aren't any complicated explanations. All you have to do is open the app and enter the date, time, and destination, which is incredibly helpful. Also, while Japanese travel agencies charge per person, this site charges per room, which is great. I think it's perfect for people like me who want to simplify things, quickly find the cheapest hotel, and prefer to do their own travel planning.
Disadvantages
Because it's a foreign-owned company, I'm a little worried about potential issues when using overseas booking sites. I actually heard some stories like that a while ago. However, I feel like things have improved a lot now. Also, with major recommended sites, you don't have to worry about that, so you can book with peace of mind.
Summary About Trivago
As I mentioned at the beginning, I primarily use this site. Of course, some people may have been using Jalan for a long time and have accumulated points, or may have acquaintances at this travel agency. In that case, it might be a good idea to use Trivago to check the prices of the hotels you plan to stay at and compare the points with the room rate. I highly recommend giving it a try.
