ANA Crowne Plaza Kyoto ~$1 or $2/night
 

Hard to benefit many on this site, and not sure how far into the calendar this goes. Seems to work at least now through July 2020. Searchable on Booking, Edreams, Agoda, Kayak etc.
I am going to check in later today for a 10 night stay sometime around 5 to 8pm local time and see what happens.
I paid through Booking.com, which offered pay now option instead of pay at hotel.
¥1,355 total, $12.64 charged to my credit card.

Edit: Gone in June I think. Still available roughly October 16 through November 26. 2020. At least through booking.com mobile app

Nice find, although the lowest I can find is at ¥3.2k with free cancellation 2 days prior for October on booking
com
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ihg.com is showing ¥15k.

Does booking.com still have referrals? I can't find that section anymore before my friends can open their accounts and book.

It was shut down last year. That's a bummer, it was fairly rich, especially when they credited those to visa/MC.
Our referral program will shut down on Oct 15, 2019What does this mean?

• All referral rewards related to bookings made before Oct 15, 2019 will be issued as usual. Terms and conditions still apply.
• If your friend made a booking with your link before Oct 15, 2019, both of you will get a reward. Terms and conditions still apply.
• If your friend makes a booking with your link on or after Oct 15, 2019, 12:00 AM, their booking

Nice one & thanks to share !

Was able to get 2 bookings through on Agoda just now for August & November, however they both got cancelled immediately again...

Good luck to OP for tonight, let us know !

Book 2 weekends (November and December) on booking, they have not been cancelled yet. Seems confirmed.
Lets wait.

Thanks OP

Booked but got cancelled
 

Booked five nights for $100 through Trip.com, but the order had not been confirmed and finally got cancelled. Trip.com called and explained that the room was not available any more.

yeah booking.com is saying they don’t have rooms anymore

Deal seems to be gone, unfortunately (at least for the date I checked in October).

Well, I went to the hotel quite late about 10:30pm. The man at the counter said it is a mistake and the actual rate is plus two zeroes. So I was refused the room, in as deicate and Japanese a way as possible of course. Though I’ve flown many flight deals including 2x Cathay First last year, this my first hotel deal. Curious what others would have done in this situation. The reservations I have on booking.com remain uncancelled right now, including tonight’s which is prepaid and charged to my cc already.

Booking.com should buy you a night, since the reservation is still valid.

Thanks, on the phone with booking.com right now actually. Worst comes to worst I'll try out a manga cafe near the station. Didn't want to continue a conversation with the lone front desk guy as his English was not confident and my Japanese is unfortunately not strong enough for a nuanced discussion.

Edit: booking.com contacted the hotel several times and the hote did not budge. Wasn’t able to get a room at any other place either. Suggest others who booked to reconsider before coming. Sorry!

I have been in a similar situation before.

In my case, it was not prepaid, however the front desk saw my confirmed reservation from the travel agency (I _believe_ it was Travelocity) and agreed to check me in while they dealt with the agency to figure out the cost difference. The “dealing” went on for a week and in the end I paid the hotel’s price and then continued the discussion with the agency after. Ultimately the agency paid me the difference (amounting to $1000s).

What is not clear to me in your case is why you were discussing the cost when it was prepaid. Assuming the hotel also saw it as prepaid, any other discussion is between the hotel and The booking agency.

Based on my experience, I would have made just checked in and dealt with the agency after.

This is not meant as an attack, only a question/suggestion.

Assuming he did that and be out of pocket for $100 how do you suggest to get the money back? Good luck "dealing" with booking,com because their customer service is ignorant at best.

Haha. Well, I cant argue with that!

Yes, I wasn't sure what I should have done. I booked a single night at another, much cheaper hotel (3200 yen) and will try to ask booking.com to cover it. Wonder how that will go. The phone customer service last night was not very helpful. They just kept calling the hotel and relaying messages from the hotel about the actual rate.

I'd maybe send them one email and expect them to decline. Maybe ask them for a voucher instead of cash money back.

Beyond that it's not worth your time for the $30 IMHO.