"It's the Staff's Goodwill": Will a Japanese Hotel Waive the Cancellation Fee If You Get Sick?

What Japanese people said — picked from the top 200 of 2,014 comments

• I've worked in hotels for years. When we get a call saying someone has a fever or there's been a death in the family, we're genuinely worried. In a situation that hard, just being contacted is something we're grateful for, and we don't want them to feel bad about cancelling, so we say something kind. If more of these grubby people show up, hotels will end up having to charge a cancellation fee no matter what the situation. Please, just stop.

  長年ホテルで働いています。 熱が出たとかご家族にご不幸があったとかの連絡がくると、こちらは本当に心配するんです。大変な状況の中、連絡くださるだけでありがたくて、キャンセルを心苦しいと思ってほしくないから気遣いの言葉をかけるんです。 卑しい人が増えるとどんな状況でもホテルがキャンセル料を請求せざるを得ない事態になります。本当やめてほしい。

  — @cicciottella1,139 likes

• Not "tell me the hotel because it sounds decent" but "tell me the hotel because it doesn't charge a cancellation fee". Those people are rotten

  そのホテルが良心的だから教えて じゃなくてキャンセル料がかからないから教えてってやつが腐ってる

  — @googleアカウント55Most liked7,691 likes

• I used to work in the hotel industry, so I know: whatever the reason, if you cancel the day before, you have to pay the cancellation fee. The room itself could have been sold to another guest, so there's lost revenue.

  宿泊業界に勤めていたから分かるけど、例えどんな理由があったとしても前日キャンセルならキャンセル料支払わなないといけない。部屋自体を他の客に販売できるのでその分の逸失利益が発生するからです。

  — @Syuichi-j8y2 likes

• There's no such thing as zero loss. They've got all the food ready and waiting too.

  損失ゼロは有り得ない。 食材も全て用意して待っている。

  — @ひかうき48 likes

• I clean rooms for a business hotel chain that operates nationwide, and even with cleaning it turns into "but they did it for me at such-and-such place", so special treatment is banned unless there's a really good reason

  私は全国展開してる某ビジネスホテル掃除担当ですが、掃除に関しても『◯◯ではしてくれたのに』みたいになるから、余程の理由がないと特別待遇は禁止になってます

  — @伊豫国真秀-mm283 likes

• There really are grubby idiots who see this and pick on hotels with "Make it no cancellation fee here too" or "Such-and-such place doesn't charge one". You have to understand that any special treatment you get should be kept quiet, or the person who did it out of kindness and others in the same business get dragged into it.

  こういうのを見て、「ウチもキャンセル料無しにしろ」とか「何処何処はキャンセル料取らないのに」とかホテルに難癖付ける浅ましいバカって実際いるからな。 特別扱い受けた事は何でも内緒にしないと、善意でやってくれた人や同業者が迷惑する事になるって認識しないとな。

  — @狐緑コロク1,120 likes

• Not a hotel, but I once used my own discretion to skip a cancellation fee and asked the customer not to tell anyone. Later they thanked a senior colleague of mine and I got absolutely chewed out Since then I always take the cancellation fee, no matter what

  ホテルじゃないけど、自分の裁量でキャンセル料を取らないけど誰にも言わないようにしてくださいねと言ったら、後日そのお客様が先輩社員に謝意を伝えてめちゃくちゃ怒られたことありました それからはキャンセル料は何があっても必ず貰うようにしてます

  — @koh511657 likes

• Don't forget it's because you're a guest who's trying to pay. Goodwill meeting goodwill. Otherwise, of course you'll be charged.

  払おうとしてくれる客だからってのを忘れてもらっちゃ困るよね。 善意と善意のぶつかり合い。 そうじゃないなら当然請求されますよ。

  — @BattleShip-Yamamoto1 likes

• I think the guest who called came across as gracious and humble, so the hotel was considerate. With anything, I think you should call and so on while really thinking about the other person's position.

  電話をしたお客さんには、品があって謙虚さが感じら れたので、ホテル側が気を使ったと思います。 何事も丁寧に相手の立場を十分に考えて電話なりをす べきだと思います。

  — @モジ20221 likes

• Said out loud, it would just end with "how lovely", but online there are people saying "tell me if there's no cancellation fee"... When I cancelled, I felt sorry and it felt like a waste, but thinking about it again, I'm glad I at least paid the cancellation fee

  口頭での会話なら素晴らしいねだけで終わるけど、ネットにはキャンセル料かからないなら教えてって言う人がいるんだな… 自分もキャンセルした時は申し訳無かったし勿体なかったけど、改めて考えたらキャンセル料位はお支払いしておいて良かったとはおもう

  — @ロゼまりあんぬ7 likes

• With this kind of thing, if you're truly happy and want to say thanks, I think the smart move is to come back another time, stay there, and thank them in person.

  こういうのって、本当に嬉しくて感謝を伝えたいのならば日を改めて泊まりに行って直接お礼を伝えるのがスマートだと思います。

  — @Ck-gw5mo1,919 likes

• It would've been enough to send the hotel a thank-you letter instead of posting it online The hotel would get the letter, feel the gratitude, and be encouraged by it Everything's online these days, but I think a heartfelt letter means more

  ネットにじゃなくてホテルに御礼の手紙とかを送るだけで良かったね ホテル側も手紙を受け取って感謝の気持ちが伝わるから励みになるし 今は何でもネット社会だからなぁ、気持ちのこもった手紙の方が有難いと思うけどね

  — @ノブリンゴ69 likes

• "Our child came down with a fever and we had to cancel at short notice, but they were worried about our child and handled it wonderfully. We'd love to stay next time we get the chance." That's plenty, why write the extra stuff? Do they have to spell out "please don't tell anyone, this is special treatment" for you to get it? Seeing stuff like this kills any urge to offer service

  子供が熱を出してしまい、急遽キャンセルしてしまったのですが、子供の心配をしてくれて対応も素晴らしかったです。機会があれば次は宿泊させて頂きたいです。 で充分やん何で余計なことまで書くんだよわざわざ特別対応に他の人には言わないでくださいね、特別ですよって言わなきゃわかんねぇのかよなんかこう言うの見るとサービスする気失せるよな

  — @001uguisu959 likes

Do Japanese hotels charge a cancellation fee if you're sick?

By the rules, usually yes. The Japan Tourism Agency's model lodging terms, which hotels and ryokan adapt for their own terms, let a property charge a cancellation fee when a guest cancels for reasons on the guest's side, at rates each property sets by how close to the stay you cancel. Check your booking's own policy.

Sources: mlit.go.jp — checked 2026-10-21

Will a hotel in Japan waive the fee if I call to cancel?

It can happen, but it's the staff's call. A commenter who has worked in hotels for years (1,139 likes) says that when a guest calls about a fever or a death in the family, staff genuinely worry and just being told is a relief. Another hotel worker (283 likes) says their nationwide business hotel chain bans special treatment without a very good reason.

Is it okay to post online that a hotel waived my cancellation fee?

Japanese commenters say no. One who used to work in customer service (254 likes) says staff who make an exception always ask the guest not to tell anyone, and another (57 likes) stopped waiving fees after a guest thanked their senior colleague and they got chewed out. Commenters suggest a review that just praises the kind response.

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