HIHighlights Travel★★★★★
Discrepancies in service quality and over-charging
If I could give this company 0 stars, I would. This company treated us poorly, the guides were not paid fairly and the hotels picked were below standards for the price we paid. The company was unprofessional and unreliable. I do not recommend them.
Upon reviewing the details and costs associated with the experience, it has come to my attention that there was a substantial markup, potentially exceeding $3000 in profit for this company. While I understand and respect that profitability is essential for any business, the pricing for the services provided seems disproportionately high.
Moreover, the quality of the tour experience did not meet our expectations. Although the tour guides were personable and pleasant, their overall performance was lacking. They often hurried us through the tour, seemed to have a limited understanding of the sites, and frequently walked ahead, leaving us behind. Most concerning was the revelation that these guides are not licensed professionals, which raises questions about the value and authenticity of the information shared during the tour.
Given these circumstances, I am left feeling significantly overcharged for the level of service and expertise received. I requested a detailed breakdown of the costs associated with my trip to understand how my payment was allocated and to discuss a possible adjustment or compensation for the discrepancies in service quality and the apparent excessive profit margin.
Still awaiting a response
2024-02-28
HIHighlights Travel★★★★★
Very disappointing
Dear Asia Highlights:
I hope this message finds you well.
I wanted to bring to your attention some concerns regarding the recent arrangements made through Claire for our trip to Japan. As we had discussed previously, this trip was intended to celebrate my father's 70th birthday, and our expectations were unfortunately not met.
Firstly, I must express my disappointment with the proposed 6 day itinerary, which appears to come with a hefty price tag solely for tour guides. This pricing seems disproportionate and does not align with the value we anticipated receiving.
Moreover, the accommodation provided at the initial hotel fell far below our expectations. The room we were allocated was incredibly cramped, making it difficult to maneuver with our luggage. Additionally, the cleanliness of the room left much to be desired, and we encountered issues with both the air conditioning and the room overall.
Today, we found ourselves walking from 10 am to 5 pm without a built-in break for lunch. Having to navigate from place to place using the subway and walking left my father extremely tired. Furthermore, after a difficult night where my phone was stolen at the 7-Eleven by the cashier register, the lack of a nice and comfortable hotel is very disappointing.
Adding to our concerns, we received a text from the guide stating that the tour might be canceled with no official alternative plans provided. The lack of confirmation regarding the morning activities on the day of didn’t give us time to plan and the absence of an official plan in place make us feel very distrustful.
We also had only breakfast included and the quality of breakfast was awful. Not only that, our $7000 tour included no other meals.
On our way to Kyoto, we were placed on the standard class ticket. We found out the cost for first class was only $33 extra and disappointed that they couldn’t get a spot there with such minimal charge.
It is disheartening to note that Asia Highlights was unable to facilitate such a simple upgrade for us.
Not only that, but paying almost $1000/day for the tour guide just does not make sense. Regardless of labor laws, the tour guide alone would make approx $5000 for a 6 day tour
and $1000/day given that we are taking mostly public transportation.
Given the significance of this trip and our desire for a memorable experience, I kindly request your urgent assistance in addressing these matters. Your attention to these concerns would be greatly appreciated.
2024-02-26
