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What is a Love hotel
A love hotel is a type of short-stay hotel primarily used by male guests for paid sexual activities booked through the delivery health and hotel health genre of Japan’s sex services.
They can be found in all parts of Japan, with large concentrations proliferating around the surrounding areas of the major Red-Light Districts where sex workers congregate. The biggest grouping of love hotels in Japan can be found outside Uguisudani Station in Tokyo, accessible by the Yamanote line, north of Ueno Station.
Beyond the benefits of offering an hourly rate at any time of the day, some of the significant differences between love hotels and regular hotels include
- Love hotels provide guests with total anonymity, requiring no form of identification, with little interaction required during check-in and check-out process for maximum privacy.
- Themed or uniquely decorated rooms that would be considered unconventional in a regular hotel.
- Facilities geared towards making love that include large beds, condoms as part of the basic amenities, mood lighting, Jacuzzi’s, and loads more.
How do I find a Love Hotel?
Method 1
The quickest and easiest method of finding a love hotel nearby is through Google Maps and searching with the phrase “ラブホテル” in Katakana Japanese. The word love hotel is a Wasei-eigo translation of the word “Love Hotel.” Without using this exact phrase, you will get a mix of results pointing to regular hotels, which isn’t the desired result.
Method 2
If you would like to do your research beforehand about the love hotels available within a particular area, you can look through these Japanese love hotel directories listed below
Method 3
Head towards one of the major love hotel districts where they proliferate and pick one out on foot. This is the most straightforward and orthodox method used by local punters when booking an appointment with a prostitute. If one location is full, you can walk next door to see what’s available until a room is found.
How much do they do they cost?
The exact cost of staying at a loved hotel will vary drastically from a regular hotel by location, time, and date. Price surging is a common practice during the peak business hours between 6 PM and midnight, including before and during the weekends.
The pricing system used by the industry can be broken down into three distinct categories.
- Kyūkei “Rest” / All time – Before checking in, a set period of time is booked in advance, and any time over the allocated time is charged at an additional rate as an extension fee.
- Furī “Free” / Day service – Guests are permitted to stay for as long as they want during the advertised period. Usually offered during the off peak hours on weekdays from morning to afternoon.
- Shukyuhaku / Overnight service : Like a regular hotel, there are set check-in and check-out times for overnight stays for a predetermined amount.
Budget between 5,000YEN and 10,000YEN* for a short visit, up to 3 hours or less.
For overnight stays, budget between 10,000 yen and 20,000 yen for long duration visit that may last up to 12 hours.
What kind of love hotels are there?
Hotel Type—These are standalone love hotels with a front desk. Guests walk in / walk out of the premises through a discreet entrance. Onsite parking, if available, will be in very limited capacity.
Motel / Garage Style: Found outside of the major cities where car access is required to get to the Love Hotel. The room’s entrance is connected directly to the parking spot you drive into, with no front desk.
Inside, the two types of hotels operate in the same manner.
How to book a love hotel?
Generally, love hotels work on a first-come, first-served basis, but advanced bookings can be made at certain love hotels over the phone or online.
For online bookings in English, available rooms in love hotels can be found on booking sites by searching “Love Hotel” or “Adult Only.”
By booking a love hotel through these services, you may be required to present photo identification in the form of your passport, which will be scanned and stored as required by Japanese law.
What to expect using a Love Hotel
Room Selection
There are two types of methods of booking a love hotel in person.
- Panel Style – Modern love hotels will have a panel of rooms shown that you can select with a push of a button or through a digital kiosk like at McDonald’s. Once the desired room is selected, a receipt will be issued with the details of your selection printed. These types of love hotels do not require a key to access the rooms, and it is all automated centrally by a staff member within the hotel.
- Counter Style – Antique love hotels have a staff member at the front desk who assists you behind a privacy barrier so that all interactions are done without direct face-to-face contact. Once a room has been decided, a room key with the room number attached will be handed to you.
Checking-In
A blinking light on the floor where your room is located is a good indicator of where to go as you make your way to the room booked. For keyless love hotels, you can simply turn the knob and enter the room to start your time upon entry; for old love hotels, you will insert the key like a regular hotel and make your way inside.
Inside
Once inside the room, you can contact the escort agency you’ve booked with and let them know where you are. If you don’t remember exactly where you are, you can take a photo of the key or business card in the room.
Checking-Out
Prepare to leave the Love Hotel with at least 15 minutes’ leeway for the last person. Working girls will call the front desk and notify the front desk that they are exiting the room to disengage the room lock once for themselves. The payment to be settled by you will be made through a vending machine in the room, usually by the door, by cash or credit.
For love hotels with a traditional key system, drop the key off by the counter when exiting.
First Time visitor to a Love Hotel
Before visiting, make sure you understand the following restrictions that may be in place that may require you to choose another love hotel.
- Occupancy beyond two or multiple visitors in one stay
- Leaving the room after checking in
- Availability of the room phone, if required
- Notifications for extension of stay beyond the allocated time
If you have any issues in room, ask for assistant from the working girl during and before she leaves the room.
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