In Japan, “love hotels” are accommodations with a bit negative image. There are always love hotels in the downtown area, attracting customers with their flashy exteriors and neon lights. The prices are much cheaper than other hotels and inns, and the fact that they can be used for short periods of time makes them a very convenient form of business. Many love hotels are constantly making efforts to improve their interiors and facilities, so that they can accommodate a wide range of users. For the individual traveler visiting Japan, love hotels are convenient accommodations for those who want to spend their money well, as they are often located close to train stations and downtown areas, and they also allow you to choose the room content and price for yourself.
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Background of the creation of love hotels

Motels originated in the United States and are considered to be the original form of love hotels. In the U.S., where cars spread ahead of the rest of the world, motels became popular for being close to main roads, having parking space, and low accommodation fees, and rapidly spread. In Japan, Motel Hokuriku, which opened in Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture in 1963, is said to be the birthplace of the Motel. Initially, the hotel was designed to accommodate people on their way home from a road trip, but in reality, there were many men and women using the hotel, so the hotel changed its policy to target couples, which became popular, and love hotels spread nationwide. In the same way that motels developed as a result of motorization in the U.S., high economic growth in Japan led to the spread of cars and the development of highways throughout the country. This led to an increase in the number of love hotels along highway interchanges, which are easily accessible by car. In today’s Japan, love hotels can be seen in many downtown areas. This is because many of these places remain as a result of industry changes from places where there used to be yukaku(brothels) to inns and love hotels due to changes in national laws. These days, love hotels are also known as “leisure hotels” and are used for a variety of purposes, including “love hotel girls’ parties”. There are even love hotels that can be booked through major travel websites, and the image of love hotels has changed drastically from a decade ago. There are rooms with various concepts such as resort style and noble style, elegant bathrooms, and karaoke and video game consoles, which have made them popular among overseas tourists as well.

Recommended spots for love hotels in Tokyo

HOTEL PASHA in Shinjuku, where you can enjoy sauna and bedrock bath!

A hotel with a sauna and a bedrock bath in a large space where you can enjoy the highest luxury that you can’t usually experience.

Resort & Amusement Hotel X in Ikebukuro

This is a hotel where you can enjoy the atmosphere of a foreign resort in Tokyo. The wood chairs and beds that shine in seven different colors give you the feeling of a resort, something you won’t find in most inns or hotels.

Towers Hotel Fabulous in Tachikawa, a luxury condominium-style hotel

This is a love hotel with an interior that makes you feel as if you are in a high-rise condominium where only people with high incomes can live.

APERTO in Otsuka with a spiral staircase in the room

There is a large spiral staircase in the room and an aerial balcony on the second floor. You will be able to feel the fresh breeze not only at night but also in the morning.

How to use a love hotel

Check room availability

Many love hotels allow you to check if there are any rooms available before you enter the parking lot. As with coin-operated parking lots, if you see the word “空(vacancy)”, you can stay there because the room is available. If it says “満(full)”, then the room is full and there are no rooms available.

How to enter

There are three main types of ways to enter a hotel. The most common type is the unmanned front desk type. When you enter, you will see a large screen with pictures of the rooms, and when you select the room you want, you will get a room key or card and you can take it with you into the room. This is the type where you can go to your room without seeing anyone, but if you are taking your time to choose a room, another guest may arrive. There is also a type of love hotel with a manned front desk. In the case of the manned front desk, it is the same way as the unmanned front desk until you choose a room. you choose a room first, and go to the front desk to get a key. In some cases, the room fee is paid in advance. Similarly, there are garage-type love hotels, although they are not so common these days. This is a type of love hotel where the room is located on top of where you park your car, and you go straight to your room after parking your car. The garage type also has the advantage of not having to meet anyone. In all three types, you will never see the staff. Even the manned front desk type does not allow you to see each other.

Payment

Finally, there are three types of payment: payment at the front desk, automatic payment machine type, and air shooter type. Regardless of the payment types, there is no need to meet the front desk staff. The front desk is blindfolded, making it easy for people who don’t like to talk to other people to pay. In the front desk payment type, you call the front desk from your room, leave the room, and pay the designated fee at the front desk. If you have paid for your room in advance, you will pay for room service only. The automatic payment machine is a type of payment machine attached to the entrance of your room. Some of the machines may be old-fashioned and do not accept 10,000 yen bills, so it may be a good idea to have a credit card or extra 1,000 yen bills with you. Also, although almost extinct, there are some love hotels that use a function called “air shooter” for payment. I’ve never actually seen one, but it seems to send the fee in a case to the pipe that connects the room to the front desk.

Can accommodate even one person

It is not very common to enter a love hotel alone, but can you stay there alone? As a conclusion, there are some love hotels where you can stay alone. However, some are prohibited by local ordinances to prevent suicide or crime, so you need to check the website or check with the front desk beforehand to see if you can stay alone or not. There are many advantages, pleasures, and ways to make the most of staying alone in a love hotel, so take full advantage of the many services that love hotels offer and enjoy your time in a love hotel.

Cheap fees

First of all, the price is inexpensive. Although there are regional differences, the price of staying at a love hotel ranges from 4,500 yen to 6,500 yen. The advantage of this is that it is the same or a little cheaper than a regular business hotel or B&B.

Large beds

The next advantage is that you can use a large bed by yourself. In some love hotels, there are rooms with king size beds. In the case of a business hotel, a single bed is usually provided, so this can be one of the advantages here. I think it’s hard to have a chance to have a large bed all to yourself, so when you can stay alone, please make yourself comfortable.

A spacious bath

There is no way not to use a large bathroom. As with beds, some love hotels are equipped with baths that are much larger than you would expect at home. If you are a woman, bath time must be very important. Some rooms have a TV in the bathroom, so you can use it to enjoy the TV in the bath. Other ways to enjoy it are to enjoy the Jacuzzi or to enjoy bath salts.

There are various ways to use a love hotel.

These days, love hotels have various improvements in their interiors and facilities, and there are love hotels that can be used not only by couples, but also by friends and solo travelers, making them available to a wide range of users. For individual travelers visiting Japan, love hotels are often located close to train stations and downtown areas, and are more affordable than regular hotels, making them a convenient accommodation option for smart sightseeing.