The Love hotel

[Dutch Baka]

Where do you go, when you want some private time with your girl for a couple of hours? Not to your home, because your parents, brothers and sisters are there. Or maybe you just want to do something different then your own bed. If that is the problem, then you go to a Love hotel. In a love hotel you can rent a room from Minutes up to a whole night and yes; make a LOT of noise etc.

This hotels are from origin Japanese and were developed from tea rooms to love hotels. After the coming of the automobile, motels where being build all over Japan, and from this moment the love hotels really came in up rise.
There are a lot of different rooms that you can get, of course you can get a standard room with a bed and a TV, but many rooms have something more special than just a bed and a TV, like “Hello Kitty SM” rooms, or rooms where you can have sex in a car, and there are even vibrating beds, and many more rooms.

But not only the rooms are special, also the outside of many love hotels are special, you can find them in different shapes like castle’s, Christmas style, full of neon lights, etc. You can find this hotels in the nightclub area’s or near the highway out of the city. When you enter the lobby you probably won’t see anyone, except a board on the wall with pictures of the rooms. When a room is available it will be lightened up. You pick the room in which you want to have this steaming hours, or maybe only karaoke as some people do, after you choose the room you will get a card with the number of the room. When you are finished you can pay on the machine next to your door, or sometimes in the lobby to someone behind some panel.

There are 3 kind of rates in the hotels, the “Rest rate” in the Kansai area (Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe) this means average 1 hour, while in the Tokyo area it is 3 hours. Then you have the “Stay” rate, which is when you stay in the night, but this is only available after 9 or 10p.m. and then the last rate is the “Free time” rate which is available during the day time, and you can stay as long as you want for a pretty nice fixed price.

The rates depends on the room, the area, and the hotel you stay in, but the most expensive are the "Stay" rates and the "Rest" rates, especially in the weekend and on holidays when the rates for the rest are between 4000 yen and 6500 yen, while in the weekday this will be around 3000 yen and 5500 yen. A stay in from Sunday up to Thursday cost around 7000 and 11000 yen, and on Friday and Saturday 8000 yen up to 12500 yen.

Now, I have been to a Love hotel twice when I went to Japan (probably Josh went there around 50 times... ), and I was really amazed by what you can find in the room, and outside the room. The first time I went there , we had a Sauna in the bathroom, and a slot machine, and for the rest the usual stuff that you get in a luxury Love room. To bad we only had 1,5 hour, of course we could have stayed longer but then we needed to pay the "Stay rate" So I wonder about you people, a lot of you have been to Japan, and I'm sure a lot of people here have "a Love hotel" story to tell!!! so speak up, and tell us about your adventures, or story's about the Famous Love hotels.


Here are some links where you can find more information about the love hotel:
Hotel rooms (click on the hotel, and then on the Yellow link)
story about the love hotel, incl interview
The lost dreams of the love hotels
Wiki article

[WHEATTHlNS]

>>But not only the rooms are special, also the outside of many love hotels are special, you can find them in different shapes like castle’s, Christmas style, full of neon lights, etc.

The "Love Hotel" I saw in YAMANASHI (called. . .LOVE) was as shady looking and seedy as any MOTEL 6 here in the states. Im sure there are NICE ones (that are really cost prohibitive to simply popping one away from your house), but I would imagine they are for people who've been together for more than yanno, a few weeks.

That WINNIE THE POOH room doesnt do much to refute the "rep" JAPANESE MEN have.

[Uncle Frank]

when I lived in Japan, I was lucky enough to be taken to a few love hotels. The only thing I noticed different back then were red light bulbs and mirrors on the ceilings. It wasn't until I left Japan I learned they were "love hotels".What made me remember the events were the ladies insisting on paying the bill.

Frank

[budd]

"What made me remember the events were the ladies insisting on paying the bill."

thanks for posting that! peace

[cyberryo]

I wasn`t lucky enough to visit any of the love hotels even though I have passed by on and off. Notably, in Tokyo, you can find these hotels between Shinjuku and Shin-Ookubo stations, in Dogenzaka area of Shibuya, and Uguisudani which is next to Ueno station. For Uguisudani, you can even see the establishments from the train platform. Another friend told me that you can find such love hotels near the highway exit into sub-urban areas outside Tokyo, and they look like large palaces. I stayed in the Shinjuku area for one year during my student days, and I must say, these establishments seem to be having good business....

[Carlson]

lol.. go to love hotel hill in shibuya.. me and my gf go now and then.. we even have a club card at one of them

[Dutch Baka]

Originally Posted by Carlson

lol.. go to love hotel hill in shibuya.. me and my gf go now and then.. we even have a club card at one of them

Tell us about this club card...

[Carlson]

its a card you get when leaving some of the love Hotels.. its kinda like the if you buy so many combo meals from some fast food joint they give you a free combo meal.. lol

[Damicci]

Dude wtf is up with the room and the gyna...colo...gist...(sp?) chair?

[Elizabeth]

When you enter the lobby you probably won’t see anyone, except a board on the wall with pictures of the rooms.

I don't know if this is to prevent anything illegal, but about half of them I've been to have had a live receptionist.

or maybe only karaoke as some people do

Yeah, I've was surprised to see karaoke mikes in one -- I guess that some people use the rooms in groups just to party explains it. All the extra ammenities are fine but I've never really used them and truthfully feel more comfortable in a smaller, more normal looking place. It just depends on your personality, experience and relationship with the person I suppose.

[Da Monstar]

I saw in a documentary once for a couple of years ago. That japanese girls are very shy when using this love hotels. So when entering or leaving they try their best not to get seen or recognized by people (like avoiding eyecontact and staying very quiet so that they won't be remembered for being "Cheap" by going to Love Hotels.

From your experiences with your girlfriends how is your view on this subject?

[Dutch Baka]

If read a part about it, that j-girls are indeed shy ( my wife want to wait inside the car, until there is nobody left in the lobby) but time is changing, and people are becoming less shy about it....

Damn, pretty nice to have a party in a love hotel room, 10people, some beer, food, karaoke, * closing the bathroom for some sex*... Cool party

[kirei_na_me]

Originally Posted by Damicci

Dude wtf is up with the room and the gyna...colo...gist...(sp?) chair?

Hey, I was liking the looks of that chair!

Gosh, I wish we had love hotels here!

[Elizabeth]

Originally Posted by Dutch Baka

If read a part about it, that j-girls are indeed shy ( my wife want to wait inside the car, until there is nobody left in the lobby) but time is changing, and people are becoming less shy about it....

Yeah, you usually only see two or three couples in the lobby or halls although in business districts of large cities there is one like every few blocks so unless you're being stalked the chances anyone will know you there are quite slim.

The shabby and seedy small town and rural joints I wouldn't be caught dead being seen in.

[Carlson]

many of the big love hotels in shibuya have clubs and bars as part of the building.. and the last 1 i went ot had a mic for karaoke... we didnt use it though... lol

[Riyko]

My aunt took me to one last year, for my birthday. I don't remember what one it was, but I was like o.o! why are you bringing me here, but my aunt and alot of her friends had rented the room out so they could throw my birthday party there. It was a very akward 19th birthday.

[Mars Man]

Some interesting posts here. Yeah, I've only been to about 7 or 8 'lovos' ( a slang in this area [at least]) but enjoyed them all. Almost all in Nagano prefecture, and most of them were park-under-the-room type, so no lobby or anything, and you never see those who come to get the cash.

They are very useful places. (and usually no chairs like that, Damicci san !!)

[Chipi]

Been into those twice. (only :/ )
The first time I was waaayyy too drunk, so it isn´t such a happy memory..
But the room was quite luxurious, I wouldn´t mind if "regular" hotels were equipped that well too. I love nice bathrooms and this one had a huge jacuzzi type bath in it, and green marble (probably not genuine though).
The second time was more like hilarious.. the room was filled with sof plush etc. toys!! Colourful toys everywhere, also in a glass cabinet... and a jukebox. And I have _no idea_ why the gent I was with decided to choose that particular room...

[=w=eezer]

I don't understand how people can make love while looking at winnie the pooh. I know he's cute, but that's a totally different kind of cute, unless you have some funky fetish.

[nice gaijin]

maybe it's not looking at winnie the pooh, but rather being watched by him?...

There are a lot of crazy, off-the-wall themes at love hotels; the hundred-acre forest is pretty tame by comparison.

[Ewok85]

I STILL haven't been to a rabuho - having your own apartment just makes it feel like a waste of money.

[Index]

Originally Posted by Ewok85

I STILL haven't been to a rabuho - having your own apartment just makes it feel like a waste of money.

I went on a rabuho tour with my girlfriend recently, and while I take your point about having your own apartment, it did add some spice to things. Plus you don't have to worry about the state you leave the place in at the end...

(There are some good ones in Ikebukuro of all places)

[Ewok85]

Ikebukuro is only 15mins from here, I'll have to suggest it to my girl, or maybe swing by on the way back from Shibuya/Shinjuku some time :P Thanks for the tip!

[iyah_lujille]

Originally Posted by Carlson

lol.. go to love hotel hill in shibuya.. me and my gf go now and then.. we even have a club card at one of them

me also i want to know about this card... can u please tell me...

[chery08]

hi.. i'm new to this forum and am planning a trip to japan in March...
just wondering if you have more links to those love hotels?? Is it cheaper to stay in there than in hotels?? Seems like an interesting place to stay in for at least 1 night..