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Love Hotels: Cultural Context and Top 10 Love Hotels in Tokyo
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Love hotels in Japan are often thought to be exclusively for couples but are now being used as party venues and cosplay studios in recent years. This article introduces the features of love hotels, history, and 10 recommended love hotels in Tokyo.
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Mitoyo, Kagawa, Japan
Love Hotels in Japan
Hotel Lotus Ikebukuro guest room. Picture courtesy of Booking.com
Love hotels are a category of Japanese hotels with the main purpose of providing a place for couples to spend time alone with each other. This type of hotel is also called a couples hotel, leisure hotel, or fashion hotel.
However, recent years have seen love hotels in Japan being used as places to have photoshoots or to host parties with friends. This is because of the gorgeous interior decorations and amusement park-like equipment.
Read on to learn why love hotels came to be in Japan and 10 recommended love hotels in Tokyo.
Top 10 Love Hotels in Tokyo and Cultural Background
1. Hotel Meguro Emperor
2. Hotel Bali An Resort Kinshicho
3. SARA Kinshicho
4. Hotel ALPHA-IN
5. SWEETS HOTEL MACHIDA
6. HOTEL KARUTA Akasaka
7. Hotel Lotus Ikebukuro
8. HOTEL SAVOY
9. Hotel W AVANZA
10. HOTEL AROMA
The Reason Love Hotels Exist in Japan
Love Hotel Features
The Reason Love Hotels Exist in Japan
SWEETS HOTEL MACHIDA building exterior. Picture courtesy of Booking.com
It was once the norm in Japan to live in a multigenerational household consisting of grandparents, parents, and their children as one family unit. Moreover, traditional Japanese homes would have one room with multiple purposes used as a living room in the daytime and as a bedroom at nighttime.
In this environment, a married couple rarely had any space to themselves at home. As such, inns were developed so couples could enjoy alone time together.
Understandably, the love hotel industry is difficult to advertise on a large scale. For that reason, love hotels have evolved to have striking, eccentric exteriors as a strategic device to make it obvious what type of building they are. The interior design has also evolved to have a great variety of designs and installations like an amusement park.
These unique features have gained mainstream attention. In recent years, love hotels have become popular for girls’ parties or a girls’ night out where ladies will get together with their friends and hold a party in a hotel room.
Love Hotel Features
Photo by Pixta
Love hotels have various features and characteristics.
Same-Day or Last-Minute Reservations Are Accepted
Many love hotels offer the convenience of accommodating guests on the day of arrival or with last-minute bookings.
The flexibility in handling sudden schedule changes or spontaneous plans, and the ability to quickly secure a room, contribute to the unique appeal of love hotels.
Available for Day Use
Love hotels are not only for overnight stays but also offer day use (rest) plans for two to three hour stays. It is less expensive than an overnight stay, so please consider taking advantage of their day use option if you want to see what a love hotel is like as an experience or want to use a room for a short time to host a party.
A Full Range of Amenities
Love hotels have amenities that a typical hotel will not provide such as contraceptive devices and sanitary pads. Depending on the hotel, they may also have a selection of cosmetic products such as face lotion.
A Comfortable Stay for One
There are now many love hotels available to guests staying alone in line with standard hotels. The beds and bathtubs are spacious. Depending on the hotel, it may even be a more comfortable stay than at a business hotel.
In the past, our writer booked a room at a certain hotel without knowing it was a love hotel when he had to stay a night in Ikebukuro. Nevertheless, on top of having such reasonable prices, both the bed and bathtub were very comfortable, resulting in a good night’s sleep.
Minors Under the Age of 18 Cannot Use Love Hotels
Entry to a love hotel is prohibited for those under the age of 18 according to the Act Regulating Adult Entertainment Businesses. The term “Adults only” will pop up when you search love hotels on Booking.com and agoda.
Consideration for Guest Privacy
Love hotels may sometimes have hallways and floor plans with complicated designs to prevent guests from encountering hotel employees and fellow guests. This is to protect customer privacy. Many love hotels are also known for having automated systems.
There Are Love Hotel Districts
Love hotels sometimes form a “love hotel district” in designated areas due to location restrictions from the municipality. In Tokyo’s case, most love hotels are located in Shinjuku, Ueno, Kinshicho, and Uguisudani.
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10 Recommended Love Hotels in Tokyo
Next, we introduce 10 recommended hotels in Tokyo ranging from love hotels brimming with entertainment to those that are approachable to people staying at a love hotel for the first time.
1. Hotel Meguro Emperor
Picture courtesy of Booking.com
Hotel Meguro Emperor is a love hotel established in 1973. It is a legendary love hotel and the first in Japan to be built as a castle-style hotel with a unique exterior design. It was closed once but was renovated and reopened in 2007.
There are a total of 32 guest rooms. The Girls’ Party Plan is also available to groups of three people or more.
Book a room at Hotel Meguro Emperor on Booking.com
Book a room at Hotel Meguro Emperor on agoda
2. Hotel Bali An Resort Kinshicho
Picture courtesy of Booking.com
Hotel Bali An Resort is an especially famous love hotel chain in Japan. The chain has expanded to over 10 locations including Kinshicho, Tokyo, Yokohama, and Osaka.
The hotel is modeled after Bali, Indonesia with guest rooms entirely built in the Balinese Western style. A majority of the decor and furniture are direct imports from Bali.
What’s unique about this hotel, in addition to the Girls’ Party Plan available to groups of three people or more, is the Oshikai Plan. This is a plan where you can get together with fellow fans of your favorite character or idol singer and have a blast. Various props are prepared for you including a “Precious Button” that you press to express your love for your favorite character or idol, penlights to get into the spirit while watching DVDs, and more.
Book a room at Hotel Bali An Resort Kinshicho on Booking.com
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3. SARA Kinshicho
Picture courtesy of SARA Kinshi Official Website
There are many school rom-com anime and manga in Japan centered around romance between teenage students. Some people may even long for such an experience.
SARA Kinshicho is a place that fulfills the fantasies of those very people. The guest rooms offered are based on various situations with room names like Classroom 3-B—a replica of a school classroom—Planetarium, and The President’s Office.
SARA Kinshicho Official Website: https://sara-kinshicyo.jp/ (Japanese)
4. Hotel ALPHA-IN
Picture courtesy of Hotel ALPHA-IN Official Website
Hotel ALPHA-IN is an established Roppongi hotel dubbed the “sanctuary for S&M play” (S&M is an acronym for sadomasochism). All rooms are S&M rooms in various dynamics including a prison, cave, infirmary, outer space, Japanese-style, and Chinese-style.
Props such as a restraint table, x-shaped cross, whips, ropes, and collars are prepared in each guest room.
Hotel ALPHA-IN Official Website: https://www.hotelalphain.com/ (Japanese)
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5. SWEETS HOTEL MACHIDA
Picture courtesy of Booking.com
SWEETS HOTEL MACHIDA’s concept is all about sweets and desserts. It’s exactly like a candy castle on the outside with rooms decorated in dessert-inspired interior furniture. They go all out with this concept since even the bath salts in the bathroom are chocolate!
They also have a substantial food and drink menu that includes desserts like homemade mille-feuille and parfaits, steak, pasta, pizza, and alcoholic beverages.
Book a room at SWEETS HOTEL MACHIDA on Booking.com
6. HOTEL KARUTA Akasaka
Picture courtesy of Booking.com
HOTEL KARUTA Akasaka was made as a new healing space for those in the city. All guest rooms feature a Japanese modern design with some rooms also including an open-air bath.
This hotel is so highly rated by users that it has won awards like the Couples Hotel Award 2023 by user vote on Couples (Japanese), a comprehensive informational website on love hotels.
Book a room at HOTEL KARUTA Akasaka on Booking.com
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7. Hotel Lotus Ikebukuro
Picture courtesy of Booking.com
This love hotel’s concept is to be a “gorgeous modern space beyond another dimension.” It features a luxurious and gorgeous interior design inspired by high-ranking courtesans called oiran. They also provide special amenities like the Feudal Lord Room where you can feel like an Edo feudal lord yourself, an open-air bath in an extravagant Shigaraki bathtub, and more.
Other amenities include entertainment like karaoke and darts. The hotel is also equipped with sports facilities where you can enjoy golf, badminton, basketball, batting, ziplining, and bouldering.
Book a room at Hotel Lotus Ikebukuro on Booking.com
8. HOTEL SAVOY
Picture courtesy of Booking.com
HOTEL SAVOY, located in Uguisudani, features an abundance of cosplay costumes you can rent. Some of the cosplay options include school uniforms, maid outfits, and nurse costumes. You can also rent a variety of women’s nightwear.
Book a room at HOTEL SAVOY on Booking.com
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9. Hotel W AVANZA
Picture courtesy of agoda
Hotel W AVANZA is a love hotel chain that has expanded locations to Tokyo, Yokohama, Chiba, and Saitama.
Every hotel location has an in-house chef and private kitchen. They offer a variety of hamburger steak, rice bowls, curry rice, pastas, and more. You can also request a custom-made dinner plan.
Book a room at Hotel W AVANZA on agoda
10. HOTEL AROMA
Picture courtesy of Booking.com
HOTEL AROMA provides a healing space with a tranquil atmosphere in Ikebukuro. Rooms with various ambiences have been prepared for guests including rooms in the Balinese and Japanese styles.
The best feature of this hotel is the variety of baths available. The flower bath provides a healing effect, the milk bath has a thermal and moisturizing effect, the wine bath improves blood circulation with the components found in wine, and the sake bath is made by pouring sake into lukewarm water to relax your mind and body.
Book a room at HOTEL AROMA on Booking.com
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Experience Love Hotels in Japan for Yourself
There are many more love hotels out there that you can stay at for reasonable prices. Be sure to check out Booking.com for options.
Read also
FAQ
What happens in a love hotel in Japan?
Love hotels in Japan provide themed rooms and amenities for short-term stays, catering to couples seeking privacy and intimacy. These rooms typically feature unique decor, large beds, jacuzzis, mood lighting, sound systems, and even adult entertainment options. Some love hotels offer additional services like room service for meals and snacks. The key focus of these establishments is to offer a discreet and comfortable setting for couples to enjoy quality time together during their stay.
Are love hotels legal in Japan?
Yes, love hotels are legal in Japan. These establishments provide short-stay accommodations, often with themed rooms and amenities geared towards privacy and intimacy for couples. Love hotels are a recognized and regulated part of the hospitality industry in Japan, catering to a specific clientele seeking discreet and temporary lodging for various purposes.
These hotels are required to adhere to certain guidelines and regulations regarding their operations to ensure the safety and well-being of their guests. While the concept of love hotels may differ from conventional hotels, they operate within the framework of Japanese laws and regulations governing the hospitality sector.
Does love hotel provide girls?
Love hotels in Japan are intended for short-stay accommodations, primarily for couples looking for privacy and intimacy. It is important to clarify that love hotels are not establishments that provide girls or any form of companionship as part of their services. These hotels are designed to offer rooms for private time and relaxation for guests, but they do not involve the provision of individuals for companionship or any related services.
How much do love hotels cost in Japan?
The cost of a love hotel stay in Japan can vary depending on the location, facilities, room size, time of day, and additional services provided. Generally, prices for a short stay at a love hotel typically range from around 5,000 to 20,000 yen per night, with some upscale or themed rooms potentially costing more. Rates often differ based on factors like room amenities, the duration of the stay (short stays are common), and the time of day (prices may be higher during peak hours).
Do love hotels in Japan have cameras?
Love hotels in Japan are known for prioritizing guest privacy and discretion. While practices can vary among establishments, it is not standard for love hotels to have cameras inside individual guest rooms to monitor activities.
However, for security purposes, some love hotels may have cameras in public areas such as lobbies, hallways, and parking lots. These cameras are typically used for general surveillance and to ensure the safety and security of guests and the property. It is worth noting that the primary focus of these cameras is on public spaces rather than the private areas of the rooms.
Can foreigners use love hotel in Japan?
Foreigners are generally allowed to stay at love hotels in Japan. Love hotels cater to couples seeking short-stay accommodations for privacy and intimacy. While these hotels are designed primarily for romantic encounters, they are open to any adult customers. It is essential to note that some love hotels may have certain restrictions or rules, such as requiring identification and the legal age for check-in. Additionally, language barriers might be encountered in some establishments, so it could be helpful to have a translation app or basic knowledge of Japanese phrases for communication.
Do Japanese love hotels have condoms?
In Japanese love hotels, it is common for establishments to provide amenities and items that cater to the needs of their guests. Condoms are often available in the rooms or offered at the front desk for guests' convenience. Providing condoms is a standard practice in many love hotels as part of their commitment to promoting safe and responsible intimate experiences for their patrons. This helps ensure the well-being and health of their guests while maintaining a discreet and respectful environment within the hotel.
Main image by Pixta
Written by
Mitoyo, Kagawa, Japan
I worked in a PR agency for corporate IR/CSR and a publisher which publishes a magazine focused on international cooperation before joining MATCHA in October 2017.
In April 2019, I moved to Mitoyo City in Kagawa Prefecture. I write articles for tourists visiting Japan, and also contribute to regional revitalization.
My main focus is on writing about internet services, rental cars, hotels, and tourist attractions in western Japan.
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