One of the most famous things about Japan is the diversity of accommodation systems. Traditional hostels, capsule hotels and of course the popular and attractive love hotels.
Love hotels are always high on the list of things to try in Japan, but the downside to these types of hotels is the difficulty of getting around. We can see them all over Japan, in big cities and even small villages, and they are often recognizable by their bizarre decorations and confusing names.
Love hotels in Tokyo
In Tokyo, Shibuya's Love Hotel Hill (real name Dogenzaka) is the place with the largest concentration of love hotels. Finding a hotel in Love Hotel Hill is considered quite vague, but it's really not difficult. Some hotels are aimed primarily at travelers who love unusual themes such as ninja rooms or zebra-themed decorations. There are also many hotels with more upscale amenities.
Go to a love hotel
First, find a roommate in the love hotel. Maybe it's your travel companion, your girlfriend/boyfriend, or the girls/men you find attractive when you meet them at a bar. However, in some cases the hotel did not accept gay guests and even rejected two foreigners.
Next, choose a love hotel. Head to Love Hotel Hill on the hill behind Shibuya 109 and stroll the streets. Choosing a hotel is also fun because the further you go, the cheaper the hotel price becomes, so don't be afraid to return the room (unless you're really in a hurry).
The abundance of choices may confuse you, but essentially there are two main options: “Resort” and “Overnight”:
- 'resort' This means you can use the basic room for 1-4 hours and pay up to ¥1,500/hour. And it goes without saying that the longer the break, the more expensive it will be, for example Friday and Saturday evenings and the nights before holidays.
- 'overnight stay' This means you can stay overnight here. You can check in from 8:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. and check out from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. You can rent a room for as little as 6,500 yen, although some really nice or spacious rooms can cost up to 20,000 yen! As with “resorts,” prices increase on Saturday nights. Therefore, check the price carefully before deciding to rent.
Select room
Most available rooms are shown on the board next to the door and the available rooms are still lit. So all you have to do is press the button to select the room you want, pay the fee to the staff at the counter (the person holding the light panel in front of you to maintain your privacy) and get the room key.
Then select your companion and your room. You can enter the room and do anything.
The rooms are always fully equipped with a toilet, TV, radio, mini fridge and coffee. If you're lucky, you can use the karaoke equipment there. Some rooms have whirlpool tubs or massage chairs, and some also offer costume rentals, but only if you spend a lot of money to impress your friends.
Despite its reputation for being quite basic, it is always clean, well soundproofed and has very little natural light, allowing you to sleep well at night. Compared to the prices of standard hotels, it is a really good choice for a short stay.
If you plan to stay overnight, most hotels will call you 30 minutes before check-out so you have enough time to shower and change before returning your keys to the counter.
