Recommend a Love Hotel in Tokyo

December 7, 2006 7:47 AM

Tokyo (Shibuya) Love Hotel for Foreigners?

I'm traveling to the Shibuya area of Tokyo with my wife next week and I want to take her to a "love hotel" in the area. Can anyone recommend one that will be friendly and accessible to foreigners, and (optionally) can you share your experiences in places like this.

posted by anonymous to travel & transportation (7 comments total)

There are many in the Dougenzaka area near Shibuya. I suggest you just walk around and pick one that looks interesting to you. You shouldn't have any trouble as foreigners. In the hotel lobby there will be a big screen with all the available rooms lit up. Press the one you want for rest (3hours) or stay (overnight, usually not avail until after 10pm) -- if you see two prices, that's what the choices are. after you select, walk over to the bit where you pay -- there will be frosted glass between you and the teller so they won't even know you are a foreigner at first. The price should flash up on a screen. When you pay you may get a key or a remote control with the room number on it along with your change. Go into the little elevator to your floor. Your room may have a flashing light outside to indicate which one is yours. After you enter, be sure to lock the door behind you or the front desk will call up and remind you to do it.

Enjoy! They're always good times. Oh, and if you see a little fridge, it probably has toys in it rather than drinks, which caused much hilarity the first time i visited a "love-ho". If you take one, it will be charged to your room and you will have to pay on your way out when you return the key/remote control. Watch your time -- if you stay the full 3 hours the front desk will call and hassle you to leave, which if you don't speak Japanese might be frustrating. I speak Japanese, but I think you can muddle your way through without too much difficulty. It's all pretty obvious what with the pictures of the available rooms and so on.
posted by modernnomad at 7:56 AM on December 7, 2006 [1 favorite]

My one experience with a love hotel (on Shibuya's "love hotel hill") didn't even involve a teller--we chose a room from the lit-up board, walked upstairs to it (where a light was flashing over the door), put money in a sort of vending machine inside the room's vestibule, and went in. When 2.5 hrs were up, we were ready to go and very freaked out that the door was locked. It didn't unlock 'til the third hour.

What's very charming is that you can watch couples strolling arm in arm between the love hotels, checking out different rooms from the lit-up displays in the lobby.
posted by soviet sleepover at 9:09 AM on December 7, 2006

This might be a useful link - foudn via the Wikipedia page for love hotels - there are probably more directories online.

Fascinating concept that would be neat to have over here in the West...
posted by rmm at 9:27 AM on December 7, 2006

Hmm. When I lived there I spoke Japanese so using them was never much of an issue for me, though I think it would be easy for non-Japanese speakers as well.

Essentially you are able to walk into any of these, and most will have a wall with pictures of the rooms on it. The lit rooms are the ones that are vacant. You usually can take a little tag from it or press a button on it and walk to the receptionist who gives you a key, takes some of your info and tells you some of the rules and so forth--as far as money goes. Usually they are paid by the hour/3 hour/evening. This info is always posted outside the love hotel. You can probably decipher it easily without knowing any Japanese.

All of them that I've gone to had cash/credit card payment slots in the door itself, so when you wanted to leave you simply inserted your card or your cash and head out. The door unlocks after payment.

I would just pick one that looks fun/relatively cheap, and head in. It will definitely be an adventure.
posted by dead_ at 10:07 AM on December 7, 2006

In my (not exhaustive) experience they're pretty automated, as the above have posted.

If they have a menu outside in English, the ones inside typically are also. But they're really big on photos. Shop around for a bit. They all offer something slightly different. Toys, sunken whirlpools, big screen HD porn are pretty common, but they all different focus and special things. Though don't expect a nice view. Or any at all... I'd shoot for a mid-priced one.

I've found them to be pretty nice rooms. I've thought about staying in one solo when I get caught after the trains stop.
posted by Ookseer at 10:08 AM on December 7, 2006

Oh, and definitely go. Love hotels are a whole lotta fun.
posted by dead_ at 10:08 AM on December 7, 2006

Love hotels are great. I wish that we had them here.

I don't speak a lick of Japanese. They saw me and thought "Ah, big white guy. Oaf speaks no Japanese." I just pointed and grunted and they happily took my money.

I can't recommend one in Tokyo because I lived in Yokohama, and hit up dozens of love hotels. Whatever one was closest, we went.

Love hotels are also a great way to see Japan cheaply. Back then it was like Y3000 for an hour or Y5000 for the whole night. Much cheaper than an actual "hotel" if you're backpacking around with a girl.
posted by drstein at 7:31 PM on December 7, 2006