Living space is a resource that is lacking in most Japanese cities. Apartments are small and the walls are thin, making the protection of the own privacy quite a difficult task. However, there is a solution for couples, who want to spend some romantic time together in a fancier and bigger environment with maximum privacy: love hotel (ラブホ).

A love hotel is a type of short-stay hotel found in Japan, operated primarily for the purpose of allowing couples privacy for sexual activities. The name originates from “Hotel Love” in Osaka which was built in 1968 and had a rotating sign.
The history of love hotels can be traced back to the early Edo when establishments appearing to be inns or teahouses with particular procedures for a discreet entry or even with secret tunnels for a discreet exit were built in Edo and in Kyoto.

Love hotels can usually be identified using symbols such as hearts and the offer of a room rate for a rest as well as for an overnight stay. The period of a rest varies, typically ranging from one to three hours. Cheaper daytime off-peak rates are common. In general, reservations are not possible, and leaving the hotel will forfeit access to the room; overnight-stay rates become available only after 10:00 p.m. 
Entrances are discreet, and interaction with staff is minimized. Rooms are often selected from a panel of buttons, and the bill may be settled by a machine or paying an unseen staff member behind a pane of frosted glass. Parking lots will often be concealed and windows will be few, so as to maximize privacy. 
Although cheaper hotels are often simply furnished, higher-end hotels may feature fanciful rooms, equipped with rotating beds, ceiling mirrors, karaoke machines and unusual lighting. They may be styled similarly to dungeons or other fantasy scenes.

These hotels are typically either concentrated in city districts close to stations, near highways on the city outskirts, or in industrial districts. Love hotel architecture is sometimes garish, with buildings shaped like castles, boats or UFOs and lit with neon lighting. However, some more recent love hotels are very ordinary looking buildings, distinguished mainly by having small, covered, or even no windows.
Staying at a love hotel doesn’t always have to be an erotic experience, it is a typical Japanese thing to do so you shouldn’t miss out on it when you’re in the mood!