Love hotels in Tokyo

During our trip to Tokyo last week, we stayed in an area called Uguisudani. It was on the Yamanote line, in our price range, easy to get to from Narita Airport and close to Ueno (which has a lot to offer when travelling with small children), so we chose an Airbnb there. What I didn't realise when choosing our accom here, was that is was basically a whole suburb of love hotels. 

Anyone who's been to Tokyo, especially Shibuya, has probably walked past a love hotel or two. They're mostly recognisable by some gaudy lights and a sign out the front indicating the pricing by the hour (rather than a simple nightly rate, like any other normal hotel), and photos of the various themed rooms they have inside. When you go into a love hotel, you can either check into a room using a machine, or often if there is a reception counter with actual human staff, their faces and yours will be separated by a screen so you can keep your anonymity.

Anyway, if you've ever walked through Love Hotel Hill in Shibuya, Uguisudani was even more packed with love hotels. Our apartment building was only one of a few I saw in the whole neighbourhood. Everything else was love hotels.

I actually found it quite entertaining, watching the couples walking out, wondering what their story was. The names of the hotels were also hilarious. Most memorable was Oriental Passage, P-Door and C Heaven. Use your imagination kids!

3 love hotels

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The love hotels have signs out the front showing what the rooms look like.

Love hotels

Some izakayas and love hotels