Love Motels

We hosted a Professor this past week from a respected university.  Since my blog policy is to avoid identifying locations and people by name, including myself, let me say this Professor is from the Palo Alto California area.  We had a great time with him and our conversation included the love motels of Taiwan. 

Similar to Japan, the love motels are big, big business in Taiwan. Today’s love motel evolved from the “rest hotels” of the past, where a room is rented for one hour, maybe two if you were really ambitious.  Today’s motels are themed based and generally used by young unmarried people.   In both Taiwan and Japan, children typically live with their parents until they marry, and couple sleepovers in the parent’s home are culturally frowned upon.  A young woman will typically select the motel and the man will pay for it.  Love motels include a large Jacuzzi tub, karaoke, steam room and of course a big bed.  I’m sure cheating married couples use them too.

The motel attempts to create a perception of discreteness. You pull up to a drive in window, view pictures of various room themes with a young woman in a very short skirt, and make your selection.  A key is provided and you drive your car into the awaiting private garage.  Once the garage door is closed, you make your way upstairs to the room.

On a recent Saturday night, after touring a mountain area in the center part of Taiwan, we checked into a local motel.  This love motel was highly recommended by many people and decorated by a famous designer.  We selected a room that had a theme of female dolls in erotic poses (I think that was the theme).  There was a KFC room, however this was already occupied.  I really wanted to see what the Colonel does at a love motel, so naturally I was disappointed we couldn’t get this room.   The love motel was not a room that I could possibly use for sleeping (I’m getting old), so we took pictures and then left.  My wife told the girl in the short skirt that her American husband was too freaked out by the hundreds of little dolls to stay there.  Actually I have my own Barbie collection, so the dolls were not a problem.

Date night in Taiwan often includes the love motel and I had to see one.  If I were 21 years old, this might fit me, but my curiosity was only to see one and not to complete the experience.  I’m not judging any of my readers that are regular customers.