Romantic Travel

6 Racy Love Hotels You Have to See to Believe


Caroline Morse Teel

    Although many of these hotels can be rented by the hour, they're a far cry from a sleazy roadside motel. In places like Japan or Brazil, where adults live with their parents until they're married, it can be hard for couples to find a private place for romance—which is where these love shacks come in (there are over 35,000 in Japan alone). Expect amenities like discreet entrances (with private parking spots so no one will see you enter and leave), anonymous check-in (payment via ATM or from behind frosted glass), room service menus filled with costumes and toys, and themed rooms to fulfill any fantasy.

  • Unique Pension, Seoul, Korea

  • Unique Pension, Seoul, Korea
    Unique Pension, Seoul, Korea

    Love ramen a little too much? Now you can literally eat, sleep, and breathe it by staying at the Unique Pension, which has a room designed around the famous noodle dish—including a bed shaped like the hot soup container. Soup not your dream? There's also Starbucks, Heineken, and Apple themed rooms.

  • Anniversary Inn, Salt Lake City, Utah

  • Anniversary Inn, Salt Lake City, Utah
    Anniversary Inn, Salt Lake City, Utah

    The Anniversary Inn really has something for everyone, whether you dream of vacationing in Tuscany or um, Sturgis South Dakota. In the Sturgis room, you don't have to spend a night away from your precious motorcycle, which you can park in the room (next to the antique Harley that's already there).

  • Don Q Inn, Dogeville, Wisconsin

  • Don Q Inn, Dogeville, Wisconsin
    Don Q Inn, Dogeville, Wisconsin

    Always dreamed of staying in an ice hotel, but hate the cold? Book the Northern Lights room at the Don Q Inn and sleep in a fake igloo (or warm up in the whirlpool) all under the glow of the faux Northern Lights (with the heat blasting, of course).

  • Hotel Pelirocco, Brighton, England

  • Hotel Pelirocco, Brighton, England
    Hotel Pelirocco, Brighton, England

    Star Wars fans, are you offended that "Brighton's sauciest boutique hotel" put single-sized bunk beds in the Lord Vader's Quarters room, rather than a queen or king-sized bed? What exactly are they implying? If sci-fi isn't your thing, you can stay in rooms themed after Bettie Page, Motown, or 50's-style rockabilly.

  • Harmony Motel, Sao Paulo, Brazil

  • Harmony Motel, Sao Paulo, Brazil
    Harmony Motel, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    Sleep (and splash) in your own personal waterpark at the Harmony Motel in Sao Paulo, where you can book a room with your a private waterslide (lifeguard not included).

  • V8 Hotel, Stuttgart, Germany

  • V8 Hotel, Stuttgart, Germany
    V8 Hotel, Stuttgart, Germany

    Never got that race car-themed bed as a child? Achieve your dream (at least for a night) at the V8 Hotel, where you can rent a garage, racetrack, car wash, Route 66, gas station, or drive-in movie theater themed room.