Osaka in Japan’s aptly named “Kinki” prefecture is often the butt of jokes, but it does get its kink on by being home to Japan’s, and the world’s, very first “love hotel.” If you’re thinking “love hotel” doesn’t literally mean “love hotel,” you’re wrong! The term is dedicated to the city’s 1968-built “Hotel Love”, which was stripped of all and any discretion. Soon, there was a proliferation of these short-stay establishments all over Japan, which offered double rooms for short periods of time. Usually, you could rent rooms from as less as 1-3 hours (called a “rest” — wink, wink) to the entire night (called a “stay), usually starting post 10 pm. Disdained by critics but loved by fans, these love hotels embraced everything from suggestive and sexually explicit names to bright neon signs and gaudy exteriors.
Even today, the love hotel’s staying power and popularity remains undisputable. So, we decided to uncover the very best lovey-dovey stays in Osaka, wanting to check their privacy game, amenities, and bawdiness for ourselves. Here’s a guide to the best, and kinkiest, love stays in Osaka.
Table of contents
- Hotel Zen Hirano
- Hotel Fuki no Mori
- Hotel America Osaka – Adults Only
- Hotel Jay – Adults-Only
- Hotel Sen
- Hotel Liebhaber
- Hotel Little Chapel Christmas Umeda
- Hotel Bali An Resort Shinsaibashi
- Towers Hotel
- Petit Hotel Rose Lips Shinsaibashi
- Hotel Sala Del Rey, Namba
- Our Verdict!
- Where to Stay in Osaka?
- Are love hotels legal in Japan?
- Do Japanese love hotels have toys?
- Are foreigners allowed in love hotels in Japan?
Hotel Zen Hirano
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We begin with what is one of the classiest love hotels we’ve ever seen, Hotel Zen Hirano. It might be set slightly south of the city center, but trust us when we say that it’s well worth the visit. Firstly, we were impressed with the 24-hour desk. So, the staff would be able to tend to our needs round-the-clock, and they did.
Secondly, we had a great choice in accommodations, which ranged across many spacious units. What’s more, all of them had room service, karaoke machines, ovens, fridges, coffee machines, and swanky bathrooms with complimentary bath products. It was the perfect space to relax at the end of a very long day of sightseeing in Osaka.
“We never thought we’d see a non-kitschy love hotel, but Hotel Zen broke all myths!”
WOW Travel
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Hotel Fuki no Mori
10
We wanted to stay away from the city bustle for the weekend, which is why we chose Hotel Fuki no Mori in Kyobashi, around three hours from Osaka. This was one love hotel with a unique twist — it maintains its Japanese yesteryear themes as well as its original decor. Are you into cosplay photography? This is the love hotel for you.
We had the choice of a number of nostalgic Showa-era rooms that were anything but ordinary. For instance, our room resembled a shinden-zukuri structure, surrounded by dry landscapes. The bedroom was up a flight of stairs, surrounded by red fences to make it look like a Japanese garden. What’s more, the bed was covered with red bamboo blinds, making us feel like old-time lords and ladies. Did we mention that the ceiling was decorated with some out-there shunga paintings where people were getting it on? Yep. With Japanese-style inn-style tatami mats and mod-cons like a spa bathtub, fridge, coffeemaker, etc., we had a memorable stay here indeed.
Besides this room, there is also one with a boat-shaped bed, one with pink iron bars, one with a kinky Japanese-style tearoom — whatever floats your boat.
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Hotel America Osaka – Adults Only
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If you’re looking for a loved-up stay in Downtown Osaka, then head straight to Hotel America Osaka – Adults Only. Located just steps from Namba City and the Dotonbori Glico Running Man Sign, it’s perfectly located for first-time tourists who also want to explore the city at their own pace. We also loved the overall decor of the hotel, which was tidy, clean, and chic. Thanks to the 24-hour front desk, all our needs were taken care of all the time. Since this love hotel is all about privacy, we needed to ask the front desk for access whenever we wanted to enter the hotel or leave it.
What’s more, we had the choice of 25 rooms, all of which were fully equipped with amazing amenities. For one, they all had the plushest beds ever, which allowed us to recover from a long day of sightseeing. However, what particularly helped us unwind and connect is the huge spa bathtub with powerful massage jets!
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Hotel Jay – Adults-Only
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Best location. One of the best-located love hotels in Osaka, Japan, is Hotel Jay Adults-Only, which sits in the heart of Namba. We loved the sexy monotone vibe of the hotel, which was unlike most of the other multicolored vibes of most other love stays we’d seen in the city. The sleek, dark hues, combined with even sexier textures like leather and velvet, is what sets the tone and vibe at this love hotel, and we were all for it. The hospitality is top-notch too, as we were welcomed with a, well, welcome drink when we checked in!
What’s more, we had the choice of multiple stylish and elegant rooms, all of which boasted AV equipment, flatscreen TVs, free Wi-Fi, and some of the most luxurious bathrooms we’d ever seen. What’s more, all private bathrooms had private jacuzzi with six complimentary bath essences for a relaxing and comfortable time. Do you know that you can become a member on the spot and enjoy a 10% discount? Yep.
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Hotel Sen
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Hotel Sen was one of the most ‘regular-looking’ love hotels we’d ever seen. This Osaka hotel was a mere 10-minute walk from the Namba underground station, which meant that we could easily explore the city as well.
We especially loved the slick, soundproofed rooms at this love hotel, all of which came with flatscreen TVs, coffeemakers, fridges, and modern bathrooms with hairdryers and bath products. Since there was free Wi-Fi throughout the property, we could actually relax in our rooms after a long day of sightseeing and not worry about not staying connected. However, what makes this a love hotel is that all rooms have AV equipment and room service even for the complimentary breakfasts. So, our stay was very cozy and peaceful, and we didn’t have to leave the room for anything.
What made the hotel all the better for us was that it was surrounded by some excellent restaurants around, which meant that we had lots of choices.
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Hotel Liebhaber
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Have you ever fancied sleeping in a racing car bed? Your dreams are about to come true at the Hotel Liebhaber, where you can do it in a shiny, fabulous-looking sports car without oil stain worries. We’re talking about the themed rooms at this love hotel, all of which had plush beds, modern bathrooms, bath products, mod-cons — and some of the zaniest decor we’d ever seen. For instance, our room had a bed shaped as a racecar and psychedelic mirror-like floors, walls, and even ceilings. Are you keen to join the mile-high club in style but don’t want to get off the ground? Choose the ‘universe’ room to fulfill these carnal desires, which has an airplane-shaped bed!
Since it’s a love hotel, it doesn’t have a lot in the way of amenities. However, it did have a 24-hour front desk, room service, and even had a complimentary breakfast included in the room price, which they would even deliver to us.
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Hotel Little Chapel Christmas Umeda
5
If you love kitschy stays, then you’ll love Hotel Little Chapel Christmas Umeda. Ideally located in the heart of the touristy Umeda, this amazing love hotel was close to many of Osaka’s top attractions. So, we could spend some quality kitschy time with each other while also being able to explore the city.
All rooms came with plush beds, sofas, and soundproof windows. However, that’s not all. They also had a bunch of nice touches to enhance our stay, including a glowing spa bathtub with complimentary foam bath salts. If that wasn’t enough, all rooms had karaoke facilities and PS2 games on the flatscreen TVs, as well as free Wi-Fi.
Every morning, we were treated to a fantastic à la carte breakfast. Besides room service and some fun karaoke, the accommodation also offered free Wi-Fi throughout, not just the rooms. So, we could plan our day-to-day itinerary without any issues.
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Hotel Bali An Resort Shinsaibashi
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Most freebies. Does your idea of cosplay involve a Bali-like environment? We highly recommend the Hotel Bali An Resort Shinsaibashi, where we had a mind-blowing staying experience. It was unlike any other love hotel we’d stayed at in the city, and we didn’t feel like we were in the heart of Japan, thanks to the all-pervasive tropical theme. There were a lot of freebies we were treated to, like the free drink bar at the bottom, tons of free snacks, coupons to karaoke, and even a bunch of free bath salts that would change color as they went into the water!
That really did make sense because all of the rooms had awesome bathtubs with in-built TVs. So, we’d enjoy long, languorous baths with powders, bubbles, bath salts and whatnot. What’s more, the rooms even had flatscreen TVs outside, coffee machines, microwaves, fridges, and the plushest beds in the world.
Check out more details about the hotel on its official website.
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Towers Hotel
3
Best themed rooms. We were looking for offbeat love stays, and the Tower Hotel and its themed rooms caught our eye. While there are simpler rooms with rodeo machines, there was even one with a billards table! Then again, one room had a clubby atmosphere, while another one was a legit maisonette, complete with a pool table and soft SM items! If that wasn’t enough, there was even a cave room, a luxurious one with a massage chair, one with a sauna and a cold bath and, or favorite, a room with an indoor pool, which was the highlight of our love hotel stay!
One of the best things about staying at the Towers Hotel was that we could have food delivered right to our room. Not only was there a specific room service menu, but we could also order from Uber Eats. Did we mention the set breakfast with hot drinksm boiled eggs, jam, toast, and ochazuke (salmon/plum). Oh also, this hotel is for adults only.
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Petit Hotel Rose Lips Shinsaibashi
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If the exterior isn’t a giveaway, then the name definitely is. Welcome to Petit Hotel Rose Lips Shinsaibashi, ad adults-only love hotel close to many popular sights, like Nipponbashi Monument and Mitsutera Temple.
We loved the decor of all the rooms and suites at this love hotel. Not only did the digs feature brightly patterned walls but also heavy drapes, bright and deeply sexy color palettes, and indulgent textures such as velvet. While some rooms feature more modern decor, others have old-world ones, with decor such as chandeliers. Nevertheless, all rooms boast private bathrooms with free bath products, flatscreen TVs, fridges, microwaves, and tea/coffeemakers. Did we mention they have room service too?
Every day, we’d begin our mornings with a fantastic American breakfast. Finally, the free Wi-Fi helped us plan our daily itinerrary and stay connected without any hassles.
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Hotel Sala Del Rey, Namba
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Best overall. Sitting at the top of the list is the swanky adults-only love hotel, Hotel Sala Del Rey in the central neighborhood of Namba. When we say swanky, it’s swanky for a love hotel! All rooms were outfitted with not just a plush bed but also a flatscreen TV, a modern bathroom with bath products, a work desk, a kettle, a microwave, and even a fridge. Did we mention that the rooms even have 100-inch-huge projectors, karaoke machines, massagers, and mood-lit baths? Yes! Since we’d chosen a specific room, ours even had a steam sauna to get it on in style. If you want to spend big bucks, then do rent the Presidential Suite, which also boasts a complete indoor swimming pool.
Just because it’s a love hotel doesn’t mean that it didn’t have amenities. For instance, we were treated to a full Asian/American breakfast every morning, which would fuel us for more than half the day. Since this is a sex hotel, for the want of a better word, there’s no front desk, but rather a panel of available rooms to choose from. When we entered the room, we’d be locked inside and would need to call the front desk to unlock the door for us. However, the staff is very nice, and we had a great time.
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Our Verdict!
While we were fascinated by all the love hotels on this list, here’s a specialized list to help you choose where to stay.
- Best location: Hotel Jay – Adults-Only
- Best overall: Hotel Sala Del Rey, Namba
- Best themed rooms: Towers Hotel
- Most freebies: Hotel Bali An Resort Shinsaibashi
Where to Stay in Osaka?
What’s great about Osaka’s love stays is that they aren’t limited to any specific neighborhood, and are spread all over the city. So, the question we’re really asking is, where would you want to stay during your amorous vacation in this Japanese city?
We begin with Namba, a neighborhood smack dab in the center of the city. It’s not only home to several restaurants and shopping complexes, but also, mainly, the Namba subway and train stations, making it a transport hub. Umeda is the fashionable Downtown, with hotels, shopping complexes and streets, and even the Umeda Sky Building with an observation deck. So, this is the perfect neighborhood for first-time visitors, as well as those looking for luxurious digs.
Do you want to take day trips to cities like Nara and Kyoto? Shin-Osaka is the best base for this, and there are great love hotels there too. The traditional Japanese vibe of Nakazakicho will appeal immensely to culture buffs, while the neighborhoods around Osaka Castle is where you should stay during the cherry blossom season.
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Are love hotels legal in Japan?
Yes, absolutely. They’re a Japanese institution of sorts and are completely legal in all of Japan.
Do Japanese love hotels have toys?
Love hotels have everything you require for a comfy stay, such as slippers, robes, towels, and bath products. What’s more, many also provide condoms for free, as well as toys in an in-room vending machine.
Are foreigners allowed in love hotels in Japan?
Most love hotels in touristed areas will allow foreigners without any issues. Try and book the more expensive ones rather than the cheaper ones.