Finding love in the Korean Love Motel

Finding Love in a Korean Love Motel

Home is where I lay my head… is a true saying for me, but “I just want somewhere to lay my head for the night” are words you’ll seldom hear off my lips. Milking a romantic and dreamy experience out of a budget accommodation is almost always the challenge for the budget backpacker. However, “cheap” doesn’t need to mean crappy and “adventure” doesn’t have to entail bugs.  One of my favorite travel experiences are my accommodations, so I’m not looking for just a pillow; ideally, I’d like a theme park! Enter the Korean Love Motel…

Motels are usually my least favorite dwellings, but ever since I saw My Sassy Girl (a Korean romantic comedy film), I admit, it picqued my curiosity. As  guessed, love motels are  primarily geared for couples wanting private loving away from the stern eyes of their parents … maybe even wives! Words like “illicit”, “seedy” and “red light” always conjure my interest; and with sex being a tightly closeted subject in Korea, I’ve wondered what some of those closets might look like. I traveled from Gunsan/Syeonudo Islands to Jeonju with travel buddies (Chance and Margaret), who were perfect accomplices to help satiate this curiosity.

The Love Motel Tour

After docking in our cities, we were off to see the bizarre, the gross, film-noir on-the-cheap; while also hoping to find a bit of clean decency for ourselves. Hand it to artists- when you put ‘em together, you’re always going to lean a bit off-line; you’ll geek out on the bizarre, the sketchy, the kitschy and garish. If it had a cheesy name or a tacky facade, we were sure to attempt a room viewing to check it out. We covered about 9 motels in the span of 2 cities. What we found, however, was surprisingly C.U.B. (chic, unique, boutique); at times, downright luxurious! It certainly put  sexy back into Korean sex and made me think that perhaps, sleaze was not the main selling point to these motels. Perhaps, romance did exist?…

9 Love Motel Tips for Travelers:

1) Love Motels can be found near the city Express Bus Terminals.

So you’ve just stepped off the bus into your new city and you need find a place to stay. Unfortunately, guidebooks don’t have these places covered. My advice? Just look up and follow the high beacon of neon building lights (and cheesy signs)… it’s like a homing device for newly arrived travelers.

Neon lights can be a telling sign of a Korean Love Motel

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2) Rent a room by the hour or at 40,000W/night

What do you get?

A room with a queen-sized mattress bed or a Yo (bedding on the floor) but keep reading… you’ll find it comes with more! Extra beds aren’t an obvious client choice, but are occasionally accommodated for an additional 5-10,000W.

Front Desk & Love Motel Prices  

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3)  Bang chom polsu issoyo? (Meaning: See Room?)

What I originally uttered in waygook- ian (aka foreigner) however, was completely guttural– Bang poseyo?

Still, miming it brought me close to the same thing and Koreans only give you a rough time when you’re attempting to pronounce their language correctly. In Korea, it’s okay to ask to see a room before you book it and believe me, you’ll be glad you did!  Either an office manager will accompany you to the room or give you a key to go up and have a peek yourself.

Asking to see a room first is smart 

Rooms in Korean Love motels can vary    … 

love motel rooms vary

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4) In the mood for love?

Flowery wallpaper do it for you? A princess theme? How about mirrors on your ceiling or red, plush leather backboards and mood lighting? Jacuzzi or massage table? If you’re Korean, you’ll learn to carry a little humor with you when you’re in the mood for sex. Some motels are flavored with mis-matched themes and  fun dabs of kitsch. The cheesiest are always the fun to stumble upon!

Bathrobe, Honey?…

korean house slippers

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5) Peek-a-boo bathroom windows

Not all rooms or motels have this unique feature, but it’s not uncommon (and it cured the My Sassy Girl curiosity). The bath is occasionally separated from the living/bedroom space by a giant glass window (some of it frosted). One of our hotels didn’t have a door so we had the honor code system of “we won’t look” privacy.

(Above) fogged bathroom window above; you can peek into from the room ; (below) fogged bathroom windows are hardly private even if they look a little classy.

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6) All-in-one luxury and convenience

Some motels leave nothing unturned. Widescreen HDTV, computers, a hot/cold water dispenser and a refrigerator with beverages to boot! Best of all, unlike western hotels, you don’t get charged for everything you use!

hot & cold water dispenser & refrigerator      One computer, two computers,… or none.

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7) Leave your toiletries at home

Our rooms had everything  we needed and then some! They came fully stocked with enough Kleenex, towels and jumbo-sized wash products to take several baths! Some even came with individually wrapped toothbrush sets.

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Standard love motel toiletries

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8) Getting you all sexed up!

What finally differentiates a love motel from an ordinary pad is the probable fact that it helps you get sex-ified, for that special moment.  Fragrant feminine lotions, facial masks, bubble bath… hey, some even kick in lube and condoms!

To help enhance your mood and safety

9)  Anonymous Getaways

What’s a love motel without covert methods of escape and anonymity?  Some motels aid you in your privacy.

You can drop your keys in the elevator as you’re leaving

(Photo: Right) Order your room without even speaking to the front desk. (Photo: Left) Photos of what your pad looks like. Place your credit card in the slot and your apartment key dispenses.

Next: Korean Love Motels: Jeonju to Gunsan (Digs & Dives ) >>