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 Korean Love Motels…

Motels are usually my least favorite dwellings, but ever since I saw My Sassy Girl (a Korean romantic comedy film), I admit, it piqued my curiosity. As  guessed, Asian 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/Seonyudo Islands to Jeonju with travel buddies (Chance and Margaret), who were perfect accomplices to help satiate this curiosity.

Tour of Korean Love Motels

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 Korean Love Motel Tips for Travelers

1. Where do you find Korean  love motels?

Korean love motels can often be found around the bus terminals. This is an easy location for motel companies as many travelers and couples come off the bus or train looking for somewhere to bed. Is your guidebook not listing love motel accommodations?  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.

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2.  How much do Korean love motels cost?

You can 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.

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3.  Can you see your room before you book it?

“Bang chom polsu issoyo?” (Meaning: I see room?) (phonetically: bhang chohm pohl-su ee-so-yo)

What I originally uttered in waygook– ian (aka foreigner) however, was completely guttural– Bahng pohseyo? 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.

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4. How Koreans get 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?

Can you find love in love motel? Maybe. 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!

Read 10 shocking Korean quirks you didn’t know about

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5.  Peek-a-boo bathroom windows

Not all rooms or motels have this unique feature, but it’s not uncommon. 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.

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6. All-in-one luxury and convenience

Some love motels in Korea 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!

7. Korean love motels provide toiletries (and a little more!)

Some love motels in Korea 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.

8.  Getting you sexed up and hooked 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!

9.  Korean love motels value privacy (and anonymity)

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

Would you stay at a Korean love motels ? 

Related Posts

Best Asian Love Motels in Jeonju to Gunsan (Digs & Dives )
Love Motel in Korea- Suncheon & Korean Pornography
Naked in a Korean Bathhouse
A Guide to Korean Love Motels

Watch Korea Travel Tips (Video)