I Love "Love" Motels

A love motel usually runs between $35-60 per night, depending on the city, area of that city, and quality/cleanliness. They are called “love motels” because they have a floor or two of hourly-rented rooms, covered parking, and the amenities in the bathroom include a condom. Whether or not people actually use these services for the purpose intended, these motels differ from the more expensive hotels. As far as I know, there are some other (non-"love" variety) guesthouses or motels - yeogwan - in this price range.

As my Aunt Jan & Uncle Lou are aware, love motels can offer surprisingly nice accommodations such as in-room wireless internet with computer, Jacuzzi tub, or big, flat-screen TV. When they visited Korea last fall I reserved a room on the upper (non-hourly!) floor of the Motel Greece in my suburb, Chilgok. We checked out the room before they arrived to ensure it would be adequate. It was much more than adequate, especially for the modest price. They had heated tile floors (complete with slippers), a computer, the afore mentioned big, flat-screen TV, western shower (somewhat unusual for a love motel) and bathtub, small water cooler and fridge, and a tall, comfy looking bed.

In my time here I have stayed in a few love motels, most of them not as luxurious. The few I’ve been to in Seoul, Gyeong-ju, and Busan have been passable. Typically, I’m just given a basic, mostly clean room – hard western bed, Korean shower, and a vanity with TV. They’ve all surely been better than the hostel I stayed at in New York, for which I paid nearly $70 per night!