originally uploaded by gak.

CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO

Once upon a time, my friend suggested doing “research” for the blog on the love hotels here in Okinawa. But then we didn’t because we’re busy and when exactly would we fit that in? Alas, I just enjoyed imagining us alone in a car sans kids with a checklist of love hotels to hit before dinner.

Instead I figured I’d mention it here with some links to enhance your education and then I’ll just drop it in your lap because I KNOW YOU HAVE THINGS TO SAY.

Share the wealth.

Your details are critical, identity not so much.

Here are some words on the topic.

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Here are two cents from the Stars & Stripes.

27 COMMENTS

  4. I’ve read all about the Love Hotels and have seen where most of them only allow 2 people in a room at a time. Does anyone know of any love hotels, preferably on “Love Alley” (Route 22 near Awase) that allow MORE than 2 people in a room at a time? Really interested in the Mint House but don’t know if the max is 2 in their rooms at a time. I am interested in maybe throwing a Passion Party…or something like that in a room.

    TIA

  5. We enjoy going to the Mint Hotel. However, I think it’s important to point out that it is designed to be used for a specific purpose for a limited amount of time. If you are wanting an overnight getaway or something along those lines, certainly it would not be for you (most love hotels wouldn’t, really – go to a regular hotel!). I don’t think we’ve ever been there even two hours (hey, we’ve got kids with a sitter to get back to!), and yes sometimes there is a little bit of alcohol with dinner beforehand. We have also been to the Hawaii Hotel. It is definitely newer and cleaner, but to us it felt like a regular small small hotel room… which wasn’t really what we were going for. We have done the pool room before at the Mint, which was fun though I was a little worried about how often they clean it. We now typically use one with a drainable hot tub/big jetted tub instead. Definitely get a discount card if you plan to use Mint. I’m a pretty clean person, but I can let go and enjoy myself… if you can’t, I’d steer clear of love hotels.

  8. Well…I am here to say that yesterday was my anniversary and I trusted in the comments of this page…and because of that I had a terrible time!!!
    Big Lesson -I WILL NOT TRUST IN IT ANYMORE….

    If you have good taste this is for you….PLease do not go to this The Mint hotel they are talking about!!!! Someone told its not a trashy hotel oh my Goodness the place is horrable… Stinks, dirty, and the pool indoor is nasty…Big story short…I choosed the 307 someone told was good ….Terrible…
    I mean if you are drunk you would like anything anyways…
    If your home is super dirty and nasty than you will like a trashy place like that…

    If you like clean places…New furniture etc… Do not go there…

    Everything is old and stinks, the floor are in orange color and you can see the brow and black spots of dirty…the tiles on the pool are white but you can clearly see the black spots in it…

    The bed is from my grand granpha age…

    I entered in the room I hated to see how dirty was the living room, I went upstairs in a uggly stairs and I saw the bed and I thought ” I would rather to stay at my home 100 times”

    When I went to see the pool I almost threw up…how can people swimm in a nesty place like that and trust its clean when you look around you see how dirty it is…
    honestly DRUNK PEOPLE WONT CARE…

    After seing all that no doubts my husband and I looked in each other faces and said lets get out of here ….

    We left the place…

    We were very disapointed cause we spent long time to find it…
    well we ended up going to this HAWAI RESORT because it looked like new from the outside and it was a better choice…
    Nothing that we dreamed about but at least the furniture etc was new and clean..we paid 7.000 yen for the night (from 11pm – 7am)…

    Good luck finding a nice place to your date!

    Of course its you choice and this is my point of view…If you wanna try The MInt go ahead and come here again to post your opinion….

  9. Anyone know of the Love Haunt? We walked in. It has a machine with 3 prices for each room. I have no idea what times the 3 prices correspond to. It’s by our house and the bars/restaurants of the Sunabe area so I’m wanting to know about this one.

    As for anonymous, I read there is a convenient store/toy store in the Sunabe area but I don’t know where. I also read on here that the yellow DVD store has them but there is some controversy as to whether we can use that one or not.

  11. The Mint House does have a discount card. Simply ask for it when checking out on the phone – it gives you 20% off each visit. You can also accumulate stamps on the back, which I believe add up to a 1,000 yen discount (although the 20% each visit is a better deal?). Anyways, we’ve gotten two so far… the first time we tried to use the card & get our second stamp, the guy lost it (we think – didn’t speak English really) and then sent us up a new one.

  12. My husband and I went to “The Mint” for our anniversary. We stayed in 307 which is one of the rooms with the pool. We had trouble finding the hotel so I thought I would post how to get there.
    From Kadena take 330 towards Foster. Turn Left onto 22, Awase golf course will be of the left side. Stay on this road till you come to a stop sign at a T intersection turn left. At the next stop sign go right, then turn right again (there will be a sign for Okinawa City over the road.) Turn left before the “Hotel Lovers” sign. “The Mint” is behind this hotel. You’ll go though what looks like a dump truck parking lot, and the alley wraps around to the left. You’ll see the sign and the front gate where you select your room. Go into the booth select one of the lite up rooms, get back in your car and head to the room. There are signs point towards the “100’s” “200’s” and “300’s”, go the direction you need to and your room number will have a flashing arrow where you need to park. Park and go inside (Make sure you take what ever you need inside with you, as you will not be able to go to your car until you pay.)

  13. Does anyone know of any love hotels in particular that have differently themed rooms? The pool at The Mint sounds nice but are there any other hotels that have pools? It would be nice if these places had brochures! haha

  18. My wife and I have made it a point to get away to a Love Hotel once a month or so, and we have gone to the Mint House the last couple of times. Room 302 has a large pool, separate bathroom and shower area, bedroom, and upstairs is the living room. It’s very clean and we love swimming in the buff, it’s very liberating. And it costs about $40 for two hours with my discount card.

  21. Best love hotel I have been to would have to be Water Hotel. Its on the convention center road near Camp Foster where it branches off of 58 going towards Naha on the right side of the road a few blocks in behind the 100yen shop. I have been there 4 times and each room is different and unique giving a new feeling each time you visit. Here is a link to a Japan Update story with a few pics http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=254

    If you would rather have a plethora of choices there is the affectionately named “Sperm Valley” in Awase. From Hwy 330 make the turn to Awase golf course and keep going straight down the road until it forks at the end and go right. It’s quite a view at night with all of the neon signs.

  22. this is a super comment submitted anonymously…

    we recently experienced the love motel called “THE MINT”. i had two sets of directions, which were difficult and i actually don’t know how we got there. we were about to give up. i can say that it is in the love motel area and up on the/a big hill. anyway, if you are able to find it, navigating the room check-in is actually not too bad. upon entering the complex, there is a big sign with photos of all the rooms. they are lit if they are available and darkened if not. you select your room (we got one of the swimming pool ones) and then drive around to that room number parking stall. you can pull a curtain over the back of the space to conceal the identity of your car if you like. they actually had a light blinking over the space to help direct. you enter the door to a hallway and then the room. there is a phone, which rings shortly after you enter when they contact you from the front desk. they asked if we had a coupon. payment is made in cash through one of those bank teller tube things. the room was actually 2 stories with a kind of living room and toilet room downstairs (including super japanese heated seat). upstairs there was a bath/shower room – very complicated big shower with all sorts of different jets and it turns into a hot tub i think – also stocked with bath products, robes and towels. the swimming pool was great – about the size of my living room – long and narrow. there was also of course the bedroom. my friend recommended bringing a candle along because sometimes people smoke in there. it didn’t seem too bad, but i was burning a candle. it did have a karaoke machine and the memory of my husband (who does not sing) singing mc hammer will always be treasured. it didn’t seem like some trashy cheap motel. it was more like a honeymoon suite. . . in a funky sort of 80s, japanese style. i would have found it a little more relaxing, had i not been worried about checking out on time at the end of the 2 hours. anyway, we were there for 2 hours – i think it’s also for 4. it was like 6000 yen. overall, it was a really interesting and fun experience. i’m not sure i’d do it regularly, just because of the price. people without kids might rather save the $ and stay home, but when you share your home, even with adorable little monsters, sometimes the idea of getting away might just be worth your 6000 yen.

  23. Am so interested in this cultural aspect of Okinawa, not to mention that I think it would be a great date night! hehe. The Mint Hotel sounds especially luxurious, but not sure about that pool if they don’t drain it everyday – ugh.