Y’all have been sexting through the night.  The kind that would make even your horniest friend blush. Morning rolls in, birds are chirping, you’re still all riled up. You’re practically vibrating with the need to actually do all the things you just elaborated on in great detail. But, where are you gonna go? Not your maa-papa’s house, not your bestie’s couch, and def not the sweaty backseat of your car. You need a place.

Had this been the case in Japan, you’d be heading straight to the wildest child of the hospitality world: love hotels.

So, What Even Are Love Hotels?

Aka Japan’s not-so-secret, zero-judgement pleasure palaces where couples can just… unapologetically be horny in peace. Locals call ’em “rabuho” - and no babe, these are not your regular-degular stay-the-night-and-order-room-service kinda joints. These places are literal sensual playgrounds with full-blown themes. Yup, themes. Think Hello Kitty BDSM rooms (iconic), fairytale forests, gothic castles, karaoke bathtubs, and even alien spaceship pods that look like you're about to get probed in the best way possible. Wanna live your Victorian mistress fantasy or rock up as a naughty nurse? Sorted. Feel like an anime demon soaking in a neon-lit hot tub under LED constellations? Ofcourse yes!

And I’ll tell you the best bit. It’s not just about gettin’ it on. It’s about doing it comfortably, privately, and without the whole nosy world giving you the side-eye. These places are anonymous AF. You literally don’t have to give your name. Check-ins are automated. No reception drama. No aunty with hawk eyes. No “what’s your relationship?” quiz at the desk. You pick your room from a touchscreen. And tada, welcome to your private pleasure zone.

Oh, and get this - you’re not locked into a 24-hour booking. Wanna sneak in for a 2-hour quickie? Go for it. Craving a 6-hour nap and cuddle session? Done. Planning a full-blown 12-hour love fest with snacks, breaks, and multiple rounds? Babe, live your truth. It’s all à la carte.

And the extras? Ugh, iconic.  Most love hotels are stocked with a freaky vending machine dream. Condoms, personal massage,  lubes, sex toys, sexy lingerie rentals, and yep, cosplay fits if you're feelin’ extra. Cat ears? Nurse uniform? Demon slayer in lace? Whatever floats your boat.

Japan’s love hotels are so popular, over 4,720 of them dot the country, each more extra than the last. Here: take a quick fun tour if you will. It’s a multi-billion dollar industry built on moaning in peace and LED-lit orgasms, and honestly? Goals.

And other countries are totally catching the heat. All across East Asia, love hotels are thriving. South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand are all in. Even the West is getting freaky with it. Paris, Amsterdam, and New York now have boutique hideaways for your next sexy little escapades. And Brazil? Oh, baby. Their “motels” are full-on fantasy suites made for moaning. Latin America’s understanding of the assignment too.

So, Where’s India in This Global Sexy Saga?

Rewind to 2013, when a lil’ startup called OYO entered the chat and kinda accidentally, kicked off what lowkey felt like India’s own baby-step version of the love hotel wave.

OYO said, “Why sneak around in parks and parking lots when you can get sexy in a clean, budget-friendly room, no nosy aunties involved?” And couples, especially the unmarried ones, ran with it.

And the girlies (and their boos) ate it up. Unmarried couples finally had a space. For a hot minute, it felt like India was maybe, possibly, entering its sex-positive era. Like we were flirting with progress.

But, in a very desi plot twist, OYO decided to hit us with a dramatic uno reverse. In Meerut, the company now lets partner hotels deny rooms to unmarried couples unless they flash a shaadi certificate.

Wait, what happened?

Turns out, some sanskaari civil society groups raised a ruckus. They started accusing OYO of “promoting immorality” (classic). And OYO, instead of standing its ground, bent like a wet papad, claiming that the policy shift was to “align with local sensibilities.”

But for the rest of us: the Tinder daters, the long-distance lovers, the quietly rebellious - it felt like a throwback we didn’t ask for. A big fat moral policing thapad on the face dressed up as “policy.”

From Twitter memes to Reddit rants, the internet went off. Everyone was basically screaming into the digital abyss -
“Why is it so damn hard to get a room in your own country as two consenting adults?”

Fair question. We’re not asking for alien pods or Hello Kitty dungeon decor (yet).

Another sad reality? Even in cities where unmarried couples are allowed, booking an OYO feels like rolling the dice on a biohazard. The hygiene? Mid at best, horrifying at worst.  Word on the street is that their chaotic expansion led to zero quality control, beef with hotel owners, and shady practices that basically strong-arm local spots into cutting corners.

So yeah, instead of a sexy escape, you’re left side-eyeing the sheets and praying there’s no mystery stain situation. Are we asking for too much here? Literally just a room, a bed, and the bare minimum little peace to not be treated like criminals for having a sex life.

Let's Talk Laws, Baby

Okay, so here's the tea: it’s not illegal for unmarried couples to book a hotel room in India. Yep, not a crime, not even close. The Supreme Court literally said privacy is a fundamental right, and that includes your sexual autonomy. If you’re 18+ and consenting, no hotel can legally deny you a room just ‘cause you’re not married.

Buuut... the sanskaari moral police? Yeah, they missed that memo real hard.

We still have, especially in smaller cities and towns, hotel staff calling up the cops, shady “raids” where couples are harassed, humiliated, and sometimes even forced to sign bogus apology letters. It’s chaotic out here.

Unless you’re chilling at a biggie like a luxury chain or one of those verified couple-friendly spots (shoutout FabHotels), booking a room is basically a gamble. Will you get a bed or a moral lecture? Who knows.

Quick pro tip: Always scan the reviews and look for that sweet little “couple-friendly” tag on booking sites. And if anyone tries to pull a desi moral move, know your rights. You’re not doing anything wrong, so do not fold.

So, Why Tf Do We Need Love Hotels (Or Clean Nice Rooms to Start With) in India?

We’ll say it louder for the aunties in the back: It’s because safe, consensual sex is not a crime.

India’s got over 600 million people under 30. Gen Z and millennials are dating, falling in love, falling out of love, exploring, experimenting, and honestly? Just looking for a little peace and privacy to get it on without drama. We’re not promoting any “immorality,” we’re asking for basic dignity. A place to connect, be intimate, and maybe even nap after - without moral police knocking at the damn door.

And let’s be honest: denying hotel rooms isn’t stopping anyone from getting freaky. It’s just pushing people into sketchy car backseats, sus alleys, or, god-forbid, a questionable public bathroom with zero lighting and 100% trauma. So the real question is: Wouldn’t you rather folks have sex somewhere safe, clean, and private?

We rest our case.

What Love Hotels Could Look Like in India?

Right now? We’re still stuck at square one: begging for a clean room where we can just be with our partner without the side-eye from the receptionist. 

Business idea for my girlies? Rebrand the whole thing. Call it “wellness hotels” or give it some other spicy-yet-sanskaari desi name. Add some soft lighting, eucalyptus-scented sheets, call it a “retreat” and boom, the uncles might even invest. But until that dreamy day when love hotels are as normal as our chai tapris, we’ve got a job to do.

We gotta push for more couple-friendly hotels that don’t judge you for booking a room with your partner. We need policies that protect privacy instead of shaming it. And we def need platforms that actually celebrate intimacy instead of hiding it under layers of awkwardness (blowing kisses to our own TST for leading the charge). 

There’s a reason love hotels in Japan became iconic. They served a raw, real, human need. And India? We’ve got that same need, just multiplied by a billion. Time to stop acting like we don’t.

Author Bio:

Hemali (she/her) is an explorer of the realms of sexuality, intimacy, and dating. She talks endlessly about the evolving landscape of feminist narratives on the big screen and makes you reanalyze the portrayal of women in mainstream culture. If you're looking for alternative conversation starters, take your pick from: Biryani, Art Fairs, or Spoken Word Poetry.