All The Reasons Why You’ll Love This Japan Love Hotel...

And for none of the reasons you’re probably thinking!

As an anime consumer and Japanese pop-culture enthusiast, visiting Japan has always been at the top of my “must travel” list. With borders finally open for tourism after three years due to the pandemic, my fiance and I planned a trip for mid-March 2023 so we could experience the cherry blossoms.

The Need For Comfortable Space

Little did I know that most accommodations in the Tokyo region would be sold out with only rooms under 300 sq feet available. We found a room in Roppongi for the first leg of our journey, which was surprisingly comfortable for 151 sq feet. The last leg of our trip involved flying from Kyushu back to Tokyo for one night before heading back home to California. At the time, we would have been almost two weeks into our trip abroad so we knew that we wanted to find a spacious room to sprawl out in. Plus we needed to accommodate our recently purchased third piece of luggage that was packed full of souvenirs.

Value For Your Money

In my research, I learned that outside of quirky themes and sometimes questionable decor, love hotels tend to host bigger rooms and can be cheaper than standard Japanese hotels. This realization brought me to Hotel D-WAVE, conveniently located in the heart of Shinjuku. I was immediately drawn to its luxurious interior and visibly spacious rooms. Reviews across different platforms revealed consistently high rankings for cleanliness, comfort, value for money, and overall fun vibes. Without a trace of doubt, I excitedly booked our stay for the Deluxe Double Queen room (431 sq ft) and was genuinely surprised at how my expectations were exceeded.

The High End Experience

Upon arrival, I was enamored by the marble, glass, and black leather details, which elicited the feeling of up-scale Las Vegas opulence. The check-in process involved an attendant providing our room keys from behind a frosted window as a measure to respect patron privacy. However, one of the attendees recognized we weren’t local to the area and came out from behind the window to explain the hotel policies and graciously proceeded to escort us to our room and assisted with our luggage.

The Amazing Amenities

We were then shown our room, #605. I quickly realized the neon light illuminating our doorbell was not just for aesthetics but meant to signal if the room was occupied (by the color, red) or available (green). Once we turned the key to open the door, we were greeted with a small foyer that included cozy leather slippers to switch into and a separate toilet area off to our right. Beyond the foyer was a glass-paned door that led to the spacious sleeping and common area complete with a massage chair, sofa, and a 65-inch flatscreen TV. We could use the TV to order room service, additional amenities, and even karaoke equipment.

Our room was also equipped with a built-in sound system, alongside a device with an extensive library of music that reverberated throughout the room The same device allowed us to control the lights, complete with several pre-programmed settings we could from.

The vanity was filled with amenities including spa-worthy bath salts and body oil. The mini fridge was stocked with a variety of local alcohols automatically applied to your bill should you lift a beverage out of its holding space. 

I was enthralled with the sauna and I immediately went in to decompress before hopping into the jacuzzi tub for a bubble bath. To elevate my relaxation time and wind down for the evening, I got comfortable in the plush robe provided and indulged in a cup of green tea using the elegant porcelain drinkware readily available. 

The Verdict 

Spending my last night in a Japanese love hotel was ironically symbolic; aside from the exceptional experience, it gave me one more reason to love Japan.