It has been suggested that love hotels are one of Japan’s more resilient businesses, but even they sometimes succumb to hard times. And in many of the areas liberally dotted with them, the competition must be intense; each one attempting to outdo the other with novel interiors or technology. A fate it would seem that befell the now abandoned Hotel New Royal, as there’s a fairly new and far fancier place positioned right across from it.
The office part of the building certainly suggests that money had been a little thin on the ground during the latter years, as despite closing its doors for the last time in 2006, the equipment it is kitted out with feels like it’s from a very different age indeed.
A time when figures were generally inputted with one, very deliberately pressed, finger.
And tried and trusted metal switches were very much the order of the day.
Equipment that the presumably far from young Narushima-san — who it would appear ran the hotel — perhaps felt just about comfortable with.
Accounting and clerical tasks that needed to be fitted in between the considerably more pressing work of such establishments — cleaning.
Yet despite the rather archaic nature of the office, the rooms themselves really weren’t that bad. Something that’s still true even now, another five years down the line. Yes, there’s no denying they are dated, but not diabolically so.
Plus they were fitted with a few nice little extras. There was the offer of sustenance for those who may have over exerted themselves.
Phones and fancy panels to marvel at and play with.
Along with games machines for those whose heart perhaps wasn’t in it when it came to the main purpose of being there. Although with buttons labelled double up, big and small, there was no getting away from the job at hand.
And for those who were up for it, there was no shortage of matches for more than a few post-coital Marlboros.
In regards any kind of theme, mirrors were clearly a key feature.
But for the more adventurous, this room had a moving bed.
With simple buttons to get things rolling.
And while there is obviously no power in the building anymore, the rooms are still in surprisingly good condition, with very little damage apart from the removal of all the air-conditioning units. A scenario that presumably prompted at least one person to stay. The colour of the sheets and the amount of tissues they went through suggesting it was for quite some time too.
Yet why they chose the rather mundane room they did is hard to fathom, especially with a chariot sat idly by next door.
Or even more so the marvel that was just across the corridor. For starters its lamps are quite ornate.
But even they are nothing compared to the bed itself. A truly preposterous affair that is quite literally the Rolls Royce of beds.
Marc Tobolski says
Love Hotels – so Japanese. I want to stop at the UFO-themed one in Chiba (Makuharihongo) one day just to see what it looks like inside! Thanks again for an excellent pictorial, Lee.
Lee says
Glad to hear you liked it. Never heard of the UFO-themed hotel. Sounds intriguing…
PatricMan says
The UFO is very old. Most ladies don’t like it that much. It’s clean but old and sometimes rooms smell smoky. Men love it I guess because of the fantasies they have imagining how many thousands of couples already (ab)used this particular room. No? Anyways, great experience, cheap, and unique payment system. 2,800 Yen for 2h during weekends and 3,800 Yen all day during weekday. Some awesome mirror rooms available. Enjoy exchanging body fluids 🙂
Michael says
Wonderful post Lee! I’d seen the odd photo of car-shaped beds in love hotels before, but this seems to be quite a recently abandoned hotel! I guess nature hasn’t got inside yet.
Lee says
Cheers Michael. Yeah, only 5 years. The fact that it hasn’t been touched at all, with not even a window smashed, means nature hasn’t really had a chance.
MrSatyre says
Wow. Gotta say that one is in such “recently occupied” condition as to be creepy. Are you sure you didn’t hear feet running down the back stairs when you went in?
Lee says
No, thankfully we didn’t. A few of the rooms did have their doors closed though, so I made a point of making some noise. And, although it felt a bit foolish, knocking on said doors before entering.
Jake from Debt Sucks says
Abandoned or not, *always* knock in a love hotel! It’s not like you’d be so lucky as to interrupt brunch, right?
Lee says
Very true!
winnie says
It look quite new that do not look like the abandoned hotel, except rubbish is scattered around.
When I looked at the pictures, I thought of the movie “Austin Power”
🙂
Nice pictures!
Lee says
Thanks! Yes, it’s in incredible condition really. No vandalism at all.
WP says
It looks great…and surprisingly clean too, after all this time! (except for the room where there was rubbish)
Lee says
Yes, it’s surprisingly intact. It’s pretty rare to find a haikyo in such good condition.
Peta says
Oh my! That last shot takes the cake! Wonder how much that room went for a night?!
Lee says
Can’t remember what the prices were, but yeah, it’s a bit special, isn’t it?
Lizzy says
It probably felt a lot creepier than it looks. I’d expect business to start up while I was exploring. 🙂 Very nice find.
Lee says
It wasn’t to be honest. Apart from the room in which somebody had been living. It was something a bit different though, that’s for sure.
Don says
Having once practiced architecture, I look at these pictures and just can’t make the leap to what it must have been like to come up with the themes for each room during planning. The conversations must have been a laugh a minute… =D
Lee says
I bet. There must have been a brief silence when the Rolls was suggested, then uproar!
BHS says
I’m doing some research for a story I’m writing… I needed an abandoned hotel in the Tokyo area, so Google led me here. Your pictures are fascinating, it’s clear you made a great find!
Just for the sake of nitpicking authenticity, could you possibly tell me where exactly in Tokyo this hotel is? It’s a big city, after all…
Lee says
Sorry, but it’s not in Tokyo.
Bernadette says
You had to go there with the pun, huh? The room wasn’t cheesy enough, Lee? LOL
Lee says
Haha! The chance for a pun should never be passed up. Especially not when there’s a Rolls Royce bed involved!