Love hotels thrive in China

A receptionist in a love-themed hotel in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi province.[Photo provided to China Daily]

But what makes this hotel unique is that each room has a projector to enjoy a private movie screening of the highest quality. The hotel has a catalogue of more than 3,000 mainstream films to choose from. Other services include a 3D option and home theater sound.

"Our business is doing really well," Shao Bu, manager at Cinema Motel, said. "We already have another franchise in Beijing and we are opening a hotel in Suzhou later this year."

Even though China's hotel industry is becoming increasingly competitive, love hotels are booming due to their higher occupancy rates.

The reason for this is that rooms can be rented for hours instead of days. This means a hotel room can be occupied four times in a 24-hour span.

"Although our hotel has only 30 rooms, we receive an average of 100 customers per day," Bu said, adding that this makes Cinema Motel extremely profitable.

Naturally, these type of hotels have filled a gap in the market－a place where young, unmarried couples can go for privacy. In a country where young people live at home until they decide to marry, it can be difficult for them to spend "quality time" together.

Love hotels are just catering to demand. Han Guo in the Haidian district of Beijing started off as a conventional hotel when it first opened its doors five years ago.

But increasing competition from low-price chains, such as Hanting Hotels and Home Inn, forced them to come up with something different.

"We are located near several universities and young people are tired of the traditional hotel accommodation experience," Yu Miaowei, manager of the Han Guo hotel, said. "This is why last year we decided to redecorate the rooms to attract students."

Young couples, according to Yu, decide to stay at the hotel because of the romantic and sweet environment.

Franken Huang, 23, a student, had heard about the phenomenon of Japanese love hotels and thought it was an interesting concept.

"I think love hotels will also be successful in China because people are increasingly looking for novelty and want to try new experiences," Huang said.

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