Let's tryst again

Pay-by-the hour hotels have a bit of a reputation around the world as havens for prostitution. That's not necessarily so in many parts of Asia. Hong Kong certainly has its share of sleazy joints (those back street neon signs are just an indicator, some even boasting of Russian girls). Contrary to stereotypical images in triad flicks, however, a large number of short-stay operations are innocuous businesses that serve an important, if seldom discussed, social function.

In our space-starved city, where many people live with their parents well into adulthood, short stays offer a temporary private oasis. Guests are more likely to be newlyweds saving for their first apartment, university sweethearts or even grandparents taking the afternoon off from babysitting duties.

One such customer is a 32-year-old teacher, who prefers not to be named. He patronised a love hotel for the first time when he was 27 because he wanted some time alone with a girlfriend; both lived with their parents, so they went to a love hotel in Tsuen Wan. Since then, he estimates he has stayed in love hotels "over 100 times", mainly in areas such as Tsim Sha Tsui, Mong Kok and Prince Edward.

He reckons almost every Hongkonger has stayed in a love hotel and there is nothing shameful about it. He says: "Plenty of real couples stay in love hotels - young couples in love who live with their families, for example."

For many people seeking private space, the only other choice would be a karaoke lounge, but he says: "Karaoke is not the same. You have to queue, pay a lot and it is not truly private. But love hotels have everything you could want: you can watch TV, smoke, hang out and have some real privacy."

A 28-year-old businessman tells a similar story. "I've stayed in love hotels no more than six times; I'm a novice, not a veteran," he says. "But sometimes you want to keep parts of your life anonymous: your night life separate from your real life."