China's Love Hotel pioneer, 2599.
Chinese university students are at the forefront of China's consumer revolution. They are early adopters of new technologies and distribution channels, and are in the crosshairs of China's leading retailers. When they are not studying or shopping, China's young consumers find time for romance, pushing the percentage of those engaged in pre-marital sex to over 70%, up from less than 15% in the late 1980s. But growing demand for intimacy is limited by lack of privacy, as most unmarried Chinese live with their parents or in university dorms. Meanwhile, commercial supply of temporary private space for young lovers is patchy and sub-standard.
Premarital sex is now so common, it prompted some local women to set up a counter movement, complete with online media outlets and micro blogging campaigns to recruit virgin husbands. Meanwhile, China's young couples are doing it everywhere – on campus, in class, on the street… even in the Roman Coliseum. Given the alternatives, it is not surprising that couples resort to such exotic locations. Thousands of Chinese inns and hotels currently offer rooms by the hour, but such places are often dirty and uninspiring, and are associated with migrant workers, STDs, and prostitution.
It doesn't have to be this way. Elsewhere in Asia, similar demand is met with ample supply of affordable, clean, and enticing private space. Japan's Love Hotels, for example, cater to millions of couples per day, and are available in tens of thousands of locations across the island nation. Such hotels rooms are often markedly cheaper than comprable standard hotels, thanks to their higher turnover rate, lack of lavish public areas, and income from value added service like costume and accessory rentals(…). Love Hotels are also popular in Taiwan, and some even offer loyalty cards (here, in Chinese). In an interesting twist, one of Taiwan's most popular Love Hotel operators does not admit gay men or single women, since the gay couples are "much more likely to do drugs in the rooms" and desperate single women are "often looking for the prettiest, most expensive place they can, to dress up and kill themselves".
True to form, local entrepreneurs have already attempted to replicate Japanese and Taiwanese concepts on the mainland, but efforts have been few and far between. Honorable mentions include an operator in Nanning, Guangxi Province, who set up China's self-proclaimed First Love Hotel in 2008. Another pioneer hails from Changsha, Hunan Province, and operates a two-hotel chain called 2599. We assume that number carries a sleazy meaning in Hunan dialect, but have yet to figure out what it is. While the rooms seem cosy, and come with bouncing balls, rubber-strapped beds, and special reinforced chairs, some online commenters complained about lack of cleanliness and faulty equipment. China's largest specialized Love Hotel chain is Shanghai's We Love, with a total of four branches. A variety of other chains try to cater specifically for China's lovers, but are usually too pricy, not conveniently located, or do not offer hourly rates (here, in Chinese).
China is in the midst of a baby boom, and has hundreds of millions of young adults or kids that will reach adulthood over the next decade. We expect premarital sex rates to continue to rise, driving demand for affordable, clean, and fun space for young couples to spend quality time. This offers an opportunity for those willing and able to offer a suitable solution. The clients will surely come. Now, you just have to build it.
Source: BuybuyChina
