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Hotels (Taiga Suzuki)
Contents
Analyzing the kinds of contents of the signboards would be important because it reveals which aspects each hotel considers to be necessary and be most prioritized in order to attract customers. In addition, it perhaps reveals what kind of information users are actually looking for when deciding on a hotel. In Japanese Love Hotels: Protecting Privacy For Private Encounters, the author Michael Basil states the following:
Another way of insuring privacy for potential patrons is through providing information in front of the hotels. This can range from price information to photos of the rooms. Similar to a menu outside a restaurant, this allows people to browse without having to convey their intentions by going into (and out of) the wrong hotel.
Certainly, signboards of hotels have a huge amount of information. This page will introduce six different kinds of content that can be seen on hotels’ signboards and discuss how they potentially protect people’s privacy.
Name
What people most frequently see in the Kabuki-cho district is the name signboards. Through the field research in Kabuki-cho, it was observed that there are no hotels that do not have signboards saying their names. They come in all kinds of shapes, colors, and sizes, attracting potential users even from a long distance.
There are also name signboards that seem to be intended to create an atmosphere that matches the theme of the hotel. For example, the hotel W aramis has this kind of signboard. (See on the right) This small signboard has not only their name but also pictures of women on the luxurious background image. Regarding the size of this signboard and the fact that there are huge name signs outside which are more apparent, it can be assumed that this kind of signboard was made for people already going to enter it to feel the luxurious atmosphere of the hotel.
Price
Unlike common hotels such as business hotels and resort hotels, we see a number of numerical characters on the signboards of hotels. These are often the price and the time frame of their service. In some hotels, the price differs depending on conditions (stay or rest, daytime or nighttime, weekdays or weekends) as you can see below.
Through the field research, we found that all hotels in Kabuki-cho have signboards showing the price of the service. Like the one in the picture above, there are even hotels with no signboards except the name signs and the price signboard. This clearly shows that the price is one of the most significant factors that potential guests compare when deciding on hotels. In addition, it can be inferred that this content is a kind of must-have for hotels in Kabuki-cho which are trying to survive in such a fiercely competitive hotel market.
Images of rooms
One of the most common contents of hotel signboards is the room's picture. The reason for this must be because the main commodity of a hotel is the room where guests are able to have “privacy for sexual intercourse”. (Edwards & Booth, 2001)
Through the observation, we found that there are more signboards that show a number of room pictures than that showing only a few pictures. Most hotels in Kabuki-cho seem to have various kinds of rooms which differ in terms of size, atmosphere, price, etc. In addition, the fact that these hotels have this kind of signboard indicates that the interior of hotels is also one of the most important factors that people see when looking for space to rest.
List of amenities and equipment
Many hotels in Kabuki-cho have signboards that show a list of amenities and equipment. Such include bathtubs, sauna, massage chair, karaoke, DVD player, PC, dryer, phone charger, etc.
While all the visual aspects including the building itself and other signboards are elaborated to follow or even reinforce the theme of the hotel, this kind of signboard where only amenities and equipment are written is rather simple and pale. In other words, these texts seem to spoil the luxury atmosphere in a sense. This suggests that these hotels promote the convenience of the service, targeting people who did not plan to come but actually did.
List of services
Not only did we find equipment and amenities on the hotel signboards, but we also found the lists of services that can be utilized with a membership plan. Such include cash-back services, point services, free movies, free rental costumes, birthday or anniversary prizes, etc.
This indicates that this hotel is trying to expand its profits by increasing the number of repeat users.
The main signboard of Hotel Colorful P&A
A standing signboard of hotel W aramis
Hotel YUKA, displaying the price only
Hotel Gray, the price of the service is written
Hotel Sense, showing a number of rooms pictures
The Hotel Shinjuku, showing a number of rooms pictures
Hotel excellent, a signboard that shows a list of amenities and equipment
Hotel W aramis, a signboard that shows a lists of service
Methods of payments
Some signboards of hotels have methods of payment. These include credit cards, online payments, digital cash, etc.
Hotels have signboards in accordance with the theme, matching the color and atmosphere. It is almost certain that hotels intend not to break or even reinforce the atmosphere created in the area of the hotel district.
These signboards (stickers), however, seem to be violating the sense of unity that each hotel is creating with the building exterior and other main signboards. They use a lot of different colors in the logos of all the payment services, none of which seem to be intended to match the other parts of this hotel.
Hotel The Hotel Shinjuku, stickers of payment methods