32 CHRONICLE BOOKS
For a book about theme rooms in Japan rented by the hour, there’s a surprising lack of actual sex in Love Hotels.

Instead, it’s a glimpse into another culture’s fantasies through a series of interior photographs. We’re left to imagine the people who patronize these establishments by the props and environments they choose—everything from Hello Kitty decorations to naughty nurse decor.

Originally, the cover was set to feature a hotel room decorated with pornographic anime-style illustrations, but the image was nixed for being somewhat predictable. “The [rooms’] fantasy themes go beyond the typical Western imagination,” says Sara Schneider, design director of publishing at Chronicle Books. “We wanted to surprise readers with the bizarre range of fetishes in these love hotels.” Thus the beaver bathtub won out as a cover image, prompting buyers to pause and wonder exactly what they’re looking at. For the book’s interior, Schneider took cues from the rooms themselves. She uses gorgeous patterns, for example, inspired by the wallpaper and linoleum tiles visible in the photographs. Many of these appear in tones reminiscent of skin, as a nod to the nakedness that surely takes place within these spaces. by Michelle Taute