Post by Helmut83 on Oct 11, 2018 19:16:06 GMT
I've had this question in my head during a long time but only now I got to share it with you, guys. It's about something which is totally normal in Argentina so I assumed was totally normal in the rest of the world, and I'm more puzzled by the day as I find out that apparently it doesn't exist in any other country.
I'm talking about what down here we call colloquially "telos", although the banners on the street advertise them as "hotels". They are also referred to as "albergue transitorio" (transitory lodging) or "hotel de alojamiento" (lodging hotel, although it's not what these places really are about).
They are buildings full of rooms, like a hotel, but the dynamics are different. People don't go to these places to stay overnight or to sleep, but to have sexual relations with a partner -note: you have to go with someone else, they don't offer prostitutes' services in these places-. And everything is set up accordingly: the rooms have few and small windows, low lights, often color lights (mostly red), there's lots of mirrors (sometimes even on the ceiling right above the bed), the TV has regular channels but also a few others where they air porn, you'll find a couple of condoms on the night table. Showers are often visible from the bed through a transparent glass (not the toilet seat, that is always behind cover, haha ).
And that's just what every regular room provides: there are some more expensive rooms which are ambianced on a certain topic (for example, Roman-themed), or others in which you'll find a pole -in case you and/or your partner want to give pole-dance a go-, water matresses, jacuzzi or sophas with strange shapes to facilitate the act, particularly certain poses.
Also, these places typically offer short turns (2 hours, 3 hours, 1 1/2 hours...), because, as has been said, people don't go there to sleep, even though on nights you can book a special turn called "pernocte" to stay for the whole night. Personnel takes care of being very discreet and everything is set up to provide privacy, to the point that telos typically have flower beds with big plants (or, as BIuebird would call them, "privacy plants") on the street right in front of the access door, so people on the street can't see the couples (or bigger group of people, who knows?) that go in and out of them.
Above all, it has the advantage of providing a place specifically thought for an activity, in a similar way that a gym is specifically thought for making physical excercise. Once the customers get there they can turn off the phones, relax about everything else and commit themselves 100% to the task at hand. There will be no dog trying to get inside the room, neighbours ringing the bell or the phone ringing insistently. Telos are also functional for security issues, because you might not want to take some stranger you have just known into your house, so you go to these places instead.
Well, these places make an integral part of life in Argentina, and honestly I cannot imagine how people in other countries manage without them. I mean, it's easy for a single person living in his own apartment, but at several other typical stages of a person's life these telos are essential for enjoying some privacy with someone else. For example, what do young people living with their parents do? Or students who share a room with a roommate? Or even grown-up couples when their kids are not so young anymore? Or also people who have relations outside of their marriages, where do they carry on their infidelities? Not having telos, I can only imagine lots of embarrassing and uncomfortable situations happening, like parents returning home to find their little baby in bed with an unknown guy and endless other possibilities.
When I was about to go the the UK I asked a coupe of forumheads about how they call those places over there, and I was surprised to find out they didn't have any idea what I was talking about. I described them to them and they told me there was nothing of the kind in their country. To me it was like hearing "we don't have pharmacies over here", such a basic service it is for us, and for the sake of discretion I can't conceive life without these hotels and I don't think many people in Argentina can. So if it is like that and other countrys indeed lack this sort of service, that would raise another question: where the fuck do you guys go to... well, to avoiding redundancy I won't spell the next word, but you can imagine how the question goes on.
Does any British friend have a different answer? What about you, Americans? Have you got knowledge of places of this kind functioning in the USA? Have you guys seen them elsewhere in the world?
PS: of course you don't have to answer about own experiences, you can always answer impersonally. Besides, we all have friends who tell us about the most varied topics.
I'm talking about what down here we call colloquially "telos", although the banners on the street advertise them as "hotels". They are also referred to as "albergue transitorio" (transitory lodging) or "hotel de alojamiento" (lodging hotel, although it's not what these places really are about).
They are buildings full of rooms, like a hotel, but the dynamics are different. People don't go to these places to stay overnight or to sleep, but to have sexual relations with a partner -note: you have to go with someone else, they don't offer prostitutes' services in these places-. And everything is set up accordingly: the rooms have few and small windows, low lights, often color lights (mostly red), there's lots of mirrors (sometimes even on the ceiling right above the bed), the TV has regular channels but also a few others where they air porn, you'll find a couple of condoms on the night table. Showers are often visible from the bed through a transparent glass (not the toilet seat, that is always behind cover, haha ).
And that's just what every regular room provides: there are some more expensive rooms which are ambianced on a certain topic (for example, Roman-themed), or others in which you'll find a pole -in case you and/or your partner want to give pole-dance a go-, water matresses, jacuzzi or sophas with strange shapes to facilitate the act, particularly certain poses.
Also, these places typically offer short turns (2 hours, 3 hours, 1 1/2 hours...), because, as has been said, people don't go there to sleep, even though on nights you can book a special turn called "pernocte" to stay for the whole night. Personnel takes care of being very discreet and everything is set up to provide privacy, to the point that telos typically have flower beds with big plants (or, as BIuebird would call them, "privacy plants") on the street right in front of the access door, so people on the street can't see the couples (or bigger group of people, who knows?) that go in and out of them.
Above all, it has the advantage of providing a place specifically thought for an activity, in a similar way that a gym is specifically thought for making physical excercise. Once the customers get there they can turn off the phones, relax about everything else and commit themselves 100% to the task at hand. There will be no dog trying to get inside the room, neighbours ringing the bell or the phone ringing insistently. Telos are also functional for security issues, because you might not want to take some stranger you have just known into your house, so you go to these places instead.
Well, these places make an integral part of life in Argentina, and honestly I cannot imagine how people in other countries manage without them. I mean, it's easy for a single person living in his own apartment, but at several other typical stages of a person's life these telos are essential for enjoying some privacy with someone else. For example, what do young people living with their parents do? Or students who share a room with a roommate? Or even grown-up couples when their kids are not so young anymore? Or also people who have relations outside of their marriages, where do they carry on their infidelities? Not having telos, I can only imagine lots of embarrassing and uncomfortable situations happening, like parents returning home to find their little baby in bed with an unknown guy and endless other possibilities.
When I was about to go the the UK I asked a coupe of forumheads about how they call those places over there, and I was surprised to find out they didn't have any idea what I was talking about. I described them to them and they told me there was nothing of the kind in their country. To me it was like hearing "we don't have pharmacies over here", such a basic service it is for us, and for the sake of discretion I can't conceive life without these hotels and I don't think many people in Argentina can. So if it is like that and other countrys indeed lack this sort of service, that would raise another question: where the fuck do you guys go to... well, to avoiding redundancy I won't spell the next word, but you can imagine how the question goes on.
Does any British friend have a different answer? What about you, Americans? Have you got knowledge of places of this kind functioning in the USA? Have you guys seen them elsewhere in the world?
PS: of course you don't have to answer about own experiences, you can always answer impersonally. Besides, we all have friends who tell us about the most varied topics.