Latest news - Comments

For an ostensibly Catholic country, Argentina - well, Buenos Aires at least - takes a remarkably liberal attitude towards matters of a sexual nature. Aside from the piles of soft porn on display at every kiosko on the street, you will find whole chapters of street-press and ‘what’s-on’ guides dedicated to gay-friendly events, venues and businesses.

What’s really surprising though is the abundance and conspicuousness of “transitorios”, or “telos” as the slang term for them goes. Now, I’ve always thought of ‘love hotels’ - the usual euphemism for any establishment that charges rooms out by the hour - as seedy places where people pay for more than just a bed, if you know what I mean.

But here, killing a few hours between the sheets with a loved (or at least lusted-after) one is as socially acceptable as meeting for coffee with friends. In fact, rather than being seen as scourges of society telos are generally considered to be providing a much-needed public service: safe, clean, comfortable places for young couples - who often live at home with their parents well into their 20s - to dance the horizontal tango in private.

Options range from basic bedrooms (always with a private bathroom) to luxury suites to themed extravaganzas (for those who suffer ‘Jungle Fever’ or like to bump-uglies ‘Under the Sea’). If you need inspiration, you can arrange for a television with films to get you in the mood or ask for a water-bed with ceiling mirrors. A courtesy call 10 minutes before your time is up gives you a chance to extend your stay if you’re not quite done yet, and rooms are completely ‘refreshed’ in between tenants to ensure it’s all good clean fun.

The whole exercise is generally considered romantic rather than tacky, and it’s so mundane that even married couples with their own homes are known to use telos for a change of scenery. Viva la diferencia, huh?