Cuba is bringing back state-run love hotels

Couples don't get a lot of privacy in overcrowded Havana. Photo/Getty Images

You've heard about love hotels. Don't lie, you have.

They're short-stay hotels designed for one thing, and one thing only - for couples to get intimate.

They're super popular in Japan, where they originated, and they cater for all kinds of kink: you can find anything from pirate to prison themed rooms and even Hello Kitty and ramen themed ones.

The phenomenon has gone global, and love hotels have found particular resonance in Central and South America.

Now, the Cuban government reckons there's so much value in love hotels it's planning to open some of its own.

The BBC reports state officials hope to end the practice of lovemaking in Cuba's open spaces, such as parks and beaches, by bringing back state-run love hotels - locally known as posadas - which disappeared during the economic crisis of the 1990s.

Under the plan, couples can rent a room, decked out with airconditioning, a fridge and a comfortable bed, for about $6.50 for three hours.

However, the BBC notes that price is about a sixth of the average monthly salary in Cuba - which is about $38.50 - so posadas will be way beyond the budget of most people.

Still, officials say they will provide a space for couples who struggle to find private spots to get intimate due to overcrowding and housing shortages in Havana.

Many families share apartments in Havana, an arrangement that makes it difficult for amorous couples to get alone time.

Officials say there will be a chain of at least five posadas in Havana that will hopefully encourage couples to move their X-rated activities indoors and away from notorious hook-up spots such as Havana's Malecon waterfront.

The first will be a 16-room motel in Havana called Hotel Vento, a representative for the Provincial Housing Company of Havana told Cuban union newspaper Trabajadores.