The sexual revolution in China goes largely unnoticed and is rarely talked about, yet it’s in full swing. I walked out of the hotel, flabbergasted. Would budget hotels in China be so prosperous without the sexual revolution? Surely not.

A manager once told me that his hotels would be packed during the weekends. But, he added, not with business travelers, but with people who needed a place to spice up their sex life. Those who frequent budget hotels can be roughly divided into four categories, he told me.

Young unmarried couples unable to afford their own apartments, as housing prices have soared in the past few years. They live mostly in shared apartments or with their parents. High end hotels are too pricy, so they consummate their love in low-cost surroundings.

Budget hotels also accommodate extramarital affairs where meeting at home is not an option. Budget hotels don’t pry into the clients’ privacy and the anonymous setting may also offer an extra thrill and spice up the encounters.

One night stands often take place in budget hotels as well. People hook up on dating-sites for sex but are unwilling to bring strangers back home. There have been plenty of reports of online dating scammers, and ironically, budget hotels have become a safer place to date strangers.

The last category is sex workers for whom a budget hotel is a convenient place of business.