Sex Doll Brothels: Reality vs. Expectation
Planning to visit a sex doll brothel? Here are some things you should know. Plus, tips on how to book a steamy silicone session
Since the world’s first-ever sex doll brothel opened in Germany in 2017, they’ve continued to spring up worldwide. While pay-for-play isn’t a new concept, sex doll brothels come with their own set of rules and expectations. If you’re planning to visit a sex doll brothel, separating fact from fiction is an important part of preparing for this fantasy.
They come and go quickly
In March 2018, one of the UK’s first-ever sex doll brothels, The Dolly Parlor, was opened in Greenwich, South East London. I decided to visit to get a glimpse into the reality of what it’s really like to visit a sex doll brothel. However, when I went to book a visit… poof… it had already disappeared. Not much has been reported on why The Dolly Parlour quietly closed its doors, but quiet closure is a reality that many sex doll brothels face around the world due to stigma and health concerns.
Similar to the UK, Italy saw its first sex doll brothel, Lumidolls Torino (part of a worldwide chain), open in 2018. The business claimed to have been booked weeks in advance, but it took only nine days for the branch to be raided and shut down by police.
Lumidolls were found to have violated Italian rental laws by the city’s health authorities, who cited cleanliness and hygiene concerns of the sex dolls after usage. Health concerns are one of the main reasons sex doll brothels are closed down, especially with high-volume traffic.
Prepare to encounter stigma – a lot of it
Date a Doll in Lanarkshire, Scotland, ceased operating after only two weeks at the start of 2018. Local villagers were horrified by the new business and rallied together to successfully have it closed down.
Sex doll advocates often face stigma from people who can’t understand the appeal of a sex doll, let alone an entire brothel full of them.
Local authorities are pressured into shutting down these alternative brothels by concerned members of the public. Even some sex workers are complaining that sex doll brothels are stealing their trade.
Despite the stigma around sex doll brothels and the constant closures, it hasn’t prevented people from booking steamy silicone sessions. Before its closure, LumiDolls in Turin boasted about their books being filled for weeks in advance. In fact, the number of people turning to sex dolls has only increased.
Sex Doll Genie, a love doll and robot distributor, reported a 51.6% rise in sex doll sales during the first two months of 2020, and the business continues to grow by 33.2% year-on-year. However, not everyone can afford to splash out thousands of dollars on these sex dolls, and that’s where brothels come into play.
Logistic expectations when visiting a sex doll brothel
First, you’ll need to obtain the address of the sex doll brothel you want to visit. Not every brothel shares this publicly, so you may need to contact them directly.
The next step is to book your session; upon arrival, payment is taken upfront. Sessions are typically offered in 30-minute or 60-minute increments. However, longer sessions are also offered for the right price.
Consumers will be escorted to a private room where their sex doll will be ready and waiting. For hygiene reasons, condoms are given and must be used.
There are typically no rules as to what goes on between the customer and the sex doll, provided the sex doll is returned in the same condition it was received.
The cost of visiting a sex doll brothel
When Italian business Lumidolls was open, customers were charged €80 (£72) for a 30-minute session.
Aura Dolls was a 24-hour sex doll brothel in North America, and they charged $80 for a 30-minute session with one doll and $960 for 4 hours with two dolls.
Greenwich’s Dolly Parlour used to charge £50 per 30 minutes, £75 per hour, and £130 for 2 hours.
During its time in Scotland, Date A Doll was charging £70 an hour.
For consumers, these prices are significantly cheaper than purchasing their own sex doll or sex robot, which typically costs a few thousand pounds.
What does the future hold for sex doll brothels?
Stigma aside, the interest surrounding sex dolls and sex doll brothels doesn’t seem to be dying down. Manufacturers of these realistic love dolls certainly won’t be going out of business anytime soon. Sex doll brothels, however, will still need to fight to stay afloat.
Police and local authorities will jump on the first legal leg they can leverage to close brothels down. Essentially, brothel owners will need to stay squeaky clean, comply with legal and health requirements, and keep negative media attention at a minimum if they wish to prosper.
Sex doll consumers appear to be growing in numbers, so it appears that sex doll brothels are also here to stay – location to be determined.
Image Sources: Unsplash
