The article states "The clients are often people who live at home with their parents and just need some privacy." Still, they don't clarify this any further so your explanation is useful. As it happens, a similar situation to what you describe in Korea is also common in Japan.
Nice? That's not the word I would choose. Random stains on the furniture and carpet. Hairs on the sheets. A vending machine at the end of the hall selling an assortment of toys.
They did have free pirated DVDs on a shelf at the end of the hall. It was all porn.
It did have fantastic sound effects at 2 AM in the morning, though.
Nice is definitely not the word I would choose based on my experience.
In addition to those, there are definitely seedy places where you can get a room for 3 hours for around US$15.
It sounds like he may have stayed at a place that was far more upscale than your experience.
It was generally quiet and uneventful, but super amusing on Valentine's Day nights: The entire street would basically be a column of taxis. They'd briefly be stopping, a couple would dash out to the safety of the hotel entrance, the column would advance, repeat.
I hate both of those games :(
Pretty cheap (compared to hotels), better accommodations than most Korean hotels (those that are meant for Koreans) I've stayed in and usually have hangover cure drinks in the fridge and free internet.
I'm sometimes kind of unsure why the real hotels are so expensive and these things are so cheap. I often feel like if they just went "legit" with the current rates they might do better, but what do I know?