The Red Room is just one of four available rooms for rent at Chicago Dungeon Rentals, the Midwest\u2019s very own BDSM bed-and-breakfast. Photo courtesy of Chicago Dungeon Rentals.<\/p><\/div>\n

Chicago is home to a new kind of boutique hotel\u2014-and it\u2019s not your mother\u2019s B&B<\/span><\/h5>\n

Words by Lauren Reno<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

The click of a hotel room key usually opens a door to a haven of fluffy white towels, monogrammed slippers and pristine duvets. At a Bondage, Domination, Submission and Masochism hotel, those amenities are replaced with handcuffs, chains and floggers. <\/span><\/p>\n

People have become more aware of BDSM in the last decade, particularly since the publication of <\/span>Fifty Shades of Grey. <\/span><\/i>The book has attracted criticism for the accuracy of its <\/span>portrayal<\/span><\/a> of the practice.<\/span> But as a kink, BDSM has been around for a while.<\/span><\/p>\n

And <\/span>accommodations for those interested are growing. <\/span>Chicago Dungeon Rentals<\/span><\/a> is one of very few BDSM play spaces that can be rented by couples who are not BDSM professionals, and it\u2019s the only one of its kind in the Midwest. CDR is owned by <\/span>Sophia Chase<\/span><\/a>, a professional sex educator, who felt that the Midwest needed an after-hours option that was a little kinkier than your average bed-and-breakfast. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople dabble in it for fun because it spices up their vanilla sex life, but for some folks, this is really important and part of who they are,\u201d Chase said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Chase likens the need for a space like hers to the need for a space that is friendly to the queer community. Her clients need a place where they can feel accepted. And CDR provides a sense of comfort that allows guests to truly feel safe.<\/span><\/p>\n

People dabble in it for fun because it spices up their vanilla sex life, but for some folks, this is really important and part of who they are\u201d<\/p>\n

-Sophia Chase<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Kathryn Klement, a PhD in social psychology, is a doctoral candidate at Northern Illinois University who specializes in BDSM studies. Klement notes that it can be very dangerous for those who practice BDSM if word gets out.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt is really unfortunate what can happen if the wrong person hears that you practice BDSM,\u201d Klement said. \u00a0Some people have a very skewed understanding of what BDSM really is, and may think that those who partake in it are abusive. <\/span><\/p>\n

A <\/span>2008 survey<\/span><\/a> indicated that 37.5 percent of 3,000 respondents had experienced some type of discrimination for openly practicing BDSM.\u201cThis is why spaces like CDR are so important to those who use them,\u201d Klement said.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to running the B&B, Chase is also a professional dominatrix, meaning she is paid for her services. \u00a0As a pro-dom, she has used many different rental spaces\u2014known as dungeons\u2014during her seven-year career and is familiar with how they function.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve noticed that none of them are available to people who are not professionals in the industry,\u201d Chase said. \u201cSo I wanted to figure out a way to open it up so that couples can use a space like this.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

The CDR <\/span>space<\/span><\/a> is an apartment with one bedroom and two separate playrooms. \u201cIt\u2019s very warm and inviting here,\u201d Chase said. \u201cOne of our rooms is a bit more plush and opulent, the other one is a little bit darker and intense. It really depends on the vibe that people are going for.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Depending on the needs of the renter, the playrooms can be booked independently, or the entire space can be rented out for just a few hours or overnight. The space contains gear\u2014don\u2019t worry, it\u2019s sterilized between uses\u2014and large furniture items that most BDSM newbies probably wouldn\u2019t have in their homes. <\/span><\/p>\n

While some guests may be well-versed, not everyone who steps foot into CDR is already experienced in bondage and domination play. BDSM can be unsafe if not practiced correctly, so Chase offers instruction consultations for her visitors. One of the most important lessons Chase imparts during their consultations is the importance of safety. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cRenters can pick from a variety of topics, so I can then show them safe and fun ways to do whatever activities they\u2019re most interested in, whether it\u2019s spanking or bondage, what have you,\u201d she said. <\/span><\/p>\n

But Chase also wants her guests to know that BDSM doesn\u2019t have to involve pain. \u201cIt\u2019s just one of the flavors out there,\u201d she said. \u201cNo two people are ever the same, and I never go in assuming anything about a couple.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Klement hopes that discrete spaces like CDR become more available for the psychological well-being of the BDSM community. \u201cThere\u2019s never going to be a sign that says, \u2018Kinky people right here,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cThis is a very private hidden space that people can feel comfortable going to to explore that side of themselves. I think that\u2019s very important.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chicago is home to a new kind of boutique hotel\u2014and it\u2019s not your mother\u2019s B&B.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7043,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n