A LONELY husband opens the hotel room door to a glamorous young woman – and for as little as £70 she’ll keep him busy on his lunch break.
The busty brunette is 5’11” and sets his heart pounding as she ushers him onto the bed.
But it’s not sex she is offering. Clients of the new wave of alternative escorts can cuddle up to some of the most beautiful women in the world – but nothing more.
The idea of a professional cuddle service is born from touch therapy, which can help build confidence and reduce stress.
However, sites like CuddleComfort.com – where cuddlers and clients create profiles with photos, interact and leave reviews – give it the feel of something closer to OnlyFans or even AdultWork.
With many sessions taking place in hotel rooms and a growing focus on cuddlers’ looks and sex appeal, it can appear to blur the line between companionship and something more sexual.
Visitors to the Cuddle Comfort website must sign a waiver agreeing not to make “sexual advances” towards the “pros” before meeting them.
The rules also stipulate that both parties must remain clothed during sessions.
However, that isn’t always the case, with cuddlers and clients both reporting boundaries being pushed.
Luana, 24, from London, is one of scores of glam Brits moonlighting as a professional cuddler, offering men the chance to tuck up in bed for a warm embrace.
Luana goes by the username HeartToHeal and is rated at five stars.
Her bio says she’s 5ft 11in and fit and says: “I’m in a serious relationship and do not appreciate any type of sexual requests.”
But despite her clear warning, it hasn’t always been respected.
Luana, who has been a professional cuddler since 2022, told The Sun: “People push boundaries very often sadly – that’s why I have to be quite strict about it, no exceptions.”
She keeps herself safe by telling loved ones whenever she’s meeting a client – and often doubles up with another cuddler for an extra fee and extra protection.
Luana said her first ever experience was “actually quite bad” and said the man wanted to roleplay 50 Shades of Grey.
The glamourous brunette says: “He asked me for extras and just kept being inappropriate throughout the session.
“He was rubbing on me constantly in a very sexual manner.
“I don’t think I was as strict back then as I should’ve been. I should have kicked him out. He was looking for pleasure not therapy.”
Luana prefers to meet her clients at home – but many others use hotels.
The parallels with the sex industry run deeper, however, with clients using hotel day-booking apps for sessions.
One professional cuddler wrote on the Cuddle Comfort forum of such apps: “They don’t ask for credit card as they allow cash payments… It’s known to be discreet.”
Delving into the forums, both cuddlers and clients talk about a “dark side” to the industry, with little to protect them if things go wrong.
One customer even said he had to bail out of a session because the cuddler failed to respect his boundaries, adding: “Just wanna keep everyone safe.”
Writing in The Baffler, a former Cuddle Comfort cuddler said: “The value the service cuddle sites offered and their niche in the market depended on successfully maintaining the distinction between sex work and cuddling – as did the sites’ legality.”
She said there were plenty of rules, and a signed agreement, but the prospect of ensuring they were all followed was “daunting”.
She added that “boundary-pushing proved to be the standard among paid Cuddle Comfort users rather than an exception”.
Luana, who found out about “professional cuddling” through TikTok, makes between £300 and £600 a week through the website, arranging at least three cuddles a week.
She says: “I started doing it for the money and of course that’s the main part of it.”
But while Luana and other cuddlers have to be on their guard, and there are some unpleasant clients, there are others where she can see they benefit from the therapy.
She explains: “People feel lonely, anxious, exhausted or disconnected from themselves or others so this is a way to feel valued, cared for and forget about the real world and its struggles for a bit.
“Cuddling is a more efficient form of therapy because it mixes talking and touching in one. It should be more widespread.”
The Sun has approached Cuddle Comfort for comment.