Ok let’s see if you can imagine this for a second (it’s best if you close your eyes). You are feeling a bit adventurous and decide to take a trip to the land of the rising sun, Japan. While you are there, you go and stay at a little kooky hotel where no humans are present and everything is done by robots. Sounds weird, scary, crazy or something from Terminator 2? Well believe it or not, something like this actually exists and it is becoming a place where everyone wants to go.
One enterprising Japanese businessman has taken it upon himself to create the world’s first Robot Hotel, one that is staffed, run and operated almost entirely by robots.
I know this sounds pretty wild, but something like this actually exists and below I highlighted 12 facts when it comes to this very special hotel.
1. Introducing the World’s First Automated Hotel Run by Robots
The Henn-na or strange/werid hotel as it is called in Japan is a 72 room technological achievement that is “manned” almost totally by robots to save labor costs.
You will find no humans and everything is done by robots. The various robots will greet guests, carry luggage, clean the rooms and much more.
It sounds pretty weird when you think of it and absolutely scary when you think of it; but this is where the future is headed.
This one of a kind hotel can be found at the Huis Ten Bosch theme park in Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan. It is a pretty cool concept that ties in perfectly with the entertainment aspect of the park.
2. All the Cool Stuff Begins at Check-in
Once you arrive at the Henn-na Hotel, you are greeted by 2 talking robots. The English-speaking receptionist is a mean looking dinosaur with a bow tie and hat, while the Japanese one is a female humanoid.
Even though you get a robotic greeting, checking in is still done manually and guests will have to punch a button on the desk and from there type their details and other information on a touch panel screen.
3. Porters are a Thing of the Past
Once you have checked in, a little robot trolley comes and takes your luggage directly up to the room. What’s great about a robot bringing your bags to the room is that you do not have to worry about a tip.
4. You Don’t Have to Worry About Storing Things
After you have checked in and you want to store something, like extra luggage, a camera or anything else; there is a robot that will get the job done. A gigantic robotic arm has the ability to lift boxes that guests have filled with items in it and store it in lockers.The arm will put the box back into the wall until the guest wants it again. The system is called “robot cloak room”.
5. With All the Tech It’s Not That Expensive
You would think that a hotel that has so much technology in it would be pretty expensive to stay at. Prices actually start at 9,000 yen ($80), which is a pretty good deal for such a ‘cool’ place. If you take a look at some of the other hotels around, you can see them costing twice or three times as much, this is a pretty good bargain.
6. The Hotel is Not About Gimmicks
Hideo Sawada the man who runs the hotel as part of an amusement park has made it clear that the whole concept of a robot hotel is not a gimmick selling point. He has insisted that they have focused on using technology to bring forth efficiency and also reduce their overall labor cost.
7. For a Budget Hotel, The Rooms are Pretty Spacious
The rooms are pretty spacious and according to the Henn-na website,
The guestrooms are designed in a cool and stylish manner in consideration of the conditions required to provide a comfortable stay. They are more spacious than what can usually be expected from low-cost hotels in order to provide a relaxing overnight stay.
8. The Room Features Your Own Personal Assistant
In the room, you will find a small little pink robot called Tuly. This robot will do a couple of cool things like answering various questions, such as “What is the weather like tomorrow?” or “what time is it?”
9. Use Voice to Turn the Lights on and Off
There are no light switches on the wall and you can tell Tuly to turn the lights on or off. Now this is definitely something I could get down with.
10. The Rooms Use Keyless Entry
The hotel sounds like it would be pretty creepy, but the weird factor is a turned up a notch with all the rooms having keyless entry. Guests will have the luxury of not having to carry around keys; all they have to do to get into the room is show their face! That’s right, guests will take images of and record their faces into the latest face recognition system and this will grant them access to the rooms.
For those who might be weirded out by this option, the hotel gives guests the option to use non-contact IC card keys.
11. The Hotel’s Name Has a Meaning
In English, the name Henn-na does not have much meaning, but to the Japanese the name highlights how the hotel will “change with cutting-edge technology,” a company official said. The name is also a double play on words because if you dig a bit deeper into the word “Henn”, you will also see that it is the Japanese word for change.
12. Even Though Robots are the Face, Humans Still Work There
While the hotel is touted as being run by robots, there is still a human presence. The hotel still relies on humans for security. All throughout the hotel are security cameras, which are continuously being monitored by a skeleton staff. Their job is to make sure everything is working smoothly, guests are safe and watching that nobody decides to take one of the robots as a parting gift.
