Robots and Artificial Intelligence are advancing more and more, and we can steadily watch the progress of how they're being integrated into our everyday lives.
We've often heard that robots will replace our jobs in the future - and in Japan, this has already started.
If you're someone that doesn't really like interacting with strangers, this Hotel might be the one for you.
There are 2 Hotels in Japan which are almost entirely run by robots!
They're called Henn na Hotels - a wordplay with the Japanese word for "weird".
Excitement meets comfort. Introducing state-of-the-art technologies, Henn na Hotel is the world-first hotel staffed by robots. One of the definitions of the Japanese word “Henn” is “to change,” which represents our commitment for evolution in striving for the extraordinary sensation and comfort that lies beyond the ordinary. Staying at Henn na Hotel is filled with unexpected and delightful surprises. The unique experience will take our guests one step into the future.
The first 'weird hotel' had opened close to an amusement park in Nagasaki in 2015, and a new branch opened its gates earlier this year in Tokyo.
Although there are also 7 humans working at the Nagasaki Hotel (who are mostly on site for assistance or for emergencies) 140 employees are robots.
Arrival and Check-In
When you walk in, you're greeted by a robotic Dinosaur that speaks multiple languages, as well as a robotic Lady that only speaks Japanese.
With an American accent, the Dinosaur starts to speak: “Welcome to the Henn-na hotel. If you want to check in, press one.”
There is a touchscreen monitor next to it where guests can type in their personal information and scan their passports.
Other robots in the lobby include a foot-high information robot who explains useful details about the hotel like breakfast times, and robot "porters" who are essentially rechargeable trolleys for luggage.
Instead of traditional key cards, guests can enter their rooms via a facial recognition software that examines and identifies each guest individually.
On the bedside table of each room, you will find a cute little robot called Chu-ri-chan who acts as a personalized concierge controls the lights, provides weather forecasts, wake-up calls and more.
At the front desk, you will be greeted by multi-lingual robots that will help you check in or check out. At the cloakroom, the robotic arm will store your luggage for you, and the porter robots will carry them to your room.
Mechanic yet somehow human, those fun moments with the robots will warm your heart. Furthermore, once you register your face with our face recognition system, you will be free from the hassle of carrying the room key around or worrying about losing it.
Idea
The concept behind the hotels is not only to make them quirky and "weird" - but actually, to make them efficient.
“Having robots in charge of the reception and placing robots everywhere, we aim to make it the most efficient hotel in the world"
-Hideo Sawada, Hotel owner & founder
Most guests absolutely love the idea, it has great ratings on hotel search engines, and the mostly japanese guests are totally fascinated after their stay.
But amongst gimmicks like the dinosaur-receptionists, there is also some serious technology involved, for example the facial recognition.
So while it's a fun concept that could only be as successful as it is in Japan, it's also an interesting experiment that shows how technology could transform not only the hotel business but many different industries in the future.
Would you like to stay at this kind of robot-hotel ?
© Sirwinchester