Hotel Of The Day: Henn-na Hotel, Japan

 

A hotel staffed by robots – no, this isn’t the future, it’s just Japan. At Henn-na-Hotel, you’re checked in by a robot receptionist, while a robot will sing to you in your room and act as a luggage porter.

One of the most unique hotels you’ll ever stay in, this futuristic hotel opened as part of a theme park in 2016.

Where is Henn-na Hotel?

This ‘weird hotel’, as it’s translated in English, is in Nagasaki, in south-western Japan.

What’s so special about this hotel?

Mostly, the fact that it’s staffed by robots. The robots check guests in and out, control room functions, transport suitcases and help clean.

There’s three robot receptionists and they speak four different languages (Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean). There are a few human staff in case of emergencies.

Henn-na Hotel also uses a cutting-edge facial recognition system for keyless stays, so you unlock your room via a facial scanner. Why? Well, apparently robots aren’t too good at looking for lost room keys.

There’s a robotic luggage porter, and another robot who leads dance and exercise classes in the lobby.

Bonus points for the clever feature of being able to rent pyjamas from a hotel vending machine.

How much does it cost to stay?

Rooms start at 15,000 yen ($135). Each room has an in-house robot, who you ask to turn on and off the lights and control the room temperature. There’s no switches on the walls – it all happens via the room robot.

Bucket List Instagram shots:

 

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Sarah Clayton-Lea

Co-founder of Big 7 Travel, Sarah created the company through her passion for championing the world's best food and travel experiences. Before her career in digital media, where she previously held roles such as Editor of Food&Wine Ireland, Sarah worked in the hospitality industry in Dublin and New York.

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