Imagine walking into a hotel and the first thing you see is a robotic dinosaur working as a concierge. Beside it stands another robot, a woman in a full uniform, with the ability to blink. In any other part of the world this would be something out of a TV show, but the Henn na Hotel is in Japan, and efforts to use robots as replacements for traditional staff are becoming more serious.
Japan is one of the world's most important robotics developers. In fact, in our minds, it's the most important, and I imagine that thought will be reinforced when the Kuratas participates in the Fight of the Century with the MegaBot Mark II. However, entertainment is just the tip of the iceberg for the future of robots. The Eastern giant already envisions robots as teachers, doctors, nurses, mechanics, public transport drivers, salespeople, and receptionists, among other roles. The main reason many cite is the decline in its population: unless there's a sort of baby boom on the way, Japan will return to 19th century parameters in less than a hundred years. This translates into a smaller pool of available workers, and that's when robots are supposed to step in.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/TI6Ra8kUVN0Meet the Henn na Hotel
With all that in mind, finding a hotel with robotic staff shouldn't be so surprising, but the specialized press hasn't hesitated to take a closer look at the Henn na Hotel (Henn na means "strange" or "weird"). The robots are not only in charge of reception (including a "friendly" dinosaur acting as concierge, who asks, "Can I help you...?") but also of luggage transport, storage of personal items, and cleaning each room. Technically, the Henn na Hotel is part of an amusement park located in Sasebo, a city in Nagasaki Prefecture, but according to president Hideo Sawada, the goal is to apply technology for greater efficiency and lower costs. This last point is supposed to be reflected in rates: a double room will cost 9,000 yen per night, about 67 euros.
Opening soon
If all goes well, the Henn na Hotel will officially open its doors tomorrow. I imagine the impulsive and eager Western tourist will feel uncomfortable with the slow and precise rhythm of the robots, especially when it comes to luggage transport, but I think there will be several pairs of eyes watching the performance of the Henn na Hotel with great interest. You know... "cost cutting" and all that.
