Hotel staffed mainly by robots to open in Japan
A new hotel soon to open in Japan will be staffed predominantly by robots in a move to keep operating costs down and room rates low.
The Hen-na Hotel, which loosely translates as ‘strange hotel’ will be open at Huis Ten Bosch theme park outside Nagasaki this summer and will be the world’s first deploying humanoid androids.
The female uniformed robots will have human mannerisms and the ability to speak Japanese, Chinese, Korean and English.
They will man the check in desk, clean rooms and serve meals in the restaurant.
The hotel operator says its aim is to keep operating costs down and showcase its technological advances.
Other advanced technology used in the 72-room hotel includes facial recognition entry for guestrooms.
Due to the fact that androids don’t require a salary, a night at the hotel costs about £39 a night around a third of the price of other hotels at the theme park.
The robot workforce will be supplemented by 10 human members of staff.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports