The World’s 1st Robot-Staffed Hotel Opens in Japan

When I read that Japan has just opened the world's first (for now) hotel staffed by robots, I thought to myself, "It's about time! I hope there's a robot velociraptor working the front desk, because otherwise it might not be as cool."

As the photo above would indicate, there is a velociraptor working the front desk, and it talks! This is even cooler than I dared hope.

From The Daily News:

Japan has opened the doors to the world’s first automated, robot-staffed hotel, replacing people with pretty, lifelike lady humanoid receptionists and a bow tie-wearing, dinosaur concierge.

At the Henn-na Hotel, or "Strange Hotel," guests check in, check out, get their rooms cleaned and their luggage conveyed by a fleet of blinking, beeping and rolling robots that the hotel describes as “warm and friendly.”

Likewise, as part of their aim to feature cutting-edge technology, stays are keyless. Instead, guests enter their rooms via facial recognition technology.

Aside from its novelty factor, the use of robots and the emphasis on automated services is part of a bigger concept: To reduce labor costs, save energy, reduce waste, and develop a self-sufficient hotel powered by solar energy and machines.

It’s not just Japan that’s replaced humans with robots in hotels. Over in California, not far from Apple’s corporate campus, Aloft Hotels put what they called the world's first robotic butler at the front desk last year. Botlr is used to shuttle amenities to guest rooms and acknowledges requests with peppy beeps and flashing lights.

 

Take a look: