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'Strange Hotel' run by robots who handle guest relations, luggage and cleaning.

 

Imagine a hotel where service can only be perfect, you are served at the front desk by a talking dinosaur and your room comes with a personal assistant the size of a doll.

These possibilities are all a reality at Japan’s new completely robot-run Henn-na Hotel (which roughly translates to ‘Strange Hotel’) in Nagasaki.

Upon entering the hotel, guests are greeted by three “friendly” robots at the front desk — one a toy-sized robot, one a humanoid robot made to resemble a Japanese woman, and the other a dinosaur robot.

Guests are encouraged to “enjoy conversations with robots with a humanly kind of warmth, while they work efficiently”.

What the reception looks like

After checking in, one of two "porter robots" will help transport guests' bags to their room.

The "Strange Hotel" has also realised the possibility of keyless accommodation by installing facial recognition technology to room doors.

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Also featured is an information robot to help guests plan their sight-seeing or perhaps recommend a restaurant — not from personal experience of course.

Of course, a "cloak robot" takes care of storing belongings before check-in or after check-out, by using its robot arm to place luggage in a locker.

Last but not least, a room concierge robot named "Churry Robo" can be found in each room which guests can talk to or make requests to, such as turning the lights on or off or providing the current weather.

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"We will make the most efficient hotel in the world," company president Hideo Sawada told the Japan Times.

"In the future, we'd like to have more than 90 per cent of hotel services operated by robots."

Some have expressed concerns about what would happen in an emergency, but the hotel has reassured prospective guests that human hotel staff are on duty 24-7.

The hotel is located at the Huis Ten Bosch amusement park - an "eco-friendly future city" which mimics the Netherlands by displaying real-size copies of old Dutch buildings.

In order to work with the park in their "green" commitment, the hotel has implemented ways to reduce energy usage by not providing televisions or refrigerators in guest rooms.

Rooms start at around 8500 yen ($93) per night and the hotel also has an unusual bidding feature where guests can bid for rooms online.

Japan has used humanoid robots to work in shops and even the Tokyo science museum, and the famous Tokyo robot restaurant uses robots in a wacky sci-fi cabaret show.

This post originally appeared on the ABC and was republished here with full permission. 
© 2015 Australian Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved. Read the ABC Disclaimer here

 

 

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