FEATURE: Would you let robots run your hotel?

Like a Hollywood movie made real, a hotel in Japan is claiming that guests will be served almost entirely by robots in what is believed to be a world-first. MICHAEL NORTHCOTT looks in-depth at the story and tries to ascertain if a market could exist for such a business in the years to come If you’ve ever seen any robot-related film, then like most people, you’ll have come across the frightening, though fictional concept that machine-men will one day take over as the dominant ‘species’ on earth, supplanting humankind and ruling them with cold, calculating brutality. Such an apocalyptic vision is well rehearsed. However, one entrepreneur in Japan is soon to open his new Henn-na Hotel in the Japanese city of Sasebo. What’s different about it? It is run almost entirely by robots. Guests will be greeted by robots with rather realistic female faces, and they will welcome visitors to the hotel, carry their bags, clean their rooms, and even deal with customer questions and enquiries. [tie_full_img][/tie_full_img] Only two human beings will be on the staff complement - presumably in case the robots malfunction in some way and guests are unable to get help - but most of the ‘legwork’ will be done by the electronic beings. The hotel will fucntion without keys or room cards, as the check-in process also features facial recognition software. Cameras outisde the rooms will recognise your face as you approach the door and unlock automatically if the behind-the-scenes computer judges you to be the right person. Owners say the 72-room hotel will be open with a couple of months, though the CGI images of the interior suggest that it may not be complete just yet. The announcement comes after a recent swathe of technological innovations in the hotel industry begin to surface. Several companies have announced that they will be launching an Apple Watch app through which rooms can be booked and room service can be ordered, and if you turn to our annual Technology Supplement in this issue of Hotel Owner, you will find out that the whole gamut of electronics and gadgets are steadily becoming the norm amongst the faster-moving hotel businesses throughout the UK and further afield. Efficient support by robot staff Robot staff will be positioned for each duty such as the front desk, porter, and cleaning. We will correspond appropriately according to customer information. Enjoy conversations with robots with a humanly kind of warmth, while they work efficiently. [tie_full_img][/tie_full_img] Smart check-in, check-out Self-service check-in and check-out. We eliminated the need to go to the front desk or to wait in line. A staff centred around robots will support you when necessary. A keyless stay It is possible to stay in rooms without having a key at this hotel, according to the customer's preference. The latest face authentication system will register you through image recognition and let you into the room. It will liberate you from the hassle of carrying keys and the anxiety of losing it. Accommodating robot-shy customers Customers who wish to not be face authenticated can stay with a contactless IC card key as well. At the time of face authentication registration, operation using the card key is required. Relaxed rooms with a modern design We provided cool and stylish rooms, as we consider room design an essential condition for a comfortable stay. The room size is “more relaxed” than a typical low cost hotel, allowing for a leisurely stay. [tie_full_img][/tie_full_img]Sufficient room facilities with the minimum necessary ‘Excessive’ services and amenities have been removed, and the owners have “re-thought what facilities are truly necessary”. Room facilities can be operated with a tablet PC, meaning there is “no need to move busily around the room”. Smart Hotel Project Overview Hotel Name: Henn-na Hotel Location: Huis Ten Bosch-cho, Sasebo-shi, Nagasaki Prefecture Site area: 16,402.72 ㎡ Total floor area: 5,530.87 ㎡ Number of rooms: 144 rooms Opening phase 1: July 17, 2015 open 72 rooms Opening phase 2: 2016 72 rooms First-Phase Overview Site area: 10,188.92 ㎡ Total floor area: 3,541.16 ㎡ Number of floors: 2 stories above ground Number of rooms: 72 rooms Structure: Steel Construction period: Scheduled January - June 2015 Design: Kawazoe Lab, the Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo Second-Phase Overview Site area: 6,269 ㎡ Total floor area: 1,989.71 ㎡ Number of floors: 2 stories above ground Number of rooms: 72 rooms Structure: Wooden (CLT method) partly steel construction Construction period: Scheduled during early August 2015 - end of February 2016 Design: KAJIMA DESIGN Construction: Kajima Corporation Kyushu [tie_full_img][/tie_full_img] From the owners: “An ever-changing hotel” “We want to provide a pleasant and comfortable hotel to stay in, at a more reasonable price. While equipping the hotel with modern "smart facilities" that are also friendly to the environment, we wish to bring fun that will encourage people to visit, and also wish to create lasting memories. Rethinking each service and facility included in the traditional hotel, we have created an entirely new hotel that will be the first of its kind in the world, utilising advanced technology with robots as the main staff. It will be opened in mid-July 2015.”