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Who needs human check-in staff when you can get your room assigned by a dinosaur wearing a tiny bellhop hat – or a holographic ninja? Not us – but what’s it like to stay in a Japanese robot hotel? We pinpoint the pros and cons, give a few tips, and suggest some of the ones in the best locations if you do decide to stay in a robot hotel on your trip.
The first robot hotel in Japan was opened in 2018 as part of the Huis Tens Bosch theme park near Nagasaki and now, the chain that opened it, Henn na, has 19 hotels in major cities around Japan (and branches in New York and Seoul).
When you arrive at a Henn na Hotel you’ll be greeted by your robot check-in assistant, who may look like a human, or, if you’re lucky, will be a dinosaur in a fetching little hat.
You scan in your passport and are then given your room key.
They also offer Robohon tour guides in some destinations – and, if you have ever seen James May’s Our Man in Japan, you’ll know this as the ‘Hey Bim’ device (and if you’re anything like me, you’re now already giggling, if not, check out the series on Amazon Prime as it’s great)
There are also human staff on hand if you need them.
Originally, there was a lot more automation and robot involvement in the hotels but, as fun as a hotel run by robots sounds, the machines kept breaking so it’s now pretty much down to robotic check-in staff.
Pros of a Robot Hotel
Why would you not want to be checked in by a dinosaur in a little hat?
Despite their fun theme, they don’t charge much more than a traditional hotel
They tend to be in central touristy-focused locations.
In some hotels, you’ll get an in-room device that offers free internet – and free calls to six international countries.
Cons of a Robot Hotel
If you’re fussy about your room type, your robot assistant probably won’t care!
Forget early check-in. If you arrive before check-in time, the robots are asleep.
There’s no traditional concierge to advise on things like local restaurants or transport tips.
Tips for Staying in a Robot Hotel
On my last trip, I stayed in two robot hotels, one in Osaka and one in Tokyo and these are the tips that I think will improve your stay.
Don’t Bother Upgrading to a Robohon Room
The big selling point of these is that you get your own Robohon to play with. I had visions of taking him around Osaka on an adventure, I was even going to name myself Bim, but not only was he locked away in a little box that I couldn’t open, but I could barely get him to wake up – I tried speaking to him in English, I spoke to him in Japanese, I even got google translate to talk to him, but I could not make him work. The rooms cost a little more with him in them, but, unless you speak very good Japanese I wouldn’t bother.
Convey Requests in Advance
One of the reasons we hadn’t stayed in a robot hotel before this trip was that Mr Japlanease is a fussy traveler. He’s very sensitive to noise from other guests and we quite often end up swapping rooms as soon as we arrive to a quieter one – and this all needs a receptionist who is human, rather than Jurassic.
However, we had one spare night in Tokyo where our plans changed and so we decided to chance it and booked into the Asakusa Tawaramachi Henn na Hotel (see below). It was Mr Japlanease’s birthday and so he asked for a room with his normal criteria but, we figured that at worst we had one night if there was an issue. He can deal with that.
We arrived to find our room perfectly allocated – and towel dinosaurs wishing him Happy Birthday. So, always remember there is a human behind the scenes, so try and deal with them first.
Oh, and if you’re wondering why we booked a twin – it’s because twin rooms tend to have a little bit more space than doubles. Our guide to hotels in Tokyo with larger rooms has more tips on finding a bigger hotel room.
Don’t Arrive Dead on Check-in Time
Because of Mr Fussy above, we tend to get to a hotel before normal check-in time to dump our bags and just check if the room sounds right – having visited a few robot hotels before actually staying in one, I knew there was no point in doing this. I’m not joking when I say the robots are asleep – look.
So, when check-in time came we arrived about ten minutes early to find reception swarming with people. Because you literally can’t be seen before the time check-in opens, the queue builds up. We went off and got a drink and came back half an hour later and walked straight to the front.
Don’t Expect a View
I don’t know if I just got unlucky, but in both of the robot hotels I stayed in on this trip, the room I was allocated looked directly onto a brick wall. It was fine for short periods, but I’d find it a bit depressing for a longer stay. I quite like to see sky.
I stayed in 10 hotels over my last trip and the Henn na’s were the only ones this close to a wall. I think it’s partly because they were both tall, thin buildings squished into a small plot. A couple of the others I’ve seen had a similar look so maybe that’s their thing.
This view from the roof at the Asakusa hotel did make up for it though.
Read the In Room Info
Because there isn’t a human receptionist to talk you through things you might not find out about all the things the hotel has to offer otherwise – the Asakusa hotel, for example, has a tiny pub tucked away behind reception – and, when were there at least, hotel guests got a free first drink.
Know Your Robots
There are different types of robots in different hotels – the Ginza location, in Tokyo, for example, has humanoid robots and they don’t always handle check-in, an actual human does.
Osaka and Fukuoka have cute little dinosaurs, and an innovation in Asakusa is holographic receptionists.
If you really want to meet a robot dinosaur, make sure you book a branch that has one – the pictures normally give a clue.
Also remember, the only real robot interaction is at the front desk now – a lot of people are a bit disappointed that the rest of the automation has gone.
Great Robot Hotel Locations to Consider
Henn na Hotel Asakusa Tawaramachi
Located in the atmospheric, historic, part of Tokyo, Asakusa, this is very close to major sightseeing spots like Senso-ji Temple and Tokyo Skytree.
The twin rooms are pretty reasonable in size.
They have now changed this hotel from robots to holograms – I stayed here on my last trip and check out particularly is fun – make sure you pick the dinosaur to check you out.
They have a great view from the roof of Tokyo Skytree, and the onsite pub is handy if you’re completely exhausted as we were by this point.
Henn na Hotel Ginza
Walking distance from the fantastic Tsukiji Outer Market and the shopping strips of Ginza, this was the first robot hotel in Tokyo.
The robots on the front desk are human in form (not dinosaurs) but everything else is as fun as the other branches.
Henn na Hotel Maihama Tokyo Bay
Located close to the Tokyo Disney Resort, this hotel is a good compromise if your budget won’t quite reach the official Disney Hotels but you still want to give the kids a little bit of extra magic. Some of their larger corner rooms can sleep up to five.
They also offer a shuttle to the park.
If you are looking for hotels with a Disney shuttle, and the robot hotel isn’t quite right, check out our guide to hotels that have shuttles to Disney.
Hen na Hotel Osaka Namba
The dinosaurs are back at this branch which is 1300 feet from the famous Glico man bridge with its illuminated signs.
Rooms here are around 17 square meters – there’s a second bed out of shot above. I also stayed here on my last trip – and, again, you can’t fault the location which is surrounded by shops, bars and restaurants.
As I said, I booked a Robohon room which cost a little bit extra but I don’t think I’d bother next time as I couldn’t get him to do anything fun.
If you’re staying elsewhere in Japan, or, want to stay in a different location in Tokyo or Osaka, you’ll find other robot hotel locations on either of the sites above, or find the full list at the Henn na Hotel website.
Other Questions About Staying in a Robot Hotel
How Much Does a Robot Hotel Cost?
The exact cost of a robot hotel will depend on where it is, how far in advance you book, and when you want to stay there, but for the Osaka hotel in May I paid £67 booked six months in advance, and the Tokyo Hotel was £75 about a month in advance. This is roughly comparable to one of the higher-end business hotels in each city.
What’s an LG Styler?
Some of the room types at the Henn na Hotels have what’s known as an LG Styler, or call themselves an LG Styler so you might be wondering what this is.
It’s basically, a clothing refresher so, if you’re packing light you can put your clothes in it and freshen them up and de-wrinkle them for the next day.
Is it Hard to Check In?
No, the screens on reception offer an English language option and the robots and the screen talk you through tasks like finding your booking and scanning in your passport.
If anything does break, there is always a human around.
What Happens if There is an Emergency
Again, there are always human staff around in case of problems – no-one is relying on the dinosaurs to call for help.
However, robots or no robots, it’s always a good idea to do normal safety checks like finding the stairwells (see more in our guide to what happens if there’s an earthquake alert). In terms of security, because there aren’t obvious staff on reception, you usually use your key card to work the lift in a Henn na Hotel so don’t leave your room without it.
Can You Store Luggage?
There is luggage storage – in some hotels, this involves a robot luggage attendant, in others, you’ll just padlock the luggage to a holder.
Can You Use Luggage Transfer?
Double check with your specific hotel, but, the branches mentioned above can all receive luggage that has been sent with all payment made in advance. To send luggage from a Henn na hotel you’ll need to contact the behind-the-scenes human so if you want to use it, I’d check in advance.
Do They Offer Toiletries?
Basic toiletries were in the room, and there were other items available from a box near the front desk. One thing they didn’t have was black tea, so carry your own if you don’t want to drink green tea.
Do they Have Wifi?
Both the hotels I stayed in had free wifi.
Can you Get Room Service?
No. But the tourist-friendly location of the hotels means there’s usually restaurants, or at the very least, a convenience store on your doorstep.
