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Futuristic Japanese Hotel Staffed Entirely by Robots

 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

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Eager for a glimpse into the future, where humans and robots co-exist? If so, a new hotel in Japan might be just the thing.

Because all the staff members at the Henn na Hotel (aka "strange hotel" in English) aren't actually living.

Japan Times reports that the futuristic hotel is scheduled to open July 17 at the Huis Ten Bosch theme park, which used life-sized replicas of old Dutch buildings to re-create The Netherlands in Japan.

The robot experience starts when you first step foot into the hotel. Robots will help you with your bags, as well as manage the front desk and other hotel services — even clean your room for you.

Besides just having a fully robotic staff, the hotel has some other high-tech touches. For instance, facial-recognition technology will replace room keys, so you'll be able to unlock your door with your face.

The park says that the robots will reduce costs associated with running the hotel, and ensure comfort for guests. They should also help you save some money on tips.

The first building in the hotel will open with 72 rooms, followed by another 72-room building next year. A single room will be priced at 7,000 yen a night, or around $59. A twin room will set you back 9,000 yen, or $76.

If the hotel reaches maximum capacity during peak season they'll bid off rooms, though the upper limit will be 14,000 yen (around $119) for a single room.

"We will make the most efficient hotel in the world," company President Hideo Sawada said during a news conference, according to Japan Times. "In the future, we'd like to have more than 90 percent of hotel services operated by robots."

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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