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Robot-Staffed Japanese Hotel Opens

Posted by samzenpus on from the how-may-I-serve-you? dept.

jfruh writes: The front desk is staffed by a female android in a white tunic. The bellhop is a mechanical velociraptor. A giant robot arm put luggage into cubbyholes. It's the Henn-na Hotel in Nagasaki and it's opening this Friday, and it's a place where 'basically guests will see only robots, not humans,' according to general manager Masahiko Hayasaka.

56 comments

  1. Welcome! by MagickalMyst · · Score: 2

    Welcome our new robot overlords!

    --
    Political correctness is really just herd psychology pushed by insecure people who desperately seek social conformity.
    1. Re:Welcome! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      As long as it's not the space robots. Those guys are assholes.

  2. One Year by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I give it a year before places like these will be standard at all the hotels with hourly rates!

    1. Re:One Year by Shortguy881 · · Score: 2
      Judging from the article, it will take longer than that:

      During a press preview Wednesday, the cloakroom robot seemed to develop a sore elbow, so to speak, two of the Nao robots took a tumble from their pedestals and it was hard to ignore the rubbery jerkiness of the android and dinosaur, developed by Kokoro, a group company of Hello Kitty licensing company Sanrio.

      But it’s all part of the awkward theater of spending the night in what feels like a set for a sci-fi B movie, with human support staff in the background.

      And with both highly specialized robots and a full support staff, I'd bet this route is more costly than having minimum wage workers.

      Still, it wont be that far in the future before we are visiting hotels with humans as the staff as an "awkward theater" of how it was before robots replaced people in the service industry.

      --
      Brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants.
    2. Re:One Year by thrig · · Score: 3, Funny

      Awkward theater? No'h!

    3. Re:One Year by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Are you kidding?

      Noone who goes to an hourly rate hotell wants the staff to be capable of audio-video recording and streaming.

  3. What about the hookers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    When I order a high-priced prostitute, those will still be humans, right?

    1. Re: What about the hookers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      No, they will install special sockets into the wall for this

    2. Re: What about the hookers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Those already exist in many hotels. They're the sockets for the central vacuum system hoses. You can put your penis into those.

    3. Re:What about the hookers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      (chortle) No, we are not barbarians. Each room has its own squid tank for your convenience.

      .

    4. Re:What about the hookers? by willoughby · · Score: 2

      You won't be able to tell the difference, Doug. And that's guaranteed. Or your money back.

    5. Re: What about the hookers? by umghhh · · Score: 1

      What about hetero female traditionalist visiting the hotel and others that prefer the proper penetration, you insensitive clod!

    6. Re:What about the hookers? by ArcadeMan · · Score: 1

      What about the guy who got strangled by the robot maid... Did he get a refund?

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    7. Re:What about the hookers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Once you've gone cephalopod, you'll never want a human bod.

    8. Re: What about the hookers? by Falos · · Score: 1

      "I'm gonna stick my dinger in it!" is one of the more volatile forces in the universe, even in the absence of sexual drive. Please designate applicable sarcasm, because if you don't we WILL try it, warning labels be damned.

    9. Re:What about the hookers? by Falos · · Score: 2

      You have to show the receipt, erotic asphyxiation is waived.

      I totally spelled that correct by accident.

    10. Re: What about the hookers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      YOU can put you penis into those.

    11. Re: What about the hookers? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sure. Just send her up to my room as well. When I get tired of the wall socket I can use her too.

  4. Nexus 6 by pr0t0 · · Score: 1

    No, those will be Tyrell Corporation Nexus 6 series basic pleasure models. Ask for Pris.

    --
    I'm sorry, but your opinion seems to be wrong.
    1. Re:Nexus 6 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Do you really think someone wanting a hooker has any idea of what you are talking about ?

    2. Re:Nexus 6 by blue9steel · · Score: 1

      Meh, too skinny for my taste. Six from Tripping the Rift is more my style.

  5. 'henn-na'? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    'henn-na', huh? That's strange.

    And what's also strange is that there doesn't seem to be any pictures of these marvels on the linked article.

    1. Re:'henn-na'? by ArcadeMan · · Score: 1

      Like 99% of the "news" websites out there, it seems none are able to use digital cameras or smartphones to take photos.

      But the ads on the sides will gladly show you photos, animations and freakin' videos, though.

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  6. Recognition of need for medical care? by golodh · · Score: 2
    Supposing you get a heart attack. a stroke, or an acute appendicitis while at such a hotel.

    Will there be any staff to notice that you're unwell and call an ambulance?

    1. Re:Recognition of need for medical care? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Will any of the third-world staff who run most human-staffed hotels, even in first-world nations, notice? Will they have sufficient grasp of the local language to call an ambulance? Or will they be more concerned with scrubbing enough toilets, and then wiping the drinking glasses with the same brush, to meet their quota for the day?

    2. Re:Recognition of need for medical care? by EzInKy · · Score: 0

      Probably will be the same as with human staff. If a situation arises that can't be handled by current programming, call a supervisor. In actuality that may get a quicker EMS response as I doubt robots will sit around trying to think of way to take advantage of the situation.

      --
      Time is what keeps everything from happening all at once.
    3. Re:Recognition of need for medical care? by DerekLyons · · Score: 2

      Will there be any staff to notice that you're unwell and call an ambulance?

      Have you ever actually stayed at a hotel? Interaction with the human staff is already at a minimum (and has been for a long time - a hotel that constantly intrudes on the privacy of it's guests doesn't stay open long).... unless you keel over in a public space, there's pretty much already nobody to notice until housekeeping stops by.

  7. Time's Up! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Time flowing like a river
    Time beckoning me
    Who knows when we shall meet again
    If ever
    But time
    Keeps flowing like a river
    To the sea

    Good-bye my love
    Maybe for forever
    Good-bye my love
    The tide waits for me
    Who knows when we shall meet again
    If ever
    But time
    Keeps flowing like a river
    (On and on)
    To the sea
    To the sea!

    'til it's gone forever
    Gone forever
    Gone forevermore

    Good-bye my friend
    Maybe for forever
    Good-bye my friend
    The stars wait for me
    Who knows where we shall meet again
    If ever
    But time
    Keeps flowing like a river
    (On and on)
    To the sea
    To the sea!

    'til it's gone forever
    Gone forever
    Gone forevermore
    Forevermore
    Forevermore
    Forevermore

    Sad song say so much!

  8. It's next to an amusement park for a reason by Demonoid-Penguin · · Score: 4, Interesting

    At first read I though it might be a new Love Hotel - many of which already have no visible human staff (the low-rent US equivalent is usually rented hourly and you'd be well advised to don a full-body condom before entering). The Japanese versions are clean and classy, though often a little cramped (sex is not something sinful, or to be ashamed of in Japan). If it was it might of backfired as discrete guests scamper from the hordes of invading geeks wielding video cameras and selfie sticks. An amusing image.

    A better article is here.

  9. Cheaper service AND less human employment by rmdingler · · Score: 2
    It's a common theme.

    For those with no interest in human contact, the future is looking bright indeed.

    Hell, I don't even like frequenting the stores with automated checkouts.

    --
    Happiness in intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.

    Ernest Hemingway

    1. Re:Cheaper service AND less human employment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I prefer automated checkouts. They usually work pretty well these days - admittedly, some of the older ones are awful - and I can pack my things the way I want them packed. Human checkers always use far too many bags, probably because customers complain that full bags are hard to carry or whatever.

      And frankly, 'checkout clerk' is a dreary, terrible job. I've done it. It's not the worst job I've ever had, but it's pretty mind-numbing. Isn't automation supposed to save humans from drudgery like that?

    2. Re:Cheaper service AND less human employment by umghhh · · Score: 1

      are you at all human or are you a bot for Uber like corp doing propaganda work?

    3. Re:Cheaper service AND less human employment by umghhh · · Score: 1

      For those with no interest in human contact (besides occasional pr0n) the future looks bright only if they have enough money to guarantee human contact free life, the others will have to suffer of course although their suffering will bear distinctive tones comparing to that of other suckers.

    4. Re:Cheaper service AND less human employment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Automated checkouts also don't constantly nag you to sign up for their loyalty cards so they can track your purchases and market to you. If you're picking up a few sundries they are the more pleasant way to go.

    5. Re:Cheaper service AND less human employment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But you still worked there, because you needed the money. Now, instead of someone who needs the money doing that job, the CEO of Mom's Robot Corp will get an extra lamborghini.

    6. Re:Cheaper service AND less human employment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      >Human checkers always use far too many bags, probably because customers complain that full bags are hard to carry or whatever.

      Actually, it's because stores have been sued in the past for negligence resulting in death due to bags breaking.

      http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/08/29/man-sues-wal-mart-claims-overfilled-plastic-bag-led-to-wife-death/

    7. Re:Cheaper service AND less human employment by Demonoid-Penguin · · Score: 1

      For those with no interest in human contact.

      If your only "human contact" comes from retail staff you're doing something wrong. And no, that's not condoning "making friends" in lifts in lift by sharing your life story and your "problems" with women (or having to "bear distinctive tones" WTF that means).

  10. $15 per hour minimum wage by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is what you'll get to fix for $15 an hour. Have fun!

    I, for one, welcome the future where there are no low paying jobs. Not because we pay people more, but because people who want to earn very little simply live on welfare. Forever. And thus in government housing. Away from me.

    Yeah. I am an asshole. Why did you ask?

  11. Who cleans the rooms, Roomba? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How can Roomba make beds and clean windows?

    1. Re:Who cleans the rooms, Roomba? by ArcadeMan · · Score: 1

      Autowash.

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  12. No one? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Not a single Domo arigatou Mr. Roboto? That's the department I'd file this under.

  13. No theft from the 'help' by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So my stuff might actually be safe if left in room? Sign me up.

    1. Re:No theft from the 'help' by ArcadeMan · · Score: 1

      Sure, your stuff is safe, don't worry.

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  14. What about the security guards? by Dishwasha · · Score: 1

    Oh wait this is in Japan, not America.

  15. Bad misreading of headline by tomhath · · Score: 1

    Thought it said "Robot-Shafted Japanese Hotel". Didn't want to go there....

  16. Sequel? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is it time for a sequel to Westworld and Futureworld?

    (Or, wait, a velociraptor bellhop ... was that Jurassic World?)

    1. Re:Sequel? by ArcadeMan · · Score: 1

      Is it time for a sequel to Westworld and Futureworld?

      Nope, this is the prequel.

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  17. rob them blind by Phusion · · Score: 1

    So.... we can take whatever isn't bolted down?

    --
    640k ought to be enough for anyone.
  18. female andriods by micahraleigh · · Score: 1

    I like the way the summary mentions "female androids" like that's a real thing.

    I guess the androids have XX chromosomes too.

  19. Futureworld meets Jurassic park .... by MondoGordo · · Score: 1

    That's great until the bellhop eats a guest ...

  20. Who Will Be The "Working Girls" by Toad-san · · Score: 1

    hanging out in the hotel bar? Some likely examples:

    http://www.esquire.com/enterta...

  21. I'm sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy your stay, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Mr Strauss-Kahn.

  22. Unemployment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I wouldn't go there.

    A job is a job, and they seem few and far between these days. I don't use human-less checkouts at stores either.

    1. Re:Unemployment by myrdos2 · · Score: 1

      I know what you mean. I always take a taxi instead of driving myself. And I make sure the restaurants I eat at don't have automatic dishwashers.

  23. Love Hotel? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is this a regular hotel or an hourly "Love Hotel"? My wife and I went to one for some quality time together a couple years ago when we were staying with her parents for a visit. There was already minimal human contact between us and the staff. The lobby contained a front desk with a large screen with pictures of various rooms, their prices, and number. You imputed the number into a machine at the desk and it spit out a keycard and receipt. Later when we left, instead of exiting the same way there were signs pointed toward an exit elevator. We got in the elevator and when we exited there was what looked like a ticket booth with bars on it and privacy panel that was pulled down so that you could only see the person's hands and mid section. No words were said between us and them. We just handed them the receipt, some typing was heard, and then we were handed paper with a total. We paid and we left. Seems like it could have all staffed by robots pretty easily, though they might still need humans to properly clean the rooms.

  24. LessThanObvious by LessThanObvious · · Score: 2

    You mean I can finally stop putting on pants for room service? Now that's luxury.