Robots take over hotel check-ins and a traveler loses it

Is it Artificial Intelligence?

It seems that technology is making its mark in nearly every industry, from factories to restaurants. Recently, Argentine tourists encountered a curious situation at a hotel in Japan, where a robot had taken over the role of receptionist. The surprising moment was captured in a TikTok video that has garnered over 845,000 views.

The traveler exclaimed, “The receptionist is a robot,” as shared on @manuenalemania. Following this, bread was handed to a robotic store clerk.

In the clip, one of the robotic attendants nervously tells the TikTok user, “Don’t look at me, don’t look at me, don’t look at me,” while greeting her.

At one point, the robot wishes her a “fun stay,” adding to the uncanny experience.

The hotel in question is part of a chain known as Henna Hotel, which translates to “Strange” in Japanese. Located in Tokyo, this establishment utilizes various humanoid robots to assist visitors. The first Henna Hotel opened in Nagasaki, aiming to innovate the hospitality field by offering more efficient services.

Currently, the chain boasts over 20 locations, featuring humanoid robots in their lobbies, including a dinosaur droid, and other modern amenities like interactive holograms and a mobile robot assistant named Robohon.

The purpose of these robots was to enhance the check-in process, but Manu, the traveler, found it rather unsettling. “You scare me a lot,” she admits to one of the robots during her check-in. After scanning her passport at an automated kiosk and entering her stay details, she received her keycard from the machine.

At this moment, the robot informed her, “Your check-in is now complete. We hope you have a pleasant stay at our hotel.” Then, it bowed and asked Manu to shout “ay nooooooo!”

Commenters on the video echoed her feelings, expressing discomfort about the growing presence of robots in hospitality. One remarked, “You’re studying hospitality for this,” reflecting on the implications of replacing human staff with machines.

Interestingly, Henna Hotel had to “let go” of over half of its 240 robotic employees due to operational issues that fell short of guest expectations. Many patrons noted that the robot receptionists often struggle with interpreting commands, bringing light to the limitations of this tech-driven approach to customer service.