Once you’ve tired yourself out playing with your rideable 4-metre tall robot from Amazon Japan and experienced the neon assault to the senses that is Shinjuku’s Robot Restaurant show, you’ll also be able to visit a hotel in Japan with robot staff once the new Hen-na Hotel opens this summer.
As well as robot receptionists, porters, cleaners and waitresses, the aptly-named Hen-na Hotel (literally meaning “strange hotel”) in the Huis Ten Bosch theme park, Nagasaki, will also feature a whole host of futuristic technology aimed at reducing energy consumption and human staffing levels, therefore keeping room prices down.
Huis Ten Bosch is a pretty unusual place already – a little slice of (theme-park) Netherlands that landed on Japan in the early nineties, it contains entire replica Dutch streets, a mock-up of its namesake royal palace in The Hague, and a replica of a Dutch ship that was cast ashore on Japan’s coast in the 17th century.
▼ Clearly, all it needs is a futuristic robot hotel! Welcome to Japan, folks.
Upon entering the Hen-na Hotel, which opens this July, you’ll be greeted by robot staff at check in. Your bags will be carried to your room by a robot porter, and you can even be served coffee by another robot! Sadly, no press images of these myriad android staff members were yet available, so we’re just going to play it safe and assume they all look like Baymax.
▼ Artist’s impression of the hotel, which is scheduled to open in July this year.
▼ Not pictured: robot receptionists, robot coffee-wallas. Pictured: apparently irrelevant robotic arm.
Rooms in this self-styled “low cost” hotel will be rented on an auction system, starting from 7,000 yen (US$60) per room per night. With the cheapest rooms in the other three Huis Ten Bosch hotels starting at around twice that price, you could save some serious money at the park’s new “strange hotel”. Which should leave you with a bit of spare cash to spend on wooden tulips, postcards of windmills, and other authentic Japanese souvenirs.
Sources: NetLab, Nikkei, Huis Ten Bosch via PR Times
Related: Huis Ten Bosch
Images: Huis Ten Bosch via PR Times unless otherwise stated
Netherlands theme park Huis Ten Bosch hosting a special event to celebrate upcoming Mewtwo movie!
We spent a night in a Tokyo hotel staffed by robots 【Photos】
Hen na Hotel Haneda: What it’s really like to stay at Tokyo’s “Weird Hotel” with dinosaur robots
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam anime mecha statue will be removed this summer
Hundreds of rose bushes in bloom at Tokyo’s off-the-beaten-path, next-to-the-tracks flower street
Ichiraku Ramen-inspired ramen sets from Naruto anime pay homage to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura
Studio Ghibli’s president is leaving the company. Will it change how they make anime?
Let’s hike a Japanese mountain (that isn’t Mt. Fuji) – Mt. Tsukuba[Photos]
Baskin-Robbins Japan’s 2026 popularity poll results are in and the champion flavor is crowned
The top 12 incomprehensible school rules, as chosen by high school students
161-year-old Kyoto confectionary maker releases new edible Pokémon lineup
7-Eleven Japan now sells canned water, but does funky packaging mean funky flavor?[Taste test]
Starbucks Japan releases two new “chunky” drinks… and matching gel designs for our nails
7-Eleven Japan now has ramen machines…but only at 41 stores
Mt. Fuji hot spring inn gets even more beautiful after dark with Firefly Festival
7-Eleven Japan is releasing Greedy chocolate chip and whipped cream sandwiches
Don’t miss the Tokyo Tower City Light Fantasia ~Summer Landscape 2026~ event during your travels
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
The average age of Japan’s hikikomori shut-ins is getting older, survey shows
Japan enters Golden Week vacation period, survey shows one in three plan to ride it out at home
New Kyoto Converse sneakers celebrate Japan with traditional kimono fabrics for your feet
Brand-new Pokémon manhole covers coming to help the recovery of a disaster-stricken part of Japan
Japan’s awesomely beautiful Alpen Route snow corridor is now open
Japan’s new Pokémon jackets give you the look and powers of the Kanto starter trio
Move aside, convenience store egg sando – there’s a better version of the iconic sandwich in Japan
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa