Say hello to the future of contact-free check-in.

If you’re looking for a weird hotel to stay at in Japan, you can’t go past Hen na Hotel, a chain whose name literally translates to “Weird Hotel”.

What makes their hotels so strange is the fact that instead of humans at the reception desk, guests are greeted by holograms and robot dinosaurs. Now, there’s a new branch opening at Kokubuncho in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, and at this location there are some new “weird” staff members on hand to help guests as well.

▼ The new branch will open on 1 September.

After entering the hotel from the covered shopping arcade, guests will step into a world of holograms and projection mapping, with the lobby expressing the history of Sendai and the liveliness of its festivals through a colourful light display.

▼ The highlight, however, will be the check-in desk, with its two unusual receptionists.

Guests can check-in using the touchscreens at the desk, under the guidance of either a T-Rex or Date Masamune, a famous samurai and local hero who founded the modern-day city of Sendai.

▼ Masamune, also known as the “One-Eyed Dragon of Oshu”, is identified by his crescent-moon helmet and an eye patch covering his missing eye.

As it turns out, these aren’t the only two holographic members of staff at the hotel – ninjas and butlers may also appear!

Inside the hotel rooms, things are much less weird, with brand new fittings and simple but sleek furnishings.

This particular branch also boasts a manga corner where 2,200 comics covering around 100 works are free for guests to use during their stay. There’s also a free “amenity bar“, a branch of the famous local family restaurant chain Hachi on the first floor, and a special “LG Styler” UV cleaner for clothes installed in all hotel rooms.

Accommodation costs start at 7,226 yen (US$65.83) for one room per night without meals. It’s a perfect option for travellers looking for contact-free accommodation during the pandemic, and if you’re looking for a place to stay in Tokyo, you can book in at branches of the Henn na Hotel staffed by robot dinosaurs and anime girl holograms.

Hotel information
Henn na Hotel Tokyo Sendai Kokubuncho / 変なホテル仙台 国分町
Address: Miyagi-ken, Sendai-shi, Aoba-ku, Ichibancho 4-2-12
宮城県仙台市青葉区一番町4-2-12
Website

Source, images: Press release
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[ Read in Japanese ]