Japan's Huis Ten Bosch "Weird Hotel" – Staffed Entirely by Robots!

Article reprinted fromTripPlus

In April this year, besides attending my cousin’s wedding in Taiwan, another key part of my itinerary was to visit Kyushu in Japan. Aside from exploring areas around Fukuoka, I also made a special trip to Huis Ten Bosch. Originally, I wanted to see the famous pirate ship “Going Merry” from the popular manga One Piece, but unfortunately, it had already been moved to Nagoya for an exhibition.

Among theme parks in Japan, Tokyo has Disneyland, Osaka has Universal Studios, and Kyushu has Huis Ten Bosch. This theme park is designed with a Dutch aesthetic. Due to its less-than-ideal location, it once risked becoming one of Japan’s many abandoned amusement parks. However, thanks to some successful management strategies, it made a comeback. Since it’s not overly crowded, you can enjoy the entire park at ease (when we went, there were almost no visitors, and the staff seemed to outnumber the guests). But because the park is quite large and full of great photo spots (though film cameras are pretty rare these days), we ran into a bit of a problem: we couldn’t find our way around.

In Sasebo, where Huis Ten Bosch is located, there aren’t many options from major hotel chains. Aside from three very expensive on-site theme park hotels, there are smaller chain hotels outside the park such as Okura, JAL, and Watermark. We stayed one night each at the Watermark Nagasaki Huis Ten Bosch Hotel and the Weird Hotel (yes, that’s really its name!). This review will focus mainly on the Weird Hotel.

Check-in Process

The Weird Hotel (Japanese name: Yūgen na Hoteru) opened in July 2015 and was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world’s first hotel to be staffed primarily by robots. In March of this year, a new “Weird Maihama Tokyo Bay Hotel” opened near Disneyland, and another one is set to open in Aichi Prefecture in August. Its main feature is that most services are provided by robots. As you enter the lobby, a robot model (pictured below – yes, this one is just a model!) greets you.

To the right of the entrance, there’s a fully automated robotic arm luggage storage system for guests who arrive early. Storing luggage comes at an additional cost, and since everything is automated, you can’t request early check-in at the front desk. If you arrive early, your only option is the unapologetically priced locker (500 yen for 24 hours).

The first thing to greet you isn’t a friendly Japanese receptionist, but the even cuter Tulip-chan (Tulip)! She speaks multiple languages and can chat with you. Each room also has a mini version of Tulip-chan.

Further inside, as you’d expect in a lobby, there’s a check-in counter—but instead of familiar handsome or pretty receptionists, you’ll find attractive robot ladies and... well, something else. It’s hard to tell which is which at first glance.

Both check-in and check-out procedures are handled via the kiosks in front of them, and you can interact with them using voice commands. However, being robots, they’re obviously not up for heart-to-heart chats or room upgrades. When I checked in, I had booked two rooms under the same name, so a real human—hidden in a small back office—helped me out. I even managed to catch some footage of the robots in action.

Mukuko

Mirai-kun

The Room

If you stay in Building A, you can use an automated luggage cart. Apparently, you just input your room number, and the cart will deliver your luggage right to your door.

However, we stayed in the newer Building D, which only opened at the end of 2016.

The hotel emphasizes eco-friendliness. At night, motion-sensor lights gradually illuminate as you walk by. The room entry system is pretty cool—you can set it up for facial recognition, so after your first entry, you can get into your room just using your face!

The rooms themselves aren’t large, reflecting the Japanese philosophy of maximizing every inch of space. As soon as you enter, there’s a coat hanger on the wall for hanging jackets.

Even though it’s a budget hotel, they still provide a yukata (casual kimono).

The walls are used efficiently to accommodate a TV and storage space.

Next to the bed, there’s a Tulip-chan device that functions similarly to Amazon Echo, along with a tablet.

The bathroom also makes full use of every bit of space.

Although the room looks small (and it really is), the layout is well thought out, so you don’t feel cramped. Here’s my mom’s take:

Breakfast

Their breakfast focuses on organic, healthy food. Many of the plants are grown on-site, and the spread is both delicious and varied. If you stay here, I highly recommend adding breakfast to your booking. From the small path next to the breakfast restaurant, you can directly enter the Huis Ten Bosch park.

Another unique feature is that the hotel uses robotic lawnmowers to cut the grass!

Bonus: Watermark Hotel Nagasaki, Huis Ten Bosch

Let me also introduce the other hotel we stayed at—the Watermark. This hotel offers relatively affordable rates compared to other accommodations around Huis Ten Bosch. It also provides a shuttle bus from the park’s main gate to the hotel. The view from the back entrance of the hotel is beautiful and leads directly into Huis Ten Bosch, which is why many people choose to stay here. The front desk uncle was super nice and helped us carry our luggage all the way to the elevator.

However, this hotel is quite old. The 4-person room I booked had a rather odd layout—it felt like a small suite setup, but with the sofa removed and two extra beds added. The interior furnishings were also outdated, with power outlets in strange and inconvenient places, and very few of them. Also, it seemed to host a lot of group tours, making it rather noisy—not recommended.

Conclusion

Although Huis Ten Bosch isn’t as thrilling or action-packed as Disneyland or Universal Studios, it’s truly unique. It’s a place where you can relax and enjoy yourself without the crowds, and there aren’t many spots where you can take such beautiful photos everywhere you go. You can also catch a performance of the uniquely Japanese Takarazuka Revue, and explore the dazzlingly bright Light Park. If you’re visiting Kyushu, I highly recommend stopping by for a day trip.

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