“Imaginearriving at this hotel in Tokyoat midnight and finding this. It’s giving me the creeps.”
In an era where technology is making us double-think what we once considered impossible, it seems we are losing the capacity to be amazed every time we encounter a new high-tech product. That is until we see ahumanoid robotwelcoming us behind the front desk of a hotel.
HighlightsSpanish influencer Carla Domènech shared her experience with humanoid robot clerks at a hotel in Tokyo.Many people found the robot clerks unsettling, while others raised concerns about the future of hospitality workers.Carla mentioned that the hotel also had human clerks at the front desk.
Spanish influencer Carla Domènech is a well-traveled woman. She spent a month in Thailand, strolled through the streets of Prague, and visited the mesmerizing Sahara Desert in Morocco. Yet she was completely taken aback during one of her recent trips to theJapanesecapital when she encountered a pair ofunlikely hotel clerksand realized she would not be able to communicate with either of them.
Image credits:carladomenechp
She proceeded to focus her camera on a pair ofhumanoid robotssmiling behind the counter in their cream-colored uniforms.
Thelifelike creationshad a sign beside them that read, “Do not touch the robots.”
“I’ll talk to them,” Carla announced before greeting the pair in Spanish. To her surprise, she received an answer in Japanese. She then said “Hello” again, this time in English. Once again, the female-like robot responded in the local language.
“Imagine arriving at this hotel in Tokyo at midnight and finding this. It’s giving me the creeps,” the Spanish tourist said
“I don’t get it. I’m really scared…I can’t even look them in the eyes,” the tourist can be heard saying at the end of the video.
Watch Carla’s experience at the high-tech Henn na Hotel below
“Shouldn’t they speak several languages? It’s the least they can do since they are machines…” another argued.
“How gloomy…It seems like the beginning of a horror film,” a separate user chimed in.
Carla put (some of) these worries to rest after clarifying that the hotel also had human clerks at the front desk.
The post sparked comparisons to horror films and raised concerns about the future of hospitality workers
Image credits:tokyo-ginza
The presence of robots in hotels isn’t a new phenomenon in a country known for itshigh-techindustry like Japan.
At the time, it was thought that robot-staffed hotels might be part of the solution to this problem.
However, even if the decision streamlined service, it ultimately led to some complaints from guests who missed traditional human interactions when the robots failed to understand their accents or didn’t respond adequately to non-pre-programmed questions.
The reactions to Carla’s video highlight that many travelers may not be ready to welcome this change with open arms yet. What some have interpreted as a symbol of technological advancement, others perceive as unsettling experiences that can feel too distant or cold compared to the warmth of human interactions.
Thanks! Check out the results:Renan Duarte
Lei RV
News
