H.I.S. plans eight more robot-staffed 'Henn na Hotels' across Japan

Travel agency H.I.S. Co. is eyeing an ambitious plan to build eight more android-staffed Henn na Hotels in addition to the one it opened in Tokyo's high-end Ginza shopping district on Thursday. Against the backdrop of a shrinking population and a growing number of foreign tourists, the hotel has found success employing robots as a way to both draw in business and reduce staffing costs. "Japan does not have enough hotel rooms and we have a shrinking population to staff stores," said Miura Tatsuki, a manager from the public relations division at H.I.S."We created this hotel in part to respond to societal issues." In addition to its latest addition in Ginza, the company plans to build four robot-staffed hotels in the Tokyo area this year and four others spread among Osaka, Fukuoka, and Kyoto. The company also opened an automated coffee shop, Henn na Cafe in Shibuya Ward, on the same day as the opening of the Ginza hotel.