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Michelle Gross
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- Japan is known for technological innovation and hospitality, influencing new hotel trends.
- Michelle Gross spent 4 nights at Yotel Tokyo Ginza, a hotel that leverages robots and automation.
- She says some robot features were convenient, but others were unnecessary.
The first time I stayed in a robot hotel in Tokyo was in 2019, and not only was the technology glitchy, but the humanoid robots creeped me out. So when a new hybrid-robot hotel, Yotel Tokyo Ginza, opened in the same neighborhood earlier this year, I thought I'd give it a try.
I've been covering Japan's travel and hospitality scene for the better part of the last decade, and as tourism reaches an all-time high in 2025, ongoing labor shortages have forced the service and hospitality industry to think creatively about how to better serve the influx of travelers in the months and years ahead.
Of course, Japan has long been ahead of the curve when it comes to technological advancements — from the country's high-speed Shinkansen bullet trains to its automated vending machine restaurants — and is famous for its hospitality, known as omotenashi. I was curious to see how this new hybrid robot hotel experience would stack up.
Yotel Tokyo Ginza is a four-star lifestyle hotel that opened earlier this year.
Yotel Tokyo Ginza is located in Tokyo's buzzy Ginza neighborhood, which is known for having some of Tokyo's most upscale shopping malls, luxury boutiques, and five-star hotels, including Conrad Tokyo and The Peninsula. I love staying in Ginza due to its convenient location to some of the city's top attractions like Tsukiji Outer Market, Kabukiza Theater, and Art Aquarium Museum.
While the price of a hotel room in Ginza averages $340 per night during the week, and $444 on the weekend according toSkyscanner.com, rooms at YOTEL average $133 per night — a comparatively cost-effective option. (Editor's note: The author paid a reduced media rate for her visit.)
It felt like a big change from the first robot hotel I stayed at, which had rudimentary technology.
On a visit to Tokyo in 2019, I checked into Henn Na Hotel Tokyo Ginza. While the hotel is in a great neighborhood, the technology was glitchy, and the animatronic concierge was kind of creepy.
In Yotel's lobby area, there are self-service check-in kiosks and a luggage delivery service.
Contactless check-in can be done at one of three airline-style self-service kiosks, which come with touchscreens that let you collect your room key in under a minute. It was easy to use, but I noticed that the majority of guests opted to check in with a human at a separate reception desk.
While I didn't try it on this visit, you can also book same-day luggage delivery, which will take your bags from the hotel to Narita or Haneda airport in Tokyo for a fee.
After I checked in, I was greeted by two of Yotel's in-house robot crew members, or 'Yobots'.
Yotel Tokyo has two 'Yobots,' named Tomo and Aibo. The Japanese word Tomo (とも) translates to "friend" when written with the kanji, and Aibo (あいぼう) translates to "partner," or "buddy." Yobots are on hand to escort guests to their rooms and deliver room service.
Once I received my room key, I scanned it with Tomo, who promptly escorted me up to my room.
Tomo escorted me from the lobby to the elevator bank and all the way up to the 6th floor.
While it was a novelty, it wasn't exactly necessary. The human receptionist at the hotel said the hotel hopes the robot crew will be capable of delivering luggage to guest rooms in the future, which I think would be much more useful.
The view from my room overlooked Ginza.
There are 244 guest rooms on the property. Not every room comes with a view, so make sure you book a Premium Plus room, like I was in, which is set on the front side of the hotel and offers nice views of Ginza.
Rooms at Yotel are compact and minimalist, but I loved the motorized SmartBeds.
What the rooms and bathrooms lack in size, they make up for in smart design. I tend to work from bed a lot when I travel, and while there is a desk in the room, I enjoyed taking advantage of the full adjustable SmartBeds' ability to prop up with the touch of a button.
The size of the bathroom might be tough for two people, but it worked for me since I was here solo.
When I needed an in-room amenity delivered, robot room service was a phone call away.
I have to admit, having a robot deliver items directly to my door was not only a novelty but also extremely fast. In an effort to minimize waste, room amenities are free but only available upon request. I requested pajamas and a toothbrush, but Yobots are also capable of delivering food or drinks from the hotel restaurant.
Once the robot room service arrived, I received an automated call on my in-room phone alerting me to open the door.
It probably took less than three minutes from the time I called for robot room service for the Yobot to arrive at my door with my pajamas and toothbrush. I quickly read the instructions and hit a button that opened the robot's drawers. Once I retrieved the items, the task was complete, and the robot returned downstairs.
Set on the ground floor of the hotel, Komyuniti is Yotel's all-day restaurant and bar concept.
Komyuniti is Yotel's all-day restaurant and bar concept. The restaurant is staffed entirely by humans and features a daily happy hour and afternoon tea service. Breakfast and coffee are served buffet-style for an additional fee, though I didn't feel like the meal was worth it.
After spending a few days in Tokyo, I began to notice more robots and automated experiences popping up across the city.
As Japan continues to grapple with an aging population and worker shortage, there's no doubt that Yotel's hybrid-human to robot service model will continue to become more prevalent in hotels and restaurants across Japan. One café I visited was even using robots being operated remotely by people with disabilities.
As a frequent solo traveler to Japan, I enjoyed my stay at Yotel, but there's room for improvement.
Overall, I really enjoyed my stay at Yotel and would stay again. While I think it's clever how this brand has integrated robots into the hotel experience, I would like to see more functionality from them, like delivering my luggage to the room or a robot barista whipping up a cup of coffee on my next visit.
Do you have a story to share about a unique automated experience? If so, please reach out to the editor [email protected].
