Switched-On Stays: High-Tech Hotels of Tokyo

“It’s no secret that Tokyo is a world hub for all things high-tech. So it should come as no surprise that many of its hotels are on the cutting-edge of gadgetry. Read on for a selection of truly high-tech hotels – including one which is staffed by robots.

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Peninsula Hotel Tokyo
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The 314 rooms of the Peninsula Hotel are furnished with all sorts of bells and whistles. Need to get ready quick before a big night on the town? Not to worry: there are nail-varnish dryers here. Each room is also outfitted with Skype-capable wireless phones, which you can carry with you outside the hotel and use as your mobile during your stay. They’ll even mute your television automatically when you receive a call. The Peninsula also provides 3,000 wireless radio stations and a fleet of luxury cars accessible only to guests (including two Rolls-Royce Phantoms).

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nine hours, Shinjuku-North and Narita
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True to its name, pod hotel mini-chain nine hours offers rooms for that length of time – based on one hour to shower and freshen up, seven to sleep, and one more to ‘rest’ (though you don’t have to use the facilities in that order, and you can also check in for a one-hour nap). Nine hours first opened in Kyoto, but now includes locations in Tokyo’s Shinjuku-North neighbourhood and at Narita Airport. Its snug, futuristic pods come equipped with a personalization panel which controls the lights and sound system.

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Henn-na Hotel, Tokyo Bay
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Henn-na Hotel’s name roughly translates to ‘strange hotel,’ and that’s pretty much what you get when you check in. There are 140 staff robots at your beck and call – including a multilingual Velociraptor at reception, an officious robotic arm at coat-check, and a fleet of porter-bots to carry your bags to your room. Plus, you never have to worry about forgetting your key: Henn-na has facial recognition software, so all you need to do is walk up to the door. The hotel is located just outside Tokyo Disney (in Urayasu Chiba Prefecture).

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Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo, Marunouchi
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This hotel spans six floors of steel and glass in the heart of Tokyo, and is part of a mixed-use development with a direct connection to Tokyo Station. On the tech front, each room at Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo has a 3D/Blu-ray television built in, and supported by a state-of-the-art, surround-sound audio system – which easily syncs with Bluetooth on your laptop or smartphone. Moreover, each room comes equipped with an arsenal of PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo games.

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Grand Hyatt Tokyo, Roppongi
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Located in the heart of the Roppongi district, the Grand Hyatt Tokyo has nailed bathroom gadgetry. Each bathroom has an HD television, and the toilets come with control panels that allow you to adjust almost anything, including the temperature of the seat. Back in the bedroom, another panel puts you in control of everything from the blinds to the air conditioning to the TV. Should you want to sit somewhere even more hospitable than a custom-temperature toilet seat, the fitness centre here includes elaborate Panasonic massage chairs.”