Without a doubt, one of our highlights of Japan was staying in a hotel where the “receptionists” are robot dinosaurs!
One of the biggest draws to Japan for me is the absolutely insane inventions they come up with, the wacky tech and anime, the nuts TV shows, and the fun things they always seem to do – after all, no country does mascots quite like Japan, and where else has a hotel with a literal Godzilla statue emerging from it?
While we didn’t stay in the Godzilla hotel (Hotel Gracery in Shinjuku), I did have one hotel in particular on my list which was much more affordable. It’s not in the easiest area of Tokyo, but it was well worth adding a night on at the end!
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And what better way to end my Japan destination content (yup, I still have some more general Japan posts coming…) than with something that perfectly encapsulates one of the reasons Japan has always been so high on my travel list?
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Welcome to the Henn-Na Hotel in Maihama, Tokyo Bay. Located near the Disney parks, this is perfect if you’re there for the theme parks; less ideal if you’re there for Tokyo sightseeing. There are other Henn-Na hotels around Japan, including a couple of others in Tokyo with hologram dinosaurs! I didn’t think this would be quite as cool as actual robot dinosaurs, so we made the trek out to Tokyo Bay – and I’m so glad we did!
I was already excited about meeting the dinosaurs. When we turned up and they spoke to us and literally acted like hotel receptionists, I was ecstatic! My friend and I looked at each other throughout the whole check-in process with childlike wonder on our faces. It was even better than we had expected!
I’ve got a video of our check-in here:
It’s essentially self-service, with a machine to enter the booking details, and it also needed my passport details. There was then another payment machine. The velociraptor guided us through everything, in English.
What a friendly guy!
Not only are there dinosaurs behind reception, but there are more at the back of the lobby!
Unfortunately the rest of the hotel is fairly plain, but it IS a really nice hotel overall.
Our room was great, with a divider separating the bedroom from the entranceway, which meant we could get changed etc without being in each others’ space, and with more space than the bathroom to do that in.
Not the best photo as it was taken as we were leaving instead of as we arrived, but this is what our room for four people looked like. It was less cramped than our 4-person room in Kyoto…!
And the best thing? We had a robot in our room, too!
Not that we could figure out how to use it. Multiple times my friend shouted at it because it refused to dance.
However my favourite thing is it’s the SAME robot that James May has in his Japan TV show, which is the funniest thing about the entire show! BIM!!!
He only had slightly more luck with that thing than we did.
There are some “concept rooms” which are dinosaur themed, but they’re very kiddy rather than a more creative theme, i.e. dinosaur wallpaper, pictures and bedsheets; not like the Godzilla hotel where you can literally book a room with Godzilla’s claws coming out of the wall!
The other bonus of the hotel is that there are free shuttles to the train station and Disney parks. This meant that we could get straight to the train station for our journey back to Narita airport.
I honestly don’t think we could have ended our trip to Japan any more perfectly. While I was sad to leave, I felt like we had accomplished so much of what we set out to do there; the silly things like this meant just as much to me as the bigger, cultural experiences! It sums up what I love about Japan.
Also, importantly, it’s not bank-breaking at all! It was around £160 for the room between four of us, so just £40 each! I found a lot of accommodation in Japan to be really reasonable, but it’s possible to find some VERY expensive places as well, so one of the biggest selling points of the Henn Na Hotels is they’re great value despite the novelty.
Book the Henn Na Hotel Maihama Tokyo Bay here!
Other unique themed hotels in Japan
There are, unsurprisingly, a fair few themed hotels around Japan!
Here are some of my favourites that I’ve found in my research:
Hotel Gracery, Shinjuku
Already mentioned, but I have to mention it again – Hotel Gracery not only has a giant Godzilla statue outside the building, making it one of the most iconic buildings in Shinjuku, but you can even stay in a room where Godzilla is trying to break through the wall! How cool is that? And also expensive.
Hello Kitty themed rooms – Keio Plaza Hotel, Tokyo
It’s impossible to make a list of Japanese themed hotels without mentioning the Hello Kitty rooms at the Keio Plaza. They’re soooo cute!
There are also a couple of Hello Kitty-themed rooms at the Hotel Tobu in Asakusa.
I’m not a huge fan of Hello Kitty, to be honest, but if you are, make sure to check out the Hello Kitty shinkansen train between Osaka and Hakata!
Pokemon themed room – Mimaru Hotel, Tokyo
Of COURSE there’s a Pokemon-themed place to stay. It’s not exactly a Pokemon-themed hotel – it’s just one room that you can book in a hotel.
It looks amazing, although VERY expensive! As you can imagine, there are lots of Pokemon things all over Japan, including several stores (all of which have really cool entrances, so I recommend going to a few if you’re a fan!), the elusive Pokemon café (we didn’t even try to get tickets…) and the incredible looking Pikachu train up in Sendai!
Pompompurin themed hotel in Hakata
Continuing the theme of cartoon characters – I don’t really know Pompompurin to be honest, but we saw a few themed things in Japan, including a Pompompurin themed café. There are also themed rooms available at Mitsui Garden Hotel in Tokyo and Sapporo, although the link I had no longer works and I’m not sure if they still have them – the one in Hakata is new. They look SO CUTE!
Book & Bed hostel, Shinjuku
Another place we stayed in Japan was the Book & Bed hostel in Shinjuku, which is set up like a bookshop and you sleep among the shelves. It’s so cool, and had actually been on my list for years! Not often a hostel makes that status.
Everyone was really friendly and a basic breakfast was included, and it’s also the best location we stayed in in Tokyo, right in the heart of Shinjuku. It’s a great way to try a “capsule” hotel without it being an actual capsule hotel (also a lot of capsule hotels are for men only). The only issue is that the background music was on until after midnight – unsure if they forgot to turn it off, or whether that’s usual!?
Anyway, this is a perfect place for a budget stay in Tokyo, especially compared to most places on this list!
Henn Na Hotel, Ginza
As well as the Maihama hotel, Henn Na Hotels also have one in Ginza which is manned by robots… but they’re women, which is slightly creepy! (As an aside, I saw this on a list alongside a picture of the Maihama Bay reception – as far as I know, the Ginza hotel does NOT have robot dinosaurs!)
Henn Na Hotel, Asakusa
And there’s also another Henn Na which IS manned by dinosaurs – but of the hologram kind! While this looks pretty cool and futuristic, I didn’t think it was quite as cool as the actual robot dinosaurs. But it’s in a brilliant area if you don’t want to make the trek to Maihama Bay.
Cat Spa hotel, Osaka
Neco Republic, a cat rescue organisation, have taken cat cafés to the next level – you can sleep in a capsule that has a window looking out into the “cat spa”, i.e. the big kitty playground! This looks AMAZING! I actually only found out about it since our trip, but it’s definitely a place that would go on my “next time” list.
BNA Wall, Tokyo
Ever wanted to sleep inside an art installation? Now you can!
JZauruss – Jurassic Park themed “love hotel”, Beppo
It’s hard not to include a love hotel on this list – essentially a hotel you can hire by the hour for you-know-what. Only in Japan!
Anyway, the only one I’ve ever been tempted by is this insane Jurassic Park themed hotel. It’s not somewhere I’m ever likely to book myself, but there’s a great write-up about it here!
(There’s also ANOTHER dinosaur-themed love hotel in Tokyo – the rooms themselves don’t seem very themed, but there’s a lot of silly dino things elsewhere in the hotel.)
Sweets Hotel, Tokyo
Another love hotel, but this one looks very fun! I didn’t even realise it was a love hotel until I looked it up just now… to be honest the reviews aren’t great, but there’s a fun write-up of it here from the perspective of someone who stayed there as a solo traveller. I’d definitely go for a night!
TeamLab hotel, Kyushu
You may have read my post about TeamLab Borderless in Tokyo, but did you know you can also stay in a hotel by TeamLab?! The lobby has the famous lantern room. It looks awesome, though it’s a bit further out of the way in Kyushu, between Fukuoka and Nagasaki.
As you can see, nowhere really does themed places quite like Japan! And while a lot of them can be really pricey, I’m so glad we ended with two of the hotels highest up on my list (which weren’t even expensive!), purely for how unique they are.
Have you stayed in any really unique hotels? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
(P.S. I’m going to be staying in a jumbo jet engine in the next couple of weeks! Stay tuned for THAT!)
Read more about our Japan trip below:
⭐ Our Perfect Two Week Itinerary For A First Time Visit To Japan
⭐ My Top 10 Highlights Of Our Trip To Japan
⭐ Five Days In The Bright Lights Of Tokyo
⭐ Shrines, Temples & Geisha: How To Spend Two Days In Magical Kyoto, Japan
⭐ A Love Letter To Osaka, Japan: Why It’s Worth More Than A Day Trip
⭐ Hanging Out With The Polite Deer In Nara, Japan
⭐ An Overnight Trip To Hiroshima, Miyajima & Himeji From Osaka
⭐ A Semi-Helpful Guide To Mount Fuji & How To Visit From Osaka
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This made me smile 🙂 I love it!
Very special receptionist!
Normally, I just use hotels for a place to sleep and shower, but there really is something to a themed hotel that makes the trip all the more memorable! I wouldn’t have guessed the receptionists to be robot dinosaurs, but then again, it’s Japan, so anything can happen…looks like a fun and affordable stay! Thanks for sharing, Clazz!
Looks like a unique fun experience! Wonder how the room service? 🤣
Wow. If “Hotel Creativity” were a sport in the Olympics, Japan would sweep the medals stand! The cat hotel in Osaka has me intrigued.
Okay, this wins for the all time coolest hotel. 🙂
Funny
This Is Hilarious! Well done finding this hotel!!
I stay with family when visiting tokyo. this makes me wish i didnt!
I really enjoyed this post—it’s such a fun and vivid glimpse into how uniquely Japan blends technology and hospitality in everyday experiences. I like how you capture the novelty of something as unexpected as robot dinosaur receptionists, while still reflecting on how it adds to the charm and memorability of the stay. It really feels like the kind of experience you don’t forget easily.
What a fun read—this really captures the unique charm of Japan’s approach to blending hospitality and playful tech. The idea of robot dinosaur receptionists is such a perfect mix of quirky and functional, and it sounds like it turns an ordinary hotel check-in into a genuinely memorable experience. I love how travel in Japan often goes beyond just accommodation and becomes part of the adventure itself.
What a brilliantly fun read — this really captures that uniquely Japanese mix of futuristic tech and playful creativity. The idea of walking into a hotel lobby and being greeted by dinosaur “staff” feels like something straight out of a theme park, yet it still works as an actual travel experience. I love how you highlighted not just the novelty, but also how memorable and surprisingly smooth the check-in process can be. It’s the kind of stay that turns a simple night in a hotel into a story you’ll be telling for years.