First All-Automated Hotel Opens in Norway | Hacker News Reader

First All-Automated Hotel Opens in Norway

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34 pointscurthopkins30 comments

To be clear, they're just doing fully electronic checkin. The title had me imagining room service and housekeeping robots.

I have not found the automated airport experience anything less than panic-inducing.

I live in Europe and have spent several years thoroughly enjoying the convenience that the machines at the airport provide. I'd love to learn what panic-inducing experiences the author is alluding to; can any HN'ers help out? :)

Sometimes I find the automated airport experience panic-inducing because something doesn't work and then I have to wave my hands frantically until a human being comes to help me. (And then they invariably show me how to use the computer. I know how to use a computer.)

Wow, Europe!? I wish we had automated check-ins at airports over here in boring ol' America.

Wow, Europe!? I wish we had automated check-ins at airports over here in boring ol' America.

I stated Europe because the article's author lives in America. Hence the next sentence where I wrote I'd love to learn what panic-inducing experiences the author is alluding to; can any HN'ers help out?

Is that really so offensive?

Are your computer check-ins anything like your computer voting machines? All boarding pass destinations silently changed to Texas!

I wish I knew as well. I live in the US and fly pretty regularly. My only gripe with the automated check-in machines is that I wish they had separate lines for attended and un-attended machines. I have no problem walking up to the machines and checking in all by myself, but what I see every time I go to the airport is a row of 15 machines, half of which are occupied one person staring blankly at the screen, while their traveling companion attempts to flag down one of the three people working the counter. It's maddening, but I can tell by observation that the author is not alone.

It is a mystery to me. In Australia if you only have carry on luggage, there is no queue even for international flights. Perhaps the author should fly with Quantas, the airline where all passengers are invunerable and cannot die.

Hmmm, I was able to checkin and checkout at the Hyatt Regency at Pittsburgh airport last year without dealing with a human being. On arrival, swiped my credit card at a computer in the lobby, which dispensed a keycard. On departure, same computer printed my bill and I put the card in a slot.

There were people working at the checkin desk, but you didn't have to deal with them.

Did exactly the same thing last time I was in London. Swipe credit card on checkin and checkout at one of the half dozen or so terminals scattered around the lobby. In fact that was the only way to check in. If you went to the reception desk all they did was lead you to one of the terminals and walked you through the procedure. I don't get what's so "first" about this system, unless they mean first in Oslo.

I seem to recall Motel Formule 1 doing this at least eight years ago in Canberra, at least if you happened to arrive late (after the checkin desk was closed). You'd show up, scan your credit card, and receive... actually I don't remember whether it spat out a key or a code.

Also, don't Japanese love hotels operate on a similar system?

By that same note every hotel I've been at in the last few years has been automated at every point other than the check-in. Mostly using the TV to order additional services, check-out, etc...

I think most hotels keep the check-in clerks to sell add-ons not because they need to be there.

I stayed at a Formule 1 in France in 2002 that was also fully automated (self cleaning showers and toilets too). They apparently have an iphone app now as well.

Omena Hotels (http://www.omenahotels.com/) does this in Finland in several locations, and it works very smoothly. If you reserve a room in advance, you pay online and get a keycode or you can also just do chip & PIN at the door if there's vacancy.

Checkins at Japanese love hotels are often fully automated. For obvious reasons.

'The Comfort Xpress Hotel in Oslo now allows guests to reserve, check in and check out without ever having to deal with a pesky human.' I love technology as much as the next geek, but there are some places I would really like to deal with pesky humans -- hotels, hospitals and restaurants come to mind.

Given how much human error happens in hospitals, I would be happier to have less pesky humans involved.

Given how many bugs (no pun intended) the average programmer is capable of inserting into programs, I'd be much happier with an adaptable-to-cockups human than a pesky "computer says no" entirely automated solution.

Unfortunately, medicine today isn't deterministic. A lot of decisions are made with 'instinct' -- a fancy word for intangible experience. Human error is always going to be an issue. What might prevent human error in the design of said automated systems?

It is conceivable that automated medicine would have a lower failure rate for common diseases than "instinct."

I can agree with that. But you've made two implicit assumptions here:

1. The disease is diagnosed and identified as 'common' 2. There are no other complications because of say alcohol abuse, or a genetic condition with kidneys and so forth

even if it's half the price?

(remember that food, health, and lodging are probably where most people spend the majority of their money)

Given how rarely I'm in a hotel (probably twice a year and only on holidays, upper bound), I have no problem paying a little (or twice) extra to talk to a real human being. For instance, I'd like to be able to converse about the hotel, good restaurants and some interesting places around that the locals visit. A pleasant conversation after a painful flight is always relaxing and nice.

One of the things about travel is that you often end up at arriving at a hotel very late at night, and leaving very early in the morning. These are the times that I'd pay extra not to speak to a human being.

Hasn't CitizenM (http://www.citizenmamsterdamairport.com/amsterdam-lodging-ho...) done the same for yeras? This isn't really exciting, it's just a badly-working touchscreen interface.

Yes, they have. I love CitizenM. A truly great hotel concept.

The one and only time I tried to use the automated check-in system at Citizen M it didn't work. Then the key I got to the room didn't work. Probably just my luck. But overall I really liked the concept and would still stay there again.

In Japan there are a lot of love hotels where you 'check in' using a ticket vending machine with a touch-screen interface. Cheaper than having check in staff and you get the requisite anonymity.

hmm, me thinks there are a few other things going on at a hotel beyond the checkin process. Are other functions at this hotel automated or is "All-Automated" inaccurate?

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