Robots will serve guests at Edmonton's Fantasyland Hotel

A funky, sci-fi version of the future will set up shop in theFantasyland Hotel at West Edmonton Mall early next year.

Friendly robots will soon start serving guests, as anew chapterin the hotel's ongoing mission to grab the imagination of itsguests.

For years the world-famous hotel has offered rooms decked out in a variety of fanciful, kitschy themes, ranging from Hollywood glam to redneck rowdiestoRoman glory. For instance, curling up in a fire-engine bunkbed is a kid's dream come true.

But the robots will add extra funkiness to the environment. They are part of a futuristic renovation, and will attend to guestsin 24 space-themed rooms in the soon-to-be refurbished wing of Fantasyland.

WEM officialsdeclined to provide greater details,but said thenew spaces are part of a strategy to add more families to their guest list.

Drew Newton, an Edmonton hospitality expert, believesthe humanoids will be a big draw.

"The experiential product combined with this new technology can move the needle for the hotel;there's no doubt about that," said Newton, who addedit remainsa people-powered project.

"You can have all the technology you want, but without good people it will never work."

A prototype of the new futuristic rooms will be readyfor testing in about a month.The rest of the rooms will come sometime in the new year.

Although robotic workers may be new to Edmonton, they're already big business in Japan.

Sasebo, Japan is home to what is considered the world's most famous robot hotel, the Henn-na,which translates to the "strange hotel."

The Henn-nausesrobotic porters, front-desk clerks and bellboys. Newton sayschildren are able toenjoy the novelty of interacting withmachines, andparents can save a few bucks.

Because humanoids don't get paid,the Henn-na's rates are inexpensive.

Of course, robots no matter how lifelike won't be asking for atip.

And that's really good news for Fantasylandguests.