Reiwa Travel decides to introduce AI agent chat 'NEWT Chat' to all 14 facilities of wellness capsule hotel 'Nine Hours'

Reiwa Travel Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Takaya Shinozuka; hereinafter 'Reiwa Travel') operates the hospitality industry-specific AI agent chat 'NEWT Chat'. It has been decided that NEWT Chat will be introduced to the group facilities of the wellness capsule hotel 'Nine Hours' operated by Nine Hours Co., Ltd. (hereinafter 'Nine Hours').

◆ 'NEWT Chat' service site: https://newt.net/ja/aichat

◼︎ Background of Introduction

Nine Hours is a Japanese-origin wellness capsule hotel that provides necessary functions with a refined design under the concept of '1h (shower) + 7h (sleep) + 1h (preparation) = 9h'. It operates over 14 facilities in major cities nationwide and is supported by a wide range of customers, from business travelers to transit passengers and foreign tourists visiting Japan. With the recent rapid expansion of inbound demand, the following issues and needs have become apparent:

Issues and Needs

- 24-hour inquiry response: Need to establish an environment where necessary information can be accessed regardless of time, including inquiries from overseas.
- Efficient explanation of facility rules and manners: Accurately and quickly convey information to foreign guests, such as shared space usage and gender floor guidance specific to capsule hotels, but multilingual support is difficult.
- Strengthening direct reservations via official website: Difficult to respond immediately to guests visiting the official website, leading to drop-offs due to unresolved questions and concerns.
- Handling unmanned late-night and early-morning hours: Although a self-check-in system is introduced, inquiries during late-night and early-morning hours cannot be handled, detracting from the guest experience.

To solve these issues, Nine Hours compared multiple AI chat tools and decided to introduce 'NEWT Chat', which supports over 40 languages, can be set up simply by entering a URL, and provides 24/7 automated responses across all facilities.

◼︎ Expected Effects of Introducing NEWT Chat

Item | Expected Effect

- Multilingual automated response: Automatically responds instantly 24 hours a day to guest inquiries about check-in, facility rules, and service content in over 40 languages.
- Staff operational efficiency: AI automatically handles routine inquiries, allowing staff to focus on high-value communication with guests.
- Increase in reservations via official website: Multilingual chat widget reduces the dropout rate of overseas guests on the official website and improves direct reservation ratio.
- Quality uniformity across the group: Achieves consistent inquiry response quality across multiple brands and all facilities.

◼︎ Comments from Person in Charge

Mr. Takayuki Yonemoto, Director of Hotel Division, Nine Hours Co., Ltd.

'Nine Hours has been providing a simple, high-quality urban stay experience by efficiently arranging functions necessary for sleep, shower, and preparation. In recent years, with the expansion of facilities and an increase in foreign guests, ensuring the same clarity and accuracy as Japanese guidance in multilingual inquiry responses has become a major challenge on the ground.
We highly evaluated NEWT Chat for its ability to respond to inquiries about check-in procedures, in-house rules, and facility services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in over 40 languages. Especially since English is not necessarily the first language for many foreign guests, being able to receive guidance in a language they are familiar with is of great value in improving the guest experience.
By introducing it across all facilities, we aim to provide an environment where the same quality of support is available at any facility.'

Mr. Hiroki Ukeda, Executive Officer CBO, Reiwa Travel Co., Ltd.

'The group-wide introduction at Nine Hours is a very significant case for NEWT Chat. We are very pleased that the brand philosophy of Nine Hours, which focuses on sophisticated design and high-quality sleep experience, aligns with NEWT Chat's vision of delivering the best experience to guests worldwide without language barriers. Expansion into the new category of capsule hotels and wellness facilities demonstrates the broadening scope of NEWT Chat's applications. The value of AI-powered 24-hour multilingual support is maximized in lodging facilities where self-check-in is becoming common. We will continue to work with Nine Hours to create new guest experiences through technology.'

◼︎ About AI Agent Chat 'NEWT Chat'

NEWT Chat is an AI agent chat platform specialized for the hospitality industry. It uses cutting-edge generative AI to automate inquiry responses at accommodation facilities.

Main Features

- Supports over 40 languages: Instantly responds to guests worldwide in their native language.
- Set up in 5 minutes: AI automatically learns by simply entering a URL (Deep Research function).
- 24/7 availability: Automatically responds to guest inquiries even outside business hours.
- Free plan available: Up to 200 cumulative inquiries free of charge. Start introduction without risk.
- Multi-channel support: Covers various touchpoints including web widget and LINE integration.

◆ 'NEWT Chat' service site: https://chat.newt.net/

For inquiries about NEWT Chat:

Reiwa Travel Co., Ltd. NEWT Chat Division
E-mail: newt-chat@reiwatravel.co.jp

◆ Smart, saving travel app 'NEWT'

Web version overseas tours: https://newt.net/
Accommodation/Hotels: https://newt.net/hotel
App: https://newt.net/app
Official LINE: https://lin.ee/ZKchfbF

◼︎ About 'Nine Hours' Group

Nine Hours is a Japanese-origin wellness capsule hotel brand operated by Nine Hours Co., Ltd. Under the concept of '1h+7h+1h=9h', it proposes a next-generation urban accommodation style with functional design focused on shower, sleep, and preparation, and a unique sleep analysis service '9h sleep checkup'.

It operates multiple brands including nine hours (capsule hotel), sauna+sleep (sauna×sleep), and capsule+ (a transit service with work and refreshment spaces). It is supported by business travelers, transit passengers, and health-conscious foreign visitors to Japan.

◆ 'Nine Hours' official website: https://ninehours.co.jp/

Company Profile

Company name: Nine Hours Co., Ltd.
CEO: Yasuyuki Watanabe
Address: 8F Hirose Building, 3-17 Kanda Nishikicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 101-0054
Established: August 6, 2013
Business: Sleep tech business / Hotel business
Official website: https://ninehours.co.jp/

■ Reiwa Travel Company Profile

Reiwa Travel is 'new travel'