Last week we launched the first of our bi-weekly trend reports, on The Future of Hotel In-Room Entertainment. The report dives into the rapidly changing state of the in-room entertainment experienced inside hotel rooms, and trends in the sector. We’re excerpting one of the trends below. For more analysis, buy the report.
Today’s digital travelers are consuming entertainment in hotels in much the same way they do at home: via online services like Amazon Prime, Hulu and Netflix. Armed with laptops and tablets, guests are more likely than ever to leave their TVs off, and hotels are looking for new ways to incorporate the once cutting-edge devices into the guest experience.
One approach is to turn TVs into hubs for more cohesive entertainment systems that work seamlessly with guests’ own devices and streaming services. For example, Hyatt Hotels Corp. envisions guests using its TVs as “fully connected, interactive entertainment centers.” It sees its in-room TVs as tools to book tours, order room service and stream content from services like Netflix.
The Aloft Cupertino has equipped guestrooms with digital media hubs that allow guests to play videos, display photos and stream music from their tablets and music players through their in-room TVs.
Some hotels are making tablets second-screen options for in-room TVs, allowing guests to watch TV from anywhere in the hotel via their tablet.
Further Reading:
- Remember when hotels had TVs
- Hyatt transforms in-room television into connected interactive entertainment and concierge service
- Guests turn away from TV and toward streaming media
- In-room technology changing hotel landscape
- Hotel TV unshackled: Aloft Cupertino Installs Digital Media Hub in All Guestrooms
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