The ever-accelerating rise of guests arriving at hotels with multiple mobile and smart devices is causing a quantum shift in the world of guestroom entertainment and amenities, and hotel companies are working diligently to meet a host of new associated demands. Streaming one’s own subscribed content to in-room televisions remains one key challenge for hoteliers, but this push seems to have finally turned the corner, with solutions either finally in place or coming soon.
HOTELS addressed this timely topic in its November issue. Here is a link to the entire feature.
Besides just providing the means for streaming, this guest behavior holds even deeper consequence for hotels, with some insiders believing that the days of relying on cable TV services — especially pay-per-view movies — are numbered. “The old model for room service, in-room telephones, pay per view movies, that’s all changing now that people have access to their own technology,” says Robert Cole, founder and CEO of RockCheetah. “Now it’s all about you getting whatever you want through your own technology, so if you’re a Showtime hotel and you don’t pay for HBO, guests can still see ‘Game of Thrones.’”
That said, not everyone is convinced that in-room cable TV is completely going the way of the dinosaur. Despite the rapidly increasing influx of travelers with smart devices that can access streaming media, sources indicated that services like HBO are still in demand by customers on guestroom televisions.
“Every day, we are seeing our guests arrive with more entertainment accessible from their laptops, mobile phones and tablets,” says Dana Shefsky, director of digital product innovation at Hilton Worldwide. “However, research from HBO in 2014 shows that more than nine out of 10 guests prefer using the guestroom TV to watch a TV show, and 94% of hotel guests indicated they would prefer to watch a movie on their hotel TV rather their personal device. Because of this data, we broadened our relationship with HBO, designating HBO as our preferred premium movie channel at US hotel and resort brands.”
Again, to read the complete feature story, click here.