If you happened to be at the Shangri-La Resort & Country Club in Alton, Oklahoma, in 1995, you might have found yourself on the cusp of a revolution in in-room entertainment. You also might have found yourself spending the evening—and perhaps much of the night—in your hotel room doing this:
The Oklahoma hotel was among the first to install on-demand Nintendo gaming equipment in each one of its 400 hotel rooms. Hotels were beginning to take a great leap forward in video offerings—pay-per-view on-demand movies and interactive multimedia information, along with shopping and guest services, all via the television.
According to the story in HOTELS’ February 1995 issue, a survey by Nintendo showed that 25% of hotels view the system as having a significant effect on occupancy. No word on whether it affected being able to coax the guest out of the room at check-out, however.