TECHNOLOGY : IN-ROOM ENTERTAINMENT
CHANGING
CHANNELS
Hotels are integrating mobile devices with in-room entertainment , but the lack of a prevailing platform and clear ROI is causing delays .
By Nathan Greenhalgh , associate editor
Despite vendors steadily launching new platforms and hotel companies promising upgrade rollouts , the installation of in-room entertainment systems with mobile device integration is progressing slowly .
Major brands and tech-savvy independent properties have installed a variety of mobile platforms ranging from connectivity panels and mobile applications for television interaction to providing tablets in guestrooms . However , a prevailing model has yet to emerge . Hotel owners do not see a clear return on investment , and the capital expenditures of equipment and new wiring — as well as the risk that new technologies will rapidly become outdated — are holding them back from installing new systems . Also , popular online streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu have yet to create a hospitality-centered platform .
“ Given the considerations for wiring infrastructure and various competing platforms and devices , it is hard to convince owners to invest ,” says Don O ’ Neal , president of O ’ Neal Consultants ,
Dallas . “ To make the case for installing mobile integration platforms for in-room entertainment , management has to determine what the value is , and there are not many independent analyses of that . The only numbers are from vendors .”
Still experimenting Major brands such as Marriott International are trying pilot programs with various platforms , but have yet to narrow down a systemwide standard for in-room entertainment mobile integration . One of the platforms Marriott has tried is LodgeNet Mobile , which provides mobile device integration with LodgeNet ’ s television system . However , after installing LodgeNet Mobile in 286 North American properties , Marriott says it has no plans at this time to expand the offering . “ We have expanded on several additional pilot program hotels to evaluate several vendors and services . However , we have not made any fundamental changes to our in-room entertainment programs in 2012 ,” says Neil Schubert , vice president , IT strategy , at Marriott .
WITH RESPECT TO MOBILE AND GUESTROOM ENTERTAINMENT , MOBILE IS MERELY A BRIDGING TECHNOLOGY TO CONTENT IN THE CLOUD .”
— Neil Schubert , Marriott International
52 HOTELS December 2012 www . hotelsmag . com