Hotel TV
– How to give your guests what they want most from your Hotel TV
A recent survey of hotel guests across the United States indicated that the #1 thing that hotel guests asked for in-room was Free Wi-Fi, but what do they want you to provide them in terms of Hotel TV?
Let’s start with what they don’t want:
Pay per view.
With all of the electronic devices today, laptops, iPods, iPads, DVD players, etc… many if not most travelers bring their movies with them. PPV is no longer an amenity that is on lists of top requests.
Standard Definition TV’s.
Your hotel guests are expecting that since they are paying to stay with you they will be able to have an experience in your hotel that is at least as good as what they have at home.
Standard Definition Programming.
Your Hotel may have HD TVs but still be providing standard definition . SD looks grainy and pixelated on a HD TV.
So what DO your guests want in Hotel TV?
- Your guests want Free-to-Guest (FTG) Hotel TV.
- They want high definition flat screen TVs like they have at home.
- High definition TV programming
- Your guests want to be able to interact with the TV.
- They want your Hotel TV to provide more entertainment & information than just TV programming.
Free To Guest Hotel TV
Guests have many options in terms of watching video content from laptops and tablets to their smartphone and are simply not spending money on pay TV in hotels. They expect you to provide them with a great selection of channels from news (Fox, CNN,etc…) to sports (ESPN) to movies (HBO. Showtime) for Free.
High Definition Flat-screen TVs
Today over 70% of all homes have HD TVs. Coming into a hotel room and seeing an old CRT TV with a fuzzy picture is a complete turn off. Guests want to see a HD flat screen TV in their hotel rooms.
High Definition TV Programming
I recently checked into a luxury brand hotel and was greeted in my room by a beautiful 40” LG TV. I picked up the LodgeNet remote and what I saw was standard definition programming. As you probably already know, standard definition channels look worse on a HD TV than on an standard definition TV.
Many hotels, even upscale properties, are installing HD TVs but keeping the old standard definition programming because of the cost of replacing their headend and increased costs for programming from cable and other providers.
Guest also want a variety of programming like they have at home. Most households have 100+ channels available in HD including News, Sports, Food, Entertainment, Movies and all the locals.
Interactive Services on Hotel TVs
In-room messaging with hotel staff, ads for local businesses, concierge services, valet, maps, local restaurants & attractions, etc… are among the most requested services in hotels. Being able to access those view the hotel TV is an amenity that most guests have said they desire and enjoy.
Entertainment and Information Options Beyond Hotel TV Programming
Guests carry many different electronic devices today. More than 90% carry at least one of the following: Laptops, Smartphones, Tablets like an iPad, media players such as an iPod or DVD player, and gaming systems. As many as 15% of business travelers carry 4 or more of those devices! What hotel guests are asking for is to be able to view the content from those devices on your Hotel TV.
Hotel guests are also often requesting the ability to access subscription services like Hulu, Netflix and Pandora through the Hotel TV.
Social media sites such as Faceboook and Twitter are a big part of everyday life for your guests and are a great app to offer on your hotel TV.
Ability to Pause Live TV & Record Shows & Movies
More and more hotel guests are asking to be able to have the DVR functionality they have at home in their hotel room. They want to be able to pause live TV so they can make a call or take a shower, to record a show so they can watch it when they return to the hotel at night or on their own time frame.
A Clean Remote Control
According to USA Today, remote controls in hotel rooms can be one of the filthiest items in a hotel room. Hotel guests are asking for options. Personal remotes, anti-microbial finishes etc… that can ensure they have a clean remote.
Provide your Guests with what they want most from your Hotel TV
When it comes time to upgrade your hotel television system to provide your guests with the Hotel TV experience they are asking for, Its All About Satellites has 16 years of expertise in providing systems to fit the needs of all types of hotel properties.
