The world of guestroom entertainment has grown increasingly sophisticated since the days when linear TV was the only offering, and the evolution has been an attempt to keep pace with the robust digital entertainment options most travelers enjoy at home. While traditional broadcast TV remains “table stakes,” as Peter Feeney, vice president, DISH Business, put it, today’s guest generally expects more. “We live in an on-demand world where thousands of shows and movies are instantly accessible at the touch of a button,” he said. “Naturally, guests want that same convenience in their hotel rooms, and it’s quickly shifting from a ‘nice-to-have’ to an expectation.”
On-demand content, along with streaming and premium channels, are major components of the entertainment mix that guests are enjoying these days. According to research commissioned last year by DIRECTV HOSPITALITY*, 87 percent of guests watch live TV in the hotel room, followed by 72 percent watching premium channels and streaming TV, and 66 percent watching on-demand content.
“We also know through our research that nine out of 10 consumers have at least one streaming subscription,” said Kim Twiggs, associate vice president of market development, DIRECTV HOSPITALITY. “Therefore, hoteliers should look to enable guests an entertainment mix that mirrors their at-home experience to access their streaming subscriptions in the guestroom—either through an aggregation platform like DIRECTV’s Advanced Entertainment Platform, through casting, or through mobile device viewing over the Wi-Fi.” The availability of streaming services can even influence a guest’s lodging choice: Hospitality Technology’s Customer Engagement Technology Study found that 70 percent of guests consider access to streaming services on in-room TVs when choosing a hotel.
Essential to delivering this wider spectrum of digital entertainment is strong Wi-Fi connectivity. DIRECTV HOSPITALITY’s commissioned research also showed that 73 percent of guests say they’ve experienced weak Wi-Fi in the guestroom, which means approximately a quarter of guests aren’t getting their Wi-Fi needs met, Twiggs noted. “App-based and on-demand content relies on strong broadband, so if this doesn’t operate seamlessly to allow guests to easily access content, it could significantly impact the guest experience.”
Preferences and Guest Profiles
While these broad trends in guestroom entertainment are important for hoteliers to observe, ultimately, they must strive to cater to the preferences of their specific guest demographics, such as business travelers, loyalty members, and leisure travelers. According to DIRECTV HOSPITALITY’s commissioned research, 68 percent of business travelers, 58 percent of loyalty members, and 70 percent of leisure travelers with children would say they would switch hotels for easy access to local, live, and on-demand TV and music. “And our data shows that these different segments of hotel guests said they’d pay more for these services: 61 percent of business travelers, 45 percent of loyalty members, and 61 percent of leisure travelers with children. This shows that not only do a broad section of hotels guests want access to these entertainment features, but they’re willing to pay more,” Twiggs said. “The insights from the research can help hotel property owners and managers make strategic decisions about their in-room entertainment and help provide their guests with the right combination of entertainment options.”
have distinct in-room entertainment and TV content preferences. For example, “family travelers want a system that works effortlessly, with a multitude of content options to entertain the kids,” noted Brian Gurley, CEO of Enseo. “Wedding guests at a resort or luxury hotel have an expectation for a more personalized experience, with features like the guest name on the TV. Wedding guests will also appreciate hotels that go the extra mile with additional options on the TV, such as details about wedding events or other hotel information.”
Feeney elaborated on the entertainment options that hotels with various clientele do well to offer. “For hotels catering to truck drivers and older guests, a strong live TV lineup with news, sports, and lifestyle channels is essential. For extended-stay brands, streaming and casting capabilities become even more important,” he said. “These guests are more likely to use the in-room TV and expect the same comforts they enjoy at home. Location also plays a big role—hotels in rural areas, where guests have fewer entertainment options outside the property, should invest more in live TV and streaming to keep guests happy. And for higher end, full-service hotels, the expectation for a premium entertainment experience is even greater.”
Customizable Systems
Catering to the variety of content modes in demand today is best accomplished via a solution that encompasses linear TV, streaming apps, video-on-demand, and casting, but customization of specific entertainment content is also a powerful means of enhancing the guest experience. A case in point is DIRECTV HOSPITALITY’s Advanced Entertainment Platform, which includes DIRECTV linear satellite, app-based content including Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, Music Choice, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME On Demand and the DIRECTV On Demand app. The platform offers “ways for hoteliers to bring personalization to their own unique brands and properties,” Twiggs noted. “For example, DIRECTV HOSPITALITY gives hoteliers the option to enable their own customized guest experience with our Advanced Entertainment Platform Partner Program. Through this program, DIRECTV provides the programming content and cloud technology platform to the customer, giving the brand or hotelier control of layering their unique guestroom entertainment experience into our product. This is a great way for brands to differentiate themselves and to make full use of guest entertainment technology.”
of customizable content. “Hotels know their guests better than anyone, so it’s important to work with a technology partner that allows them to customize their TV offering, instead of being stuck with a one-size-fits-all solution,” Gurley said. The CORE by Enseo platform, for instance, “can be utilized by hotels directly, giving brands and hoteliers the ability to control TV screen content for entire properties, special groups by group PMS code, select floors or even individual guestrooms.” Hotel operators can develop unique TV screen designs, send tailored messages to guestroom TVs based on group PMS code, as well as add TV channels with group-only or custom content.
Similarly, OnStream by DISH Business supports customizable content beyond entertainment, enabling hotel operators to “promote onsite amenities, update digital menus, and replace outdated lobby pamphlets with targeted ads for local businesses,” said Feeney. “Hotels hosting weddings, conferences, or corporate retreats can personalize in-room screens with welcome messages, event schedules, or branded content—creating a more connected, memorable experience for groups. At the end of the day, it’s about keeping guests engaged, driving more revenue, and making sure your hotel stays ahead of the curve.”
Ease of Use
With the increased complexity of today’s guestroom entertainment technology, the industry must not lose sight of a fundamental guest expectation across all technologies: user-friendliness. OnStream is just one example of a leading solution that incorporates this aspect. “We designed it with two clear goals: make it effortless for guests and deliver added value for hoteliers,” Feeney explained. “For guests, we built in universal search so they can instantly find what they want across live TV, OnDemand, and streaming services. No one has time to click through app after app just to figure out where their show is—we took the frustration out of the equation. Plus, OnStream automatically clears login credentials from streaming apps at checkout, so guests never have to worry about their personal information being left behind.” A hassle- and worry-free user experience ultimately puts guests in the frame of mind to get the most out of their entertainment.
*HUB Entertainment “Guest Media Research” Survey conducted April 2024 with 1,200 U.S. consumers 21+ who stayed five or more nights in hotels within the past 12 months
