Marriott and LG to Pilot Cloud-Based In-Room Entertainment Platform

Marriott International and LG Electronics launch a 40-hotel pilot of a cloud-based guest room platform, integrating entertainment, streaming and connected-device management while improving hotel operations.

Marriott International and LG Electronics have taken their existing partnership in technology into another level as they launch an innovative guest room entertainment and technology platform using cloud technology, which will ensure that hotel experiences become more connected and personalised.

The joint platform will be used to make the hotel television not just an entertainment screen but also the main channel through which guest room services can be provided. It supports LG smart hotel televisions and set-top boxes, giving the guests the opportunity to watch linear television, streaming and free ad-supported streaming television channels.

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The system is compatible with more than 40 OTT apps and 250 channels. Personalized advertising using LG Channels and client-side ad insertion is also available on this platform. The system intends to create an easier way for guests to consume entertainment content and content related to the hotel by integrating these features in a single interface.

One of the components of the platform that can be noted is the management system based in the cloud. The hotel staff working at Marriott hotels will get an opportunity to have a single environment where they can manage the health, performance and status of televisions installed inside the rooms in different hotels and groups of hotels.

The cloud-based architecture will reduce the need for on-premises video distribution infrastructure as well. LG is responsible for cloud platform development, device management, and technical support, while Marriott focuses on defining the platform according to the needs of its guests and properties.

Both firms will test out the technology using the pilot program involving 40 Marriott locations within the U.S. and Canada. The test period helps both LG and Marriott gauge the performance of the platform before rolling it out internationally among all Marriott participating brands and establishments.

In addition to the entertainment services provided by the TV interface in the guest rooms, the partnership seeks to venture even further by looking at connected digital solutions in the hotel’s common spaces. As for the future smart-room technologies, they may even integrate the interface with the room lighting and temperature controls.

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It is an extension of the already existing partnership between these firms in the domain of hospitality technology. The platform would help Marriott to pursue its objective of scalability in terms of digital infrastructure and operational efficiency. For LG, it would extend its position beyond being just an supplier of televisions in hotels.

Through their initial pilot of 40 hotels, LG and Marriott are building a basis for a smarter hotel system that will integrate guest entertainment, room connectivity, and operations management via cloud computing.