Marriott Adds HDTV to Hotels

May 12, 2005 By Ian Bell

Marriott plans on adding 50,000 LG plasma HDTV's to their hotel rooms over the next four years.

“Marriott announced today that hotels now have the option to install flat-panel, digital HDTVs in guest rooms and lounges. The company expects to roll out 50,000 sets manufactured by LG Electronics over the next four years, primarily at full-service JW Marriott, Marriott and Renaissance brands. Among the first hotels to offer digital high-definition television will be the Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center and the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront.

Unique to Marriott brands will be the addition of a connectivity panel with the television. A desk-level panel offers ample power outlets to enable guests to connect laptops, PDAs and personal entertainment devices, including DVD players, MP3 players, camcorders and video games into the television. Guests just plug in their devices and the system does the setup automatically. The connectivity panel is great not only for business travelers, but also families, who can enjoy their digitally recorded images and videos while still on vacation.”

Showing 2 comments

brian at 11:14pm 12th May 2005 This is simply the most logical step in the above industry. Not only can these displays provide entertainment, but I am certain that they are also hooked up through 'hospitality applications' where they can promote their business as well. maybe not so much in the rooms themselves, but within lobbies and bars - meeting rooms, etc. This is where breaking into digital signage will pay off in the short run for the hotels and other businesses bold enough to embrace the technology and bend it to their needs. Poster board and back-lit signs are going to be a thing of the past. The companies who realize this and act on it in the beginning will have the upper hand in the end...
James at 12:39pm 12th May 2005 Its probably safe to assume these will be in their more high-end suites and hotels. But still, WOW that is pretty bad ass.