The in-room entertainment market is poised for significant transformation in the coming years. Whilst top-tier casting solutions are high on every hotelier’s wish list, will they truly revolutionise, move the needle and meet everyone’s expectations? Will the trend of cord-cutting seen in residential homes continue in the hospitality industry, or will it take time and stabilise? And what about in-room movies, are they becoming obsolete with the advancement of Netflix, Amazon, Max and Disney+?
Read on to discover the top 10 trends that will shape the in-room and communal area TV landscape in 2025.
Choice
Who is todays traveller? With a diverse mix of generational travellers, from Boomers to Gen Z to the emerging Gen Alpha, each group has distinct preferences that need to be catered for. Offering a variety of options is essential to keep all guests happy. Don’t rush to cut the cord just yet, many guests still prefer watching TV channels especially in the morning when time is limited, or as background noise. Keep the traditional movie and VOD systems updated regularly, as they offer the latest selections and remain a fan favourite. However don’t be afraid to introduce the latest technologies, just ensure that there’s enough choice to appeal to the widest demographic.
Tip: Your guest profile will tell you everything you need to know, learn how to read and interpret it.
Sports is the Glue… but Expect it to be Messy
Sports has become must have content for streaming players, it is the glue to any content bundle. It is the immediate and unpredictable nature of live competition that fuels audiences as well as guest and fan engagement. However sports rights are very tricky to navigate, they are very messy and rarely offer a one size fits all solution, which makes catering to all (international) guests an expensive exercise. Watch as some sports streamers are leveraging documentary style productions, integrated sports betting as well as ticketing and e-commerce capabilities to keep fans watching and engaged with their favourite teams even when away from home.
Tip: Get some independent advise on sports rights, don’t try and navigate this one solo there is a real risk for over spending and under delivering here.
Health and Wellness Content
With increasing awareness of the importance of health and wellness, many travellers prioritise maintaining their routines, even while away from home. Providing relatable content, such as guided meditation, yoga sessions, and fitness routines on the in-room TVs, helps guests relax and de-stress during their stay. Offering a wide range of wellness options allows hotels to cater to diverse guest preferences. Besides hydration stations and pillow menus to promote sleep, why not provide apps that are easily accessible on the in-room smart TV that offer sleep stories, nature sounds, or white noise to promote rest? These additions create more personalised and enjoyable experiences for guests and can significantly enhance their stay.
Tip: By incorporating health and wellness ideas, hotels can create a holistic and nurturing environment that appeals to every health conscious traveller or weary parent.
Event Streaming
Event streaming is becoming more popular for both communal areas such as the hotel bar, gym, as well as the guest rooms. The social aspect of communal event streaming especially for sports is widely known, particularly around big sporting events such as the World Cup, the Olympics or the Super Bowl. But since COVID, guests are looking for more control over their in-room experience as well. Event streaming including sports, concerts and theatre performances, in the comfort of the room with or without room service, appeals to many.
Tip: Having this feature can be a unique selling point for hotels, attracting guests who value the convenience and variety of live entertainment options.
Multi-Language Content & Support
Yes, these are really two separate areas, but they pertain to the same guests, so they are combined for this reason. Offering content in multiple languages to cater to international guests based on your guest profile will not only enhance their experience it plays a vital role in creating an inclusive environment. By catering to guests’ language preferences, hotels can offer a more personalised experience. This level of customisation shows that the hotel values and respects its guests’ cultural and linguistic diversity. The power of this should not be underestimated.
Tip: Check your guest profile a minimum of once per year to ensure you cater to the top 10 countries your guests hail from.
AI Personalised Recommendations
Using AI to provide personalised content recommendations based on guests’ preferences and viewing history is a great way to customise the guest journey. Ensure the data collected is accurate, relevant, and comprehensive. This includes guest preferences, viewing history, booking information, and feedback. The more precise and relevant the data, the better the AI can tailor recommendations to each guest’s unique preferences as the AI adapts and improves over time. Additionally offer a diverse range of content and services to cater to different preferences, ensuring that recommendations remain engaging and varied.
Tip: Always prioritise guest privacy and secure data handling by clearly communicating how guests data is used and ensure compliance with privacy regulations.
Voice-Activated Controls
Implementing voice-activated controls for easier navigation and content selection can significantly enhance the guest experience in hotel rooms. It provides convenience, personalisation, and efficiency, but above all accessibility, particularly for guests with disabilities or those who may have difficulty using traditional controls. One often overlooked benefit is hygiene; maintaining a clean and healthy environment is especially beneficial for the remote control as a high touch surface, it is one of the dirtiest objects in a hotel room.
Tip: Provide a list of common voice commands in the room guide or on the TV screen to help guests understand what they can control.
The Skinny TV Bundle
Live sports and news are the main ingredients for every skinny TV bundle, as on average 90% of content watched comes from just 10 TV channels. The skinny TV bundle is a streamlined and cost-effective package of television channels that focuses on providing a select few channels rather than the extensive lineups offered by traditional cable or satellite packages. These bundles typically include popular channels and exclude less-watched ones, saving the savvy hotelier money whilst still catering to the majority of guests.
Tip: ensure that you check your guest profile to cater your skinny bundle to the majority of guests.
Casting & Mobile Integration
Incorporating guests’ personal content into their hotel experience is becoming more standardised. The ability for guests to stream content from their personal devices via QR code directly to the in-room TV has significant benefits to a large proportion of guests. However, the casting concept of bringing the feeling of home with you via your own content is somewhat misleading. We generally do not cast at home, therefore a great proportion of your guests will either have come unprepared, do not know, or do want to use the casting facility. Ensure that casting is not the only entertainment on offer.
Tip: Ensure that all new technology is tested thoroughly by non-technical personnel. Make it fool proof, your guests will thank you.
Don’t Ditch Linear TV Just Yet
Linear TV still has a huge part to play in guest in-room entertainment. Recent studies show linear TV viewing accounts for anywhere from 40% to 78% of all in-room viewing, depending on the property, star rating, country and availability of casting facilities. Either way linear TVs enduring appeal in hospitality should not be underestimated.
Tip: Quality over quantity, you do not require more than 25 high quality TV channels in total on your Hotel TV system.
Rachelle PetersonLOQIA Group
