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Smart TVs in Hotels

I heard about the gadget of smart TV soon after 3D TVs were introduced. According to this CNN News video, smart TVs are internet-enabled TVs that allow people to surf the internet and download/use the apps that were designed for smart TVs. I expect that smart TVs will appear in hotel rooms very soon because of the following reasons:

  • Many hotels have already linked their PMS (Property Management System) and on-demand services with the traditional TV sets in guest rooms. For example, guests can check out, play video games, and watch on-demand movies on TV. Very likely, smart TVs will allow hotels to manage these functions in a better way.  
  • Hotels can purchase brand new smart TVs. Or, they may purchase some “boxes” to upgrade their existing TV sets to smart TVs.  
  • Instead of charging guests the WiFi service, hotels may sell a “Smart TV Package” instead. Guests can use the smart TV and the internet service for an additional fee. Otherwise, they can still use the machine as a traditional TV set for free.  
  • Some hotels and restaurants have already used iPads in operations. Smart TVs can do similar tasks as what iPads offer. The good news is hotels do not need to purchase additional iPads when every guest room is supposed to have at least one TV set.

It must be nice to be able to control almost everything in bed with a remote control. Do you see the future for smart TVs in hotels? In what way? If there is a fee for using smart TV, how much are you willing to pay?

Comments

  1. I definitely see a future for smart TVs in hotels. With the future comes new technological advancements, these advancements usually go hand-in-hand with an understood price increase for the worth. I see them staring up in more up-scale hotels that offer the service at an increased leisure price. It is definitely a more modern approach to room ammenities. It would make sense especially for men/women traveling on business or to occupy kids during a strech of time. If there is an extra fee to using smart TV im sure that the average rate to pay would be about $50 extra per night.

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  2. There is definitely a future in Smart TV's for the hotel industry. Having these TV's in a guest room will kill 3 birds with 1 stone. No longer will guests need to use a hotel computer room, nor will they have to use or pay for video games or movie rentals that are usually and additional fee to the room if used. Check will also be much easier, as I am sure hotels could set up a "check out" app that can show the guest all of their expenses and charges in real time.
    Having smart tv's in hotels will not only enhance the guests stay by making a fun, playful experience in the hotel rooms, but also make their stay easier and hassle-free. Everything the guest will need will be right in front of them, possibly even apps for room service and room cleaning service schedule?
    As for a fee, I would be willing to pay $9.99-$19.99 for a roomw ith such a tv. It shouldnt be too expensive, because when you pay for a hotel room, you usually arent paying for the type of tv in the room. The $9.99-$19.99 can be included into the internet bill and extra service fee's.

    Ben Weber
    HPM 421

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  3. It seems nice to have a smart TV in room. It will give ultimate comfort to the customer with things such as easy check out in the room or providing dull entertainment. However I do not think it would be the best choice for hotels to have. I think hospitality business is a human based business. Nice and warm connection between customer and hotel employees make the memory of staying hotel special. If one only remembers how cool the TV was,I do not think that hotel is providing enough service. Also, I am worried about the security. I think it may cause some digital based crime such as leaking personal information. Of course the TV is not the only problem for those kind of crime but it seems there must be a serious consideration before install it.
    It may depends on what kind of hotel it is. If the hotel is business hotel where busy business people come for quick and precise service, the TV might help. However, I still thinks it's not the best way to improve the hotel service.

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  4. This is truly amazing, new technology is created in the blink of an eye! Smart TV's sound like an extremely great product that will give hotels who have them a competitive edge and happier guests. Today, guests like to have everything in one place and younger generations we know like to have everything easier and faster. The Smart TV allows everything to be in one place- checking out, video chatting, downloading apps, surfing the internet, as well as just plain old watching TV. Everything is controlled from one remote and I believe that this is what consumers are looking for. I believe hotels should invest in this product because it is new and innovative and it is something that guests will find extremely helpful and "cool" at the same time. It may cost something to buy or upgrade the TVs but in the end I believe it is worth it. If you charge a fee to use the product I believe people will pay or if you decide to not charge, just by word of mouth people may tend to stay at your hotel over another just because of this one product. Smart TV will take over hotels, no doubt about it!

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  5. i definitely see a future for smart televisions in the hotel industry. This modern technology will enhance the guests stay immensely. Check-out will be easer and faster, ordering movies and video games will no longer be a hassle and there will be internet accessibility as well. This new amenity will make the guest experience even better. i think that guests should have the option of paying a fee of at least 20$ to be able to use a smart TV in the rooms, or they could opt to watch regular televisions. I think it would be worth it to pay a fee. The only problem with this idea of having every capability on a television set is that it eliminates the personal interactions guests have with the hotel staff. Other than that, i think the addition of smart televisions to hotel rooms is a great idea.

    -Sara Hyman

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  6. I loved the discussion of the "Smart TV's in Hotel Rooms." I feel that technology is an amenity that can definitely set one hotel apart from another. The first thing I look for when I enter a hotel room is the TV, and whether there is internet access! An internet enabled TV is the best of both worlds, as it combines the internet with the on-demand services of Cable TV. By linking these "Smart TV;s" to the hotel's PMS (Property Management System), guests will be able to check-out, play video games, watch movies, and many other services. The hotel can choose to offer this service for free, or charge an additional fee. Whatever the hotel chooses, these Smart TV's will be able to attract more discriminating guests by offering a much more enjoyable experience.

    - Alexandra Vest

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  7. I don't think there is any question that the concept of "smart tv's" is a trend that will become the norm in any hotel. With the advance of smart phones and the extent that people use them, this is a very logical step. I have only stayed in 1 hotel that had smart TV's and honestly, I didn't use the service. There was a fee but I can't remember how much it was. The costs to the hotel for offering this type of service should be incorporated within the room charge. The "added" charges that hotels charge can be deemed excessive and turn customers away. So just include in the room fee and offer it to all guests. Definitely the "TV" of the future.

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  8. I think smart tv's are so popular today that hotels who do not incorporate them into their rooms will soon be outdated. It has become the norm to be able to do everything with a remote while sitting on the couch. We are a society that values convenience. Putting smart tv’s in hotel rooms will benefit both the guest and the hotel. Allowing a hotel to have their property management system on smart tv’s makes it very easy for the hotel to manage their accounts. Incorporating this technology into their hotels will please their guests and attract new guests. Smart tv’s make even the most annoying of hotel procedures incredibly convenient for the guests. All a guest needs to do to checkout is turn on their tv and press a few buttons on the remote. It can’t get any more convenient than that. I would probably pay up to 20 dollars for a smart tv and internet fee. I think having this technology is well worth it. I would however suggest including it in the price of the room as some guests may get turned off when seeing additional fees.
    - Zach Winzelberg

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  9. I think that Smart TV’s in hotel rooms would be a great investment. This would combine many different steps for a hotel into one simple and easy method. With a hotel having Smart TV’s in each room, this would give them an advantage over other hotels that use the traditional check out, room service, etc. There may be some issues as well with having Smart TV’s in hotel rooms. Like Jaewon posted above, there may be some security issues with these TV’s. When people surf the web, they often browse websites that require you to enter personal information, such as passwords or credit card information. Each week, there will be different people staying in the hotel rooms, so Smart TV’s would have to be wiped of all personal data and information so that the following guest doesn’t have access to the guest before’s information.

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  10. The price difference per set is c60% so there has to be a very solid revenue strategy regardless of how "nice" the technology is. As we all carry our own devices with us then the most recent strategy on Tvs was to de-couple them and just provide a HDMI cable (or suchlike) and basic freeview channels. There is a huge assumption that guests are locked up in their rooms for hours also which is not accurate.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you very much! I like your idea. That is a low cost solution that can easily satisfy the guests.

      Delete
  11. Don't get fooled by the hype. We were just turning our backs on wired Internet TVs with keyboards and hotel entertainment systems based on the fcat all guests now camed arms. This is just like ASP being repackaged as the cloud. It's the same thing with more overhead.

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    Replies
    1. I also agree it is very pricy of updating anything. I think the comment above of providing a HDMI cable to guests could be a great solution.

      Delete

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