Drew Pinto (Marriott), and Don Kwack (LG). Photo: Marriot International Marriott International and LG Electronics are joining forces to modernize hotel room technology, starting with a new cloud-based platform designed to connect in-room entertainment, smart devices and hotel services.
The long-term strategic collaboration will initially focus on a jointly developed guest room entertainment and technology platform that Marriott plans to introduce across participating properties. The system is intended to move hotel room televisions beyond standalone entertainment devices and make them part of a more connected guest experience.
The first phase will begin with a pilot covering 40 locations across the United States and Canada and multiple Marriott brands. Depending on the results, the technology could eventually be expanded to participating hotels across Marriott’s global portfolio.
Drew Pinto, Marriott International Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue and Technology Officer, said the partnership combines LG’s connected-device capabilities with Marriott’s hospitality expertise and enterprise technology infrastructure.
Drew Pinto (Marriott), and Don Kwack (LG). Photo: Marriot InternationalThe platform will allow guests to access entertainment and hotel content through LG smart hotel televisions and set-top boxes, with authentication and device management handled through a cloud-based system. Marriott and LG say the approach will also reduce reliance on traditional on-premises video distribution infrastructure.
For guests, the system will support linear television, streaming services and free ad-supported television, with more than 40 over-the-top applications and 250 channels available through the in-room entertainment experience.
The platform will also support personalized advertising through LG Channels and client-side ad insertion capabilities, creating additional opportunities for hotels and advertisers to deliver targeted content within guest rooms.
Beyond entertainment, the technology is designed to give Marriott hotel teams greater control over room technology. Associate teams will be able to monitor the health, performance and status of televisions across individual rooms, entire properties, selected hotel brands or groups, and the wider participating portfolio.
This centralized management could allow hotel staff to identify technical problems more quickly and streamline updates to content and applications. Marriott also expects the system to provide greater visibility into the performance of its in-room technology across properties.
John Won, LG Electronics Senior Vice President and head of the company’s U.S. commercial display solutions B2B business, said the goal is to make the television part of a broader connected guest room rather than an isolated device.
The partnership is also being positioned as the foundation for a wider smart-room ecosystem. Marriott and LG plan to explore additional connected digital experiences and centralized management capabilities in public and shared areas of hotels as the collaboration develops.
That could eventually extend the technology beyond guest rooms, linking more of the digital infrastructure within individual properties and creating a more unified technology environment for both guests and hotel employees.
The initial pilot will therefore serve as an important test of how cloud-based device management and connected entertainment can be integrated into Marriott’s hotel operations before any broader rollout is considered.