Dive Brief:
- IHG Hotels & Resorts has begun launching Apple’s AirPlay in its hotel rooms, the company announced this week.
- AirPlay — which allows guests to stream content privately from iPhones or iPads to a room’s TV — is now available at more than 60 IHG hotels in North America.
- IHG says it is the first hospitality company to launch AirPlay as part of its in-room entertainment and that the service will be a key component of its in-room guest experience.
Dive Insight:
AirPlay is live at IHG Hotel properties including the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta, Hotel Indigo NYC Downtown – Wall Street and Holiday Inn & Suites Ottawa Kanata.
According to Apple, guests can use the tech to stream shows and movies, listen to personal playlists, view vacation photos, practice presentations or play games “on the big screen in their guest rooms.”
Users will be able to connect via the hotel’s Wi-Fi network by scanning a QR code on the TV screen. Guests can also pair multiple devices to the TV.
Apple says the QR codes are unique to each room, ensuring that any content the user streams is only available to that user. Their connection to the TV is erased upon checkout, the company said.
Jolie Fleming, IHG’s chief product and technology officer, said AirPlay functionality will make the guest experience even more personalized.
"When people travel, we know they want to take some of the comforts of home with them,” she said, adding that the tech will help create “a home-away-from-home entertainment environment.”
Last week, IHG announced plans to build an AI-powered travel planner with Google Cloud, also aimed at enhancing the guest experience. The company expects the planner to launch in the second half of 2024.
An American Customer Satisfaction Index study from April 2023 found that hotel guest satisfaction scores had risen, particularly in terms of in-room experience. Guests feel they are getting more value for their stays, thanks in part to internet services and in-room entertainment, the study found.
