LG Electronics is introducing commercial TVs with Apple AirPlay technology support for hotels, so guests can seamlessly and securely share content from their mobile devices to the guest room TVs.
Introduced in advance of the HITEC hospitality technology trade show, which is set to take place next week in Atlanta, Michael Kosla, Hospitality Vice President at LG Business Solutions USA, said AirPlay will be available to guests on LG Pro:Centric Smart Hotel TVs starting later this year at select properties.
“This is a major advancement for in-room entertainment in the travel and hospitality industry, and underscores how closely we are listening to the needs of consumers who increasingly demand simple access to their personal media options on the biggest screen, wherever they are,” says Kosla. “Hotels that offer this feature will have an immediate leg up with travelers who use Apple devices, boosting guest satisfaction while providing real differentiation from local competition.”
LG Electronics and Apple worked together to ensure that AirPlay will be as easy to use as when at home. Guests can connect an iPhone or iPad securely to the LG smart hotel TV by scanning a unique QR code. With no logins or passwords to remember and no separate app to download, this will be the simplest way for a hotel to enable guests to access their personal entertainment apps and accounts on the big screen in their room.
AirPlay allows guests to stream, control and share videos, photos, music and more from their iPhone or iPad to the smart, in-room LG TV so they can watch popular streaming services, rehearse presentations, enjoy vacation photos, and more.
LG is the first display manufacturer to confirm AirPlay integration following Apple’s announcement at the company’s WWDC23 event earlier this month revealing that AirPlay will be available in hotels. Hopefully, however, it won’t be the last.
Having recently stayed in a Niagara Falls spa and hotel myself, I recognize the pain of having to go through hoops just to be able to plug in an Amazon Fire Stick to the smart TV. While the hotel had smart TVs, the interface wasn’t functional, or at least not made accessible to guests in room. Being able to watch content from your own streaming services while traveling is something that should be standard on every smart TV found in a high-end, and even mid-level, hotel.
Hotel operators will be able to start offering AirPlay capability on LG smart hotel TVs later this year. AirPlay capability will be available on 2023 LG smart hotel TVs and on recent year’s models.