Marriott Hotels wants its guests to feel more at home. On June 10, the brand announced a partnership with internet-television service Netflix. Now, existing users can stream movies and television shows directly to hotel room televisions at select Marriott properties.
Instead of watching television shows on smart phones or laptops, hotel guests can simply sign onto their accounts through a Netflix app offered on Internet-connected, wide-screen HDTVs. According to an Accenture report, more than half of American consumers watch television programs online. During a test done by Marriott, 26 percent of guests used Internet apps on guest room televisions, with the majority choosing Netflix.
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“Our collaboration with Netflix responds to changing consumer preferences in the way our guests access and watch content, while recognizing the leading role Netflix is playing in driving this transformation,“ says Matthew Carroll, vice president of brand management at Marriott Hotels. “Because consumers are choosing to take their streaming content with them when they travel, Marriott Hotels is making the industry’s first rollout of Netflix a priority.”
Netflix is currently available at six properties, including New York Marriott East Side, San Jose Marriott, Princeton Marriott, Newport Marriott, Dallas/Fort Worth Marriott Solana and Bethesda Marriott Suites. Marriott plans to extend Netflix to 100 properties by the end of 2015, and to nearly all of its properties in the U.S. by the end of 2016.
The new launch is the first of its kind, permitting the international hotel chain to tap into Netflix’s 62 million customer base. Conversely, Netflix might acquire more first-time users who can subscribe to the service through the guest room app. Guests log in once during their stay and are automatically signed-out upon checking out of the hotel.
“Our members tell us they want to watch Netflix anytime, in any place where they have an Internet connection,” says Bill Holmes, global head of business development for Netflix. “Through our partnership with Marriott, they’ll get to watch their favorite movies, TV shows and Netflix originals on big screens just like they do at home.”
