Marriott Hotels Introduces Netflix App On Its Room TV Sets

FILE – This July 9, 2008, file photo, shows the exterior of the Marriott Hotel in San Francisco. Marriott International Inc. said Wednesday, June 10, 2015, its flagship hotel unit will offer guests access to Netflix Inc.’s streaming-video service on TVs in its guest rooms. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File) ORG XMIT: NY107
(Photo: Paul Sakuma, AP)

Marriott International has begun allowing customers to stream Netflix movies at some properties with its Internet-connected TVs, a nod to the changing habits of travelers who are increasingly reliant on streaming video for in-room entertainment.

The initiative has been rolled out at six Marriott Hotels, the company’s flagship chain, and six more will introduce it in the summer, Marriott said Wednesday. The Bethesda, Md.-based company said it plans to expand the offering to 100 properties by the end of 2015 and to almost all of its 300 U.S. properties by the end of 2016.

Using their own Netflix account, customers can sign in with the Netflix app that was designed for the hotels’ TVs. Marriott says customers’ information is wiped out at check out.

Netflix shares rose 4.5% to $676.38 in late trading. Marriott rose 0.54% to $77.44.

“Our collaboration with Netflix responds to changing consumer preferences in the way our guests access and watch content,” Matthew Carroll, Marriott Hotels’ vice president of brand management, said in a statement.

The Netflix app on its TVs runs on a wired network that is segregated from the Wi-Fi networks used by customers, says Marriott spokesman John Wolf. “The Netflix app on the TV has no impact whatsoever on the guest experience (regarding) bandwidth,” he said.

The service is currently available in the following hotels: New York Marriott East Side, San Jose Marriott, Princeton Marriott, Newport Marriott, Dallas/Fort Worth Marriott Solana, and Bethesda Marriott Suites.

SOURCE: USA Today – Ben Mitchell