The FINANCIAL — Marriott Hotels, the flagship brand of Marriott International Inc., and Netflix announced a groundbreaking partnership to revolutionize the guest room entertainment experience. Guests staying at select Marriott Hotels will be able to subscribe to Netflix or sign into their existing accounts simply by using the Netflix app on the hotel’s internet-connected guest room televisions.
For Marriott guests who increasingly want to view streaming content on the road, the enhanced entertainment option means Netflix members can set aside their mobile devices and watch Orange is the New Black, House of Cards, Marvel’s Daredevil and a growing library of originals, kids titles, movies and TV shows on wide-screen HDTVs for the first time in hotels, according to Marriott Hotels.
“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,“ said Matthew Carroll, vice president brand management, 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.”
With this agreement, Marriott Hotels is the first hotel brand authorized to offer guests direct access to their Netflix accounts as part of its guest room entertainment offering. Netflix is currently available at six properties, with six more launching this summer. The brand plans to expand Netflix to 100 of its properties by the end of 2015, and to nearly all of its more than 300 properties in the U.S. by the end of 2016.
Current:
New York Marriott East Side
San Jose Marriott
Princeton Marriott
Newport Marriott
Dallas/Fort Worth Marriott Solana
Bethesda Marriott Suites
Coming Next:
Marriott Marquis Washington, DC
San Francisco Marriott Marquis
Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Dayton Marriott
San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino
Anaheim Marriott
Marriott Hotels designed and adapted its Netflix app for the hotel environment. Guests staying multiple days only have to login to their accounts once throughout their stay. When guests checkout all account information is automatically wiped clean from the televisions.
“Our members tell us they want to watch Netflix anytime, in any place where they have an Internet connection,” said Bill Holmes, global head of business development, 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.”
According to a report from Accenture, more than half of U.S. consumers watch Internet television. In testing at hotels, the number of guests using any of the Internet apps on the guest room televisions was as high as 26 percent, depending on the property, with a significant majority choosing Netflix. This exceeded expectations.
To celebrate the rollout and the premiere of season three of the hit Netflix original series Orange is the New Black, Marriott Hotels and Netflix are holding a private Super Fan event at the New York Marriott Marquis today with special guests and prizes.
While the introduction of Netflix is currently focused on the Marriott Hotels brand, the service is also available in over two dozen U.S. hotels representing other Marriott International brands. The company will expand Netflix to its other brands in the future.
Marriott Hotels is on a transformational journey to enable its guests to Travel Brilliantly by engaging guests, experts and influencers to join with the brand in co-creating the future state of travel. Guests and travel enthusiasts can visit www.travelbrilliantly.com to experience the countless ways Marriott Hotels continues to meet the needs of today’s travelers, including mobile check-in and checkout and Mobile Requests. Marriott Hotels is also piloting keyless entry with mobile devices at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel.
Discussion about this post