Marriott International and LG Electronics have developed a new cloud-based guest room entertainment and technology platform, with an initial pilot launching across 40 hotels in the United States and Canada.
The system is designed to replace more fragmented in-room technology with a centrally managed platform covering hotel televisions, streaming services, content and, eventually, other connected room functions.
The project is the first initiative under an expanded long-term strategic collaboration between Marriott and LG, with the companies targeting a potential rollout across participating Marriott hotels globally following the initial testing phase.
Marriott Begins Pilot at 40 Hotels
Marriott is initially deploying the technology across multiple brands at 40 properties in the US and Canada as part of its test-and-learn approach.
The hotel group will use the pilot to evaluate the system before considering a broader global rollout.
“Our collaboration with LG reflects Marriott’s commitment to building technology that elevates the guest experience across our portfolio,” said Drew Pinto, Marriott International Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue and Technology Officer.
“By combining LG’s connected-device capabilities with Marriott’s hospitality expertise and enterprise platform, we are creating a more seamless, personalized guest room experience while helping hotel teams operate more efficiently.”
Hotel TVs Become Part of a Connected Room Platform
One of the main objectives of the project is to move the hotel television beyond its traditional role as a standalone entertainment device.
The cloud-based system supports LG smart hotel televisions and set-top boxes while integrating them with Marriott’s wider technology infrastructure.
“A prime goal is to make the TV part of a connected guest room experience rather than a standalone device,” said John Won, LG Electronics Senior Vice President and head of LG’s U.S. commercial display solutions B2B business.
“This new guest room technology platform helps turn the displays into a more unified experience for travelers, providing entertainment, hotel content, and room functions with a seamless, easy-to-use system.”
The architecture also reduces hotels’ reliance on traditional on-premises video distribution infrastructure.
Marriott and LG say the platform has been designed to provide the technical foundation for future smart-room features and other connected guest experiences.
Streaming Platform Supports More Than 40 Apps
Entertainment is the first major guest-facing component of the new platform.
The system supports traditional linear television alongside streaming and FAST channels, with access to more than 40 OTT applications and 250 channels.
The television platform will also support personalized advertising through LG Channels and client-side ad insertion.
By integrating authentication and entertainment services into a single platform, Marriott aims to create a more consistent television experience across participating properties.
Marriott Can Monitor Hotel TVs Remotely
The technology also introduces a centralized management system for hotel staff and Marriott’s enterprise technology teams.
Instead of managing televisions only at individual properties, Marriott will be able to monitor device health, status and performance across different levels of its network.
That could include a single television or hotel, groups of properties, individual Marriott brands or potentially a much larger portion of the company’s participating portfolio.
Central management is intended to make it easier to identify technical problems and deploy software, application and content updates without relying as heavily on individual hotel teams.
The system could therefore have an operational impact beyond the guest-facing entertainment experience, particularly if it is eventually deployed across thousands of rooms.
Marriott and LG Plan Broader Connected Hotel Technology
The companies are positioning the television platform as the first stage of a broader technology partnership rather than a standalone entertainment upgrade.
As the collaboration develops, Marriott and LG plan to explore ways of extending connected digital experiences and centralized device management beyond guestrooms.
Future applications could include public and shared spaces within hotels, creating a more unified technology infrastructure across participating properties.
For now, the focus will remain on the 40-hotel pilot in the United States and Canada. The results will help determine how Marriott proceeds with a potential wider rollout across its global hotel portfolio.
