AirPlay in hotels allows you to stream content directly to your hotel room TV in select hotels. Some companies have already agreed to cooperate. Google already offers a similar function on some hotel televisions, allowing guests to stream content from their smartphone via a Chromecast.
- What is AirPlay in Hotels?
- AirPlay in hotel rooms: this is how it works
- Partners: LG and Holiday Inn
What is AirPlay in Hotels?
In a hotel room it is often difficult to stream your own content to the television. This will become easier thanks to an extension of AirPlay, especially intended for hotel rooms. You can then use your iPhone to connect to a TV that is not your own. This is useful for viewing your own holiday photos and videos and streaming content that is locally on your device. So you no longer have to take your own Apple TV with you in your holiday suitcase (if you already did).
AirPlay in hotels: this is how it works
Select hotels will add support for AirPlay in their own television systems. It goes like this:
- You scan a QR code with the iPhone that is shown on the TV screen.
- You tap the link to connect to the network.
- The connection is then established and it becomes possible to stream photos, videos and music from the iPhone to the television via AirPlay.
Scanning the code ensures that only a person actually present in the hotel room can stream content. So you don’t have to worry about your neighbor accidentally streaming his holiday videos to your TV. No additional equipment is required.
Everything you can normally stream on the TV screen via AirPlay, you can also stream in your hotel room. The feature will also be available on the iPad and Mac. Because Apple relies on hotels and TV manufacturers for this, it will take some time before the feature is widely rolled out.
Partners: LG and Holiday Inn
LG Electronics has announced that they will be the first to release televisions that support AirPlay in hotels. These are special televisions that have been developed for use in the hotel industry. A specific model is the LG Pro:Centric Smart Hotel TV, which already has AirPlay built-in. LG has worked closely with Apple to get the feature working on LG televisions.
LG says AirPlay on hotel room TVs will work on the new models released in 2023-2024 and beyond as well as on 2022 models. LG was also one of the first partners to bring HomeKit televisions to market with AirPlay 2.
As an Apple user, it will be quite a job to find suitable hotels that already have the new screens. As with GymKit, it can take a few years before equipment is replaced. The hotel chain IHG (known for Holiday Inn) has indicated that they want to be at the forefront of this. The chain has more than 6,000 hotels and resorts worldwide, but undoubtedly not all of them will immediately be equipped with new TVs.
