Netflix and Streaming Video Are Replacing Hotel Pay-Per-View Entertainment


Skift Take

If the advent of artificial-intelligence-driven smart speakers like Google Home and Amazon Echo is any indication, the Internet of Things is that much closer to becoming a reality, even when we check into our hotel rooms.

It might be crazy to think of this — especially at a time when some of us still agonize over the super-slow speed with which it takes to download a simple PDF in some hotel rooms — but we're calling it: In just a few years' time, it's highly likely that the Internet of Things (IoT) will be coming to a hotel room near you. What does that mean, exactly? It means that the only "smart" product in your hotel room won't be limited to your phone anymore. It means that your TV, the temperature, the lighting, the curtains, will all be connected via the Internet, and controlled by the guest. Robert Cole, the founder of RockCheetah, a hotel marketing strategy and travel technology consulting firm, envisions a future where guests won't even have to log in to access Wi-Fi. "You can walk into a hotel and be on your mobile device, and whether you have a reservation or not, you can automatically log into the high-speed guest network," he said. "If you have a reservation, the hotel recogni