Apple AirPlay coming to IHG hotels

Apple has announced it will be rolling out its AirPlay technology to an initial batch of 60 IHG Hotel and Resort locations in the U.S., an industry first.

The integration will allow guests to scan a QR code on the television screen in compatible rooms to link their devices to the TV for a larger screen experience.

Initial brands include Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, Candlewood Suites, Holiday Inn, Staybridge Suites and more. Additional properties will be added in the future.

IHG is using LG televisions with LG Pro: Centric Smart software, which are mainly sold to the hospitality industry. Select existing models can be updated remotely to enable the feature. 

“IHG Hotels & Resorts are bringing one of the major comforts of home to guests’ hotel rooms to greatly enhance travel experiences,” said Michael Kosla, senior vice president, LG Business Solutions USA, in a statement. “Our LG smart hotel TVs are the first to provide AirPlay compatibility, making it easy for hotels to offer iPhone and iPad users content sharing capabilities in a simple and secure way. IHG properties with compatible LG hotel TVs will have an immediate leg up with travelers who use iPhone or iPad, boosting guest satisfaction while providing real differentiation.”

AirPlay is a proprietary protocol and stack that allows audio and video to be streamed between two compatible devices along with metadata. Apple licenses the technology to third-party manufacturers to make compatible devices. 

Before this announcement, using AirPlay with hotel TVs could be challenging because the technology requires both the TV and phone or tablet be on the same network. Apple devices also need to be updated to the latest version of their respective operating systems to use the feature.

That means hotels must have AirPlay-compatible connected TVs as well as the ability to be able to interlink on the network.

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In the past, many hotel TVs were either not compatible with AirPlay at all, did not have it enabled or separated the network used for TVs from the public guest wifi. 

Many hospitality companies also disable the various ports on the back of TVs, including HDMI cables, meaning guests could not bring a device such as an Apple TV box or Chromecast and connect it to the in-room TV.

To ensure security and rights protection, the QR code displayed to guests is unique and only allows them to connect to devices they set up. This also adds a layer of security to ensure any personal information shared between the TV and device remains safer.

The setup also allows the hotel to remotely “erase” the connection between guest devices and the television upon checkout. 

All AirPlay features will be available, meaning guests can use the TV to listen to music, play games on Apple Arcade, view Apple Fitness+ workouts and view photos. Business travelers will find the feature useful to practice or test out presentations or create a quasi-smart whiteboard to share ideas with others in the room during impromptu meetings.

Conventional — perhaps even outdated — thinking in the hospitality industry mean that many hotels were reluctant to allow guests to “bring” their own entertainment, because hotels often make money off on-demand or pay-per-view movies and other video content.

That market, however, has dwindled as more travelers come equipped with tablets, phones and laptops that allow them to engage in entertainment on those devices without having to pay any additional fees.

Some hospitality properties are even removing PPV systems from their rooms because it’s becoming too costly to maintain them compared to how many people take advantage of them.

There were earlier reports that some cruise lines were quietly testing this feature, but the IHG integration appears to be the first major land-based hotel group to offer the feature on a widespread basis.

AirPlay has its roots in AirTunes, which was introduced in 2004, meaning the core technology is turning 20 in 2024. At first, AirTunes only supported audio streaming. Video was added in 2010. It released AirPlay 2 in 2018, which opened up the ability to stream to multiple devices in different rooms at the same time. Enhanced functionality also allows users to control AirPlay content via the control center, Siri or the Home app.