The new platform brings streaming, TV and centralized device management together as Marriott tests a broader connected-room model across the United States and Canada.
Drew Pinto, EVP and Chief Revenue and Technology Officer Marriott International and Don Kwack, President and CEO LG Electronics North America sign strategic agreement at Marriott International HQ
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Marriott and LG are piloting a jointly developed cloud-based guest room entertainment and technology platform at 40 hotels in the United States and Canada.
- The in-room system will support linear television, streaming and FAST channels, including more than 40 OTT applications and 250 channels.
- Marriott teams will be able to monitor device health, status and performance and manage content or application updates through a centralized enterprise environment.
- The companies intend to use the pilot as a foundation for potential global deployment and future connected experiences in guest rooms and shared hotel spaces.
(NEWS) BETHESDA, Maryland, United States, 2026-Sep-02 — /Travel PR News/ — Hotel-room televisions are moving closer to becoming connected service hubs rather than standalone screens, with Marriott International and LG Electronics beginning a 40-hotel pilot of a jointly developed cloud-based guest room entertainment and technology platform in the United States and Canada.
The project is the first major deployment under an expanded long-term collaboration between the two companies. Marriott is testing the platform across participating brands as part of its “test and learn” approach, with a broader international rollout contemplated if the pilot proves successful. For travelers, the immediate change centers on how in-room televisions deliver entertainment and hotel information; for hotel operators, the larger shift is toward centrally managed devices and infrastructure that can support future connected-room functions.
The companies have positioned the television as the starting point for that wider digital environment. The system is designed to authenticate and manage LG smart hotel TVs and set-top boxes through cloud infrastructure, reducing reliance on traditional on-property video distribution systems. Marriott is defining the guest-experience, property-operations and enterprise-integration requirements, while LG is co-developing the platform, device-management capabilities and technical support.
Streaming, live television and hotel content in one interface
The in-room entertainment layer will support linear television, streaming services and FAST, or free ad-supported streaming television, with more than 40 over-the-top applications and 250 channels included in the announced configuration. The television experience will also support personalized advertising through LG Channels and client-side ad insertion.
The broader objective is to make the guest-room screen part of a more unified digital experience that can combine entertainment, hotel content and room functions. The companies say LG’s connected-device capabilities are being integrated with Marriott’s enterprise technology infrastructure so the platform can eventually support additional smart-room experiences. Those future functions were not detailed in the initial announcement, making the 40-property pilot primarily a test of the platform’s entertainment, management and integration foundations rather than a full smart-room rollout from day one.
Drew Pinto, Marriott International’s Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue and Technology Officer, said the partnership is intended to create a more seamless and personalized room experience while giving hotel teams more efficient ways to manage technology. John Won, LG Electronics Senior Vice President and head of LG’s U.S. commercial display solutions B2B business, said the aim is to move the television beyond its traditional role as a standalone device.
Centralized monitoring could change how hotels manage room technology
Behind the guest-facing interface, Marriott will gain a centralized enterprise environment for monitoring in-room technology. Hotel and corporate teams will be able to view device health, performance and status at multiple levels, from an individual television or property to a brand, group of hotels or broader portfolio. The system is intended to speed up fault identification and make content and application updates easier to deploy across multiple locations.
That centralized model is particularly relevant for a hotel group operating at global scale. Marriott said it had more than 10,000 properties in 148 countries and territories as of June 30, 2026. A cloud-based approach can reduce the need to maintain separate technology stacks at individual hotels, although the current project applies only to participating properties and will first be assessed through the North American pilot.
The initiative also builds on an established relationship between the companies. LG has supplied hospitality display technology to Marriott properties for years, and the two companies previously worked together through Marriott’s design and innovation programs. In a separate September 2 update, LG said the companies signed a memorandum of understanding at Marriott’s global headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, to advance the newly developed platform and their broader smart-hotel collaboration.
A wider hotel technology ecosystem is the longer-term goal
If the pilot moves into a broader rollout, Marriott and LG plan to explore extending connected digital services and centralized management beyond guest rooms into public and shared hotel spaces. That could give properties a common technology layer spanning room entertainment, shared-area displays and other connected devices rather than treating each system separately.
For travelers, the near-term impact will be most visible on the television screen: a broader mix of live and streaming content and a more integrated route to hotel information. The more significant long-term test is whether the same cloud platform can reliably support connected-room services across different Marriott brands, hotel ownership structures and markets without adding complexity for guests or property teams.
No timetable has been announced for moving beyond the initial 40 hotels, and the companies have not identified the individual pilot properties. Marriott and LG describe the North American deployment as the first step toward a potential global expansion across participating hotels.
