Netflix books in ‘revolutionary deal’ with Marriott

Marriott guests in the US will be able to access Netflix on connected TVs, thanks to a partnership that the hotel chain said will “revolutionise the guest room entertainment experience”.

Selected Marriott hotels will let guests subscribe to the SVoD service, or sign into their existing accounts, by using the Netflix app provided on in-room televisions, in a move designed to respond to changing viewer habits.

Marriott claims it is the first hotel brand to be authorised to offer guests direct access to their Netflix accounts as part of its guest room entertainment offering.

Netflix is currently available at six Marriott hotels, with six more launching this summer. The company said it plans to expand Netflix to 100 properties by the end of 2015 and to “nearly all” of its 300-plus properties in the US by the end of 2016.

“Our collaboration with Netflix responds to changing consumer preferences in the way our guests access and watch content, while recognising the leading role Netflix is playing in driving this transformation,“ said Matthew Carroll, vice-president brand management, Marriott Hotels.

“Because consumers are choosing to take their streaming content with them when they travel, Marriott Hotels is making the industry’s first rollout of Netflix a priority.”

Netflix’s global head of business development, Bill Holmes, said: “Our members tell us they want to watch Netflix anytime, in any place where they have an Internet connection. Through our partnership with Marriott, they’ll get to watch their favourite movies, TV shows and Netflix originals on big screens just like they do at home.”

Marriott International’s content studio won a Brand of the Year award at MIPTV in April.