LG Preparing to Deliver the First TVs to Support ‘AirPlay in Hotels’ in iOS 17

Among the long list of new products and software features Apple showed off at this month’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) was a new initiative that will allow travelers to more seamlessly enjoy content from their iPhone or iPad when staying at a hotel.

As anybody who has ever tried to stream movies in a hotel room likely knows, getting your iPhone connected to the in-room TV can be a challenge at best — and sometimes, it’s simply impossible.

For instance, while some hotel chains offer accessible HDMI ports on their TVs so you can plug in the old-fashioned way, you still need to pick up an appropriate Lightning to HDMI adapter for your iPhone. If you’re using an iPad or MacBook, that’s a bit easier, as USB-C to HDMI dongles are much easier to come by, and the affordable third-party ones are generally more reliable. Still, running a cable from your iPhone to your room’s TV isn’t the most comfortable way to do this.

That’s about to change with iOS 17. Apple is partnering with hotels and TV manufacturers to provide a seamless way to get connected to your in-room TV with the technology that most iPhone users already know how to use: AirPlay.

Plus, Apple plans to make the entire process far more straightforward. While a few hotel chains offer AirPlay-compatible TVs, the need to do this over Wi-Fi often creates a headache of getting your iPhone properly connected to the correct Wi-Fi network and sometimes even finding the right TV for your room. Depending on how the hotel has set things up, you could see yourself presented with a list of every AirPlay-capable TV in the entire building.

AirPlay in Your Hotel Room

Apple has considered the unique challenges of deploying AirPlay in hotels and come up with a much more effortless way to stream content from your iPhone to the TV in your room. Here’s how Apple describes it:

Later this year, AirPlay will be available in supporting hotel rooms. Scan the QR code on your room TV and you can securely share videos, photos, and music from your iPhone to the TV.

A simple scan of the QR code presented by the TV will ensure your iPhone gets connected to the correct Wi-Fi network and the right TV with almost no user interaction beyond confirming that this is what you intend to do. There’s no app to download and no passwords to worry about.

Of course, this level of interaction requires a bit more than just a standard smart TV with AirPlay support. Hotel chains don’t typically use the same kind of off-the-shelf TVs as consumers, which is also why many hotels don’t offer AirPlay today in any form.

While the new AirPlay in hotels feature doesn’t likely require a lot of development on Apple’s side, it does require hotels to install the right equipment, which is probably the main reason why it isn’t coming until later this year.

Like iOS 15’s Hotel Keys feature, it will take some time to roll out to all of the hotel chains out there, but there’s a good chance it won’t take nearly as long. Hotel Keys requires not only changing the locks on all the doors but also building the integration into the hotel and reservation management system. AirPlay in hotels only requires replacing or upgrading the TVs in each room — and it looks like at least one electronics manufacturer is already getting those TVs ready.

In a press release today, LG Electronics announced that it’s been working with Apple to introduce “the world’s first commercial television sets to feature Apple AirPlay technology support for hotels.” LG is already the leading provider of TVs for hotel rooms, and it will be LG Pro:Centric Smart Hotel TVs that will be the first to deliver the technology to hotels.

“This is a major advancement for in-room entertainment in the travel and hospitality industry, and underscores how closely we are listening to the needs of consumers who increasingly demand simple access to their personal media options on the biggest screen, wherever they are. Hotels that offer this feature will have an immediate leg up with travelers who use Apple devices, boosting guest satisfaction while providing real differentiation from local competition.”
– Michael Kosla, hospitality vice president at LG Business Solutions USA

Further, hotels won’t necessarily need to replace their sets to enable this technology. LG notes that “AirPlay capability will be available on 2023 LG smart hotel TVs and on recent year’s models,” suggesting that hotels will be able to add AirPlay capability to at least some older in-room TVs via a software update.