Travelers savvy in the ways of finding cheap airplane tickets, and cheap vacation packages do not want to pay fees for hotel based technology services. Instead travelers are using their personal electronic devices to make phone calls, view movies and when needed, gain access to the Internet.
Making phone calls was the first technology hotels added a surcharge. Annual telecommunications revenue at U.S. hotels dropped from $1,274 per available room in 2000 to $178 in 2009, a decline of 86 percent. A further decline of over 4 percent was witnessed last year.
Revenues for in room movies have been similarly impacted, falling 39 percent between 2000 and 2009, dropping from $288 to $175 per available room. An additional decline of almost 13 percent occurred last year.
Guests no longer need hotels to provide entertainment content, but still look to hotels to help with the delivery system. Travelers want to be able to stream a movie from their computer onto a hotels 60 inch TV screen.
Larger hotel chains, including Hilton and Marriott are starting to install in room media hubs and connectivity panels that enable guests to connect their personal devices to TVs.
Given the option, many guests prefer watching video on TV vs. a smartphone or laptop. For most the big screen will always be preferred to the small screen.
Experts expect that hotels will eventually decide that charging for Wi-Fi is not realistic in the long run. Internet access is increasingly becoming a required amenity. www.cheapfares.com