According to a
recent survey, nearly two thirds of travellers say in-room entertainment
influences their impression of a hotel, while 70 per cent would like to know
more about what movies they will be able to watch prior to arrival.
The research by leading content provider Filmbank suggests that hotels could do more to inform guests about in-room movie offerings. According to Filmbank (a joint venture company owned by Warner Bros and Sony Pictures which provides film content to hotels and other non-theatrical venues), the majority of travellers are still unaware that many hotels now offer on demand movies, with the ability to pause and rewind films.
Providers like Filmbank allow recent release movies (such as The Dark Knight and Quantum of Solace) to be shown in hotels during an “early window” period which falls around 10 weeks after the cinematic release but before the film comes out on DVD.
This practice is common place with airlines, and many carriers provide information on upcoming films on their websites, but few hotels do so. Filmbank’s research shows that nearly three quarters of those polled were not even aware that they could see recent Hollywood content in hotel rooms.
Says Majella Griffin, general manager of Filmbank:
“Hotels are already selling movies, and have invested in the perfect entertainment systems to offer an ‘as good as at home’ viewing experience, with the ability to stop and start movies.
“At a time when business travellers in particular have limited time in their hotel rooms, letting them know about the flexibility of watching movies could really work to hotels’ advantage.”
Hotels are beginning to get their heads around promoting in-room movies, with promotions such as “Sex in the City” packages, with spa treatments, cocktails and the movie bundled in to the rate. But there’s still a long way to go before most guests plan their hotel stay around what movies they can catch.
For more information visit filmbank.co.uk.
Report by Mark Caswell
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