Should Your Hotel Cancel Cable TV?

A common question I get from my clients at OnlyCast is, “Can I cancel my hotel’s cable TV subscription?” With streaming platforms becomming increasingly popular and cable costs increasing, many hotel owners are rethinking the necessity of live channels. Guests are showing less interest in traditional TV, while hospitality casting solutions are becoming the preferred choice. The key question now is: What’s best for your hotel, your guests, and your bottom line?

The Shift in Guest Room Entertainment

Gone are the days when guests were content flipping through TV channels. Today’s travelers expect instant access to their favorite shows and movies via streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+. This shift in consumer behavior is prompting many hotels to consider cutting their expensive cable subscriptions in favor of casting solutions that allow guests to watch their own subscriptions. While eliminating cable TV entirely may have seemed unwise just a few years ago, the growing dominance of streaming platforms is a game-changer. This evolution presents a great opportunity for hotels to upgrade their amenities, impress their guests with interactive entertainment options, and save significant money on their cable TV bill. It’s clear that hotels should add casting and streaming to their guest rooms, but should they cancel their cable TV altogether? It’s crucial to acknowledge that some guests still value cable TV, and eliminating live channels entirely might not be the best choice for every hotel. So how do you determine whether cutting cable is the right move?

The Role of Live TV: Catering to All Guests

Live TV continues to have value, particularly for guests who aren’t as tech-savvy or don’t subscribe to streaming services. Many travelers appreciate the simplicity of watching live TV for local news, weather updates, and sports. Live channels also appeal to business travelers who want to stay informed on market trends and tourists looking to check local weather conditions. When evaluating your options, it’s essential to consider guests who still use live TV and know what your guests prefer.

Know Your Guests to Make Informed Choices

Whether your hotel should cancel cable TV entirely or just reduce its premium channels depends largely on the needs of your guests. For example, international tourists may rely more on their personal streaming subscriptions and have little interest in watching TV in a foreign language. Business travelers might value easy access to news channels, while sports fans will want to watch live games. Conversely, younger guests or families with children will likely prefer their own streaming services like Disney+ or YouTube Kids over cable channels. Finding the best solution for your hotel starts with understanding your guests and their preferences.

Brand Requirements

It's important to note that some hotel brands still require live TV channels in guest rooms. While this mandate is becoming increasingly outdated, it's essential to verify your brand's policy before canceling your cable TV subscription. On the other hand, some brands are staying current with consumer trends and may already require casting solutions in guest rooms or plan to implement this soon. It's likely that many hotel brands will introduce casting requirements in the near future, making streaming and casting services a standard amenity in hotels.

Less Cable, More Casting

For hotels seeking to modernize their amenities and offer exceptional guest entertainment, casting solutions are an excellent addition. Devices like Google Chromecast enable guests to stream their favorite content directly from their devices to their in-room TV, elevating the guest experience while positioning the hotel as tech-savvy. Guests can also sign into their accounts on built-in apps, with hotels ensuring privacy by logging guests out automatically at checkout. Beyond simple streaming, casting solutions now offer features like personalized welcome messages, custom displays for events or holidays, and the ability to showcase hotel information such as menus, local attractions, and amenities. This makes casting a cost-effective upgrade for hotels looking to deliver a home-away-from-home experience.

Should Your Hotel Cancel Cable TV? Maybe.

The answer depends on your hotel’s guest demographics and preferences. Fortunately, there are more flexible options than eliminating cable TV altogether.

Hybrid Approach: Consider providing both cable and casting to satisfy all guest preferences. You can reduce the number of premium TV channels while retaining essential ones like local news, weather, and sports to cater to traditional viewers. This offers a balanced solution that ensures guest satisfaction while lowering costs.
Free Local Channels: Another cost-effective option is canceling cable TV and using a free antenna to provide local channels. Hotels near urban areas can often receive free local news and sports without the monthly cable bill. This paired with casting is a great option for urban hotels.
Full Transition to Casting: Some hotels, especially those catering to tech-savvy guests, may opt to cancel cable TV entirely and move to solely casting. Free content apps that don’t require a subscription offer another layer of entertainment for guests who don’t have streaming subscriptions.

Finding the Perfect Balance with Hotel Casting

By offering both cable and casting, hotels can meet the diverse preferences of their guests. Casting solutions like OnlyCast provide an easy-to-install, budget-friendly upgrade that not only modernizes the guest experience but also reduces operational costs. With the right mix of traditional and modern entertainment options, your hotel can enhance guest satisfaction while keeping expenses in check.

Conclusion: To keep guests happy, many hotels need a combination of cable TV and casting solutions. By offering both, you can adapt to changing guest preferences and create a more inclusive, flexible in-room entertainment experience.

OnlyCast is a leading provider of innovative hospitality solutions, dedicated to enhancing guest experiences through cutting-edge technology. With over 20 years of specialized experience in hospitality technology, we are deeply knowledgeable about the needs of the hospitality industry. Our core commitment lies in simplifying the deployment, management, and accessibility of technology solutions to ensure that hotels can provide guests with a memorable and high-tech stay.

*OnlyCast is not affiliated with, authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by the brands presented on this page.*

Rebecca Calhoun
Office Assistant
+1 614-956-5777
Solvacom Inc.