A long-term strategic partnership between Marriott International and LG Electronics will see the co-development of a cloud-based entertainment and technology platform designed for hotel rooms.

The initiative represents the first stage of an expanded alliance between the two firms. It combines LG’s commercial display and connected-device hardware with Marriott’s global hotel infrastructure.

A trial phase is launching across 40 Marriott hotels in the United States and Canada. The company hopes to deploy the system across its participating properties worldwide following testing.

Under the arrangement, LG handles co-developing the platform, technical support and device management. Marriott outlines operational needs, hotel system integration and guest experience parameters. The software lowers the need for local, on-premises video distribution gear by managing LG smart televisions and set-top boxes directly.

Features include an entertainment system providing access to over 40 streaming apps, 250 FAST and linear television channels, client-side ad insertion and personalised advertising via LG Channels.

“Our collaboration with LG reflects Marriott’s commitment to building technology that elevates the guest experience across our portfolio,” said Drew Pinto, Marriott International Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue and Technology Officer. “By combining LG’s connected-device capabilities with Marriott’s hospitality expertise and enterprise platform, we are creating a more seamless, personalized guest room experience while helping hotel teams operate more efficiently. This work is an important step toward building a smarter technology ecosystem that evolves alongside the needs of our guests.”

The platform gives operations teams centralised control over in-room displays. Staff can assess device performance, health and status remotely across specific rooms, individual hotels, whole brands or full property portfolios. This central setup aims to speed up software updates and issue troubleshooting.

“A prime goal is to make the TV part of a connected guest room experience rather than a standalone device,” said John Won, LG Electronics Senior Vice President and head of LG’s U.S. commercial display solutions B2B business. “This new guest room technology platform helps turn the displays into a more unified experience for travelers, providing entertainment, hotel content, and room functions with a seamless, easy-to-use system.”

Both groups intend to investigate extending these centralised management systems and connected digital experiences into hotel public areas as the deployment progresses.