LG has confirmed that customers should see AirPlay-compatible TVs in select hotels sometime in the spring.
AirPlay in hotels
Apple released iOS 17.3 with the AirPlay in hotels feature in January, but hotels have to have a compatible TV to use the feature. It was originally expected to roll out in late 2023, but that has shifted to spring 2024.
According to a statement from LG provided to MacRumors, the company expects the first hotels to install AirPlay-enabled smart TVs "later this spring." The feature requires installing a new television, like the LG Pro: Centric Smart Hotel TV.
Some more ambitious Apple users tend to travel with a HomePod or Apple TV in their bag, hoping to avoid cable or terrible hotel TV interfaces. Now, it'll be even more straightforward and require only an iPhone or iPad to view media on the hotel TV.
Apple announced that IHG Hotels and Resorts would implement the technology first, which includes brands like Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza. It could be years before customers can expect to find an AirPlay-compatible TV in most hotels.
Implementing AirPlay in hotels reduces friction in accessing content and provides Apple users with a better experience. A QR code appears for the user to scan, which connects the device via AirPlay.
However, hardware-specific features can often be slow or impossible to catch on. What's worse is that once a hotel implements new hardware, it can become obsolete quickly and become a relic -- like finding 30-pin iPod docks built into alarm clocks in 2024.
Thankfully, AirPlay is an invisible feature added to the TV and can be upgraded via software. So, hotels may not have to worry as much since the TV will still work even if Apple moves on.