In the age of streaming services, on-demand content and personal smart devices, what will happen to the good old hotel televisions in the rooms? In the past, it was a MUST and one of the minimum requirements for a 1-star hotel. But it is clear that the standard hotel room TV is no longer up to date. While some accommodations are now upgrading the in-room entertainment system, more and more hotels and vacation rentals are removing the television in rooms. A decision that turns the entire interior design upside down.

Is there any point in having a TV in the hotel room?

This is a question that more and more hoteliers are asking themselves. “The Swiss hotel Bella Vista in Zermatt reports: “We still have TVs in the rooms. But it is “difficult to say how often guests are still in use of them. In the next few years, the goal is to remove all TVs. But they want to conduct a guest survey before such a radical decision is made.

CERVO Mountain Resort, also in Zermatt, has already gone one step further (in the same direction): “We have removed the TV from all double rooms – only the suites have one in each room. We are of the opinion that it is possible to do without the daily digital bombardment on vacation and to devote oneself more and more to the analog things,” they tell us.

No TVs in hotels with focus on sustainability and holiday homes

Lifestyles change with the times, and with them the way we live and travel. Once upon a time, every hotel room had an ashtray for smokers and lavish all-you-can-eat buffets. Today, many travelers – especially on vacation – want to be healthier, more conscious and more sustainable. Wellness, fitness and nature are part of the current zeitgeist.

“Biohotel Grafenast explains: “We do not have any televisions anywhere in the house. Fasting cures, yoga retreats and nature experiences make the Tyrolean hotel a popular destination. A TV seems counterproductive there anyway. And the view out the window of the picturesque Inntal valley is much more beautiful than any broadcast.

There are also no TVs at Gut Sonnenhausen, south of Munich: “This is not an oversight, but a conscious decision! Everyday life is simply to be left behind under the motto “Come to yourself! Instead, there’s plenty of art to be found in the converted stud farm.

“The quest for peace and solitude has become increasingly valuable in today’s fast-paced, technology-driven society. The decision not to have televisions in all of our cottages is a conscious one. It has been our experience that this encourages meaningful hours and conversations within the family and that our guests leave with wonderful memories”. – ÖKO-APARTHOTEL THE DREAMERS’ CLUB, Croatia

An LCD TV (with satellite connection) is available to guests at the ÖKO-APARTHOTEL THE DREAMERS’ CLUB. The vacation apartments A’ Cràpa Mangia in southern Italy also dispensed with TVs in the rooms from the beginning. If there is interest, guests can watch football matches or other highlights on a projector in the hall.

A step-by-step transition to less TV

All 33 rooms in the main building of STURM in Mellrichstadt in the Rhön have a flat-screen TV. In the newly built rooms with garden view, however, do not have a TV. “The owners say: “The focus here is on slowing down and being close to nature. The view of the park is the best program.”

“When there is no TV, the guests confirm an additional deceleration.” – STURM

At the Berghotel Rehlegg, there is a category of rooms called “Lichtnelke”. These rooms are deliberately “furnished without disturbing elements such as TV and minibar,” because the focus here is on a good night’s sleep. In addition to the fresh Bavarian alpine air, the Lichtnelke rooms feature homemade rocking beds and a fixture in the bathroom that allows guests to perform their own Kneipp water jets.

Hidden televisions

Another consideration is to place the televisions in the hotel less prominently or to hide them behind screens, etc.

“Hotel Das Rübezahl in Schwangau, Germany, says, “In future rooms, the TVs should be less visible. However, they do not want to do away with them completely, as they feel that guests still expect a TV in the room.

The TVs at the LIFESTYLE SAND at the Baltic Sea are “partly small and not so available”. In any case, they are usually only in use by guests on rainy days. Instead, they have invested in Wi-Fi enhancements so guests can have faster streaming and surfing on their personal devices in their rooms.

The TV hangs discreetly on the side of the wall. It is no longer the center of attention. ©Oliver Frank for the lifestyle hotel SAND

Power-hungry TVs

New televisions are getting bigger. And they have energy-intensive features like HDR. The EU has tightened energy efficiency classes for televisions in 2021. The consumer magazine Utopia reports: “Normally, the industry responds with more energy-efficient solutions – but not when it comes to TVs. On the contrary, the “most energy-efficient” smart TV in the latest Stiftung Warentest test (2023) ended up in the second-worst category, F.

As of March 2023, the EU has now set a maximum limit for the power consumption of TV sets. TVs that exceed these limits will no longer be allowed to be sold in Europe. The “end of 8k” is already feared by technology fans. But this is just an attempt by politicians to curb the enormous energy consumption and the resulting greenhouse effect. According to the German Association of Energy and Water Industries, in a four-person household, more electricity is used for “information technology, TV and audio” (28%) than for refrigerators and freezers (11%) and washing and drying machines (14%). Going without a TV is therefore not only interesting from a lifestyle point of view, but also from a sustainability point of view.

When the hotel TV disappears, what does it mean for interior design?

A classic hotel room usually has a large (box spring) bed as the central piece of furniture. The TV screen hung directly in front of the bed. In suites and vacation homes, the couch and armchairs face the TV. Getting rid of that can really change how a room feels.

New York-based interior designer Artem Kropovinsky, founder of Arsight, told Euronews: “For decades, the layout of a hotel room was determined by the placement of the TV.

“Now, a lot of people are on the lookout for alternative, central elements. This can be a beautiful fireplace, a work of art or a stunning window view.” – Artem Kropovinsky

The other option: Bringing the hotel TV to a new level of sophistication

Of course, it depends on the clientele whether guests will accept a room WITHOUT a TV. The Keemala, on the island of Phuket in Thailand, is located in the middle of a tropical forest – but a TV is still a must. All rooms and villas are equipped with the latest smart TVs.

The Hotel Klosterbräu in Tyrol, Austria, actively uses the TV to keep guests informed. “We mainly show our hotel channel, where guests can access all our videos. The current hit is our employee interviews. We made them in the summer of 2022,” they report. “But guests can also find information about our own recreation area – the Pfarrhügel (summer and winter), about our vegetarian farming or about recent renovations,” they add. Hotel Klosterbräu is also very active on social media and has its own YouTube channel.

The HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio Allgäu is also planning to switch to modern Smart TVs. But only when the old TVs “give up the ghost”.

“We will keep the classic hotel TV and the usual programming.

 

From an ecological point of view, it makes no sense to always offer the latest technology. Especially when it comes to televisions. Every year at CES in Las Vegas, you can see what’s new on the market. (If you thought you were up to date with your OLED 4k TV, you will find out that this is no longer the case!) As with the HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio Allgäu, many of the sustainably minded Green PearlsⓇ partners believe in keeping the old TVs running for as long as they still work.

“For example, Gut Guntrams in Austria reports: “Every room has a classic hotel TV with the usual channels. Guests also take advantage of this offer, according to owner Stefan Gergely.

“We offer a TV in every room because many families like it when the kids can watch their shows in the room. This gives the parents some time to themselves. – Summit Lodges Pfunds (sustainable vacation homes in Austria).

Televisions Needed to Get star- rated 

Star-rated hotels have no choice but to put a TV in every room. In Egypt, according to Euronews, negotiations are underway with the ministry to remove the TV from the list of criteria, but so far it has not come to that.

At the international level, there are still a number of partners that are sticking with the standard TV – without the smart features and streaming options. These include the boutique hotel Casa León Royal Retreat in Gran Canaria, the Relais del Maro in Italy and the Naturresort Schindelbruch in Germany.

At the Naturresort Gerbehof in Friedrichshafen, Germany, however, they are not so sure about the use of the TVs with the usual programs.

“The vegan hotel LA VIMEA in South Tyrol says: “Most of our guests do not use the TV. They have set all the televisions to “automatic low volume” to preserve the quiet atmosphere of the house. But to remove the TVs completely? that is the question!

What’s your opinion? Does a hotel room or vacation home need a TV? Or is WLAN enough for you? We are looking forward to your comments.

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