As a hotel owner or manager, you want to offer an ideal in-room experience for your guests. DIRECTV HOSPITALITY is here to help.
In order to find out what guests are actually looking for when it comes to in-room features, we commissioned an independent survey asking guests in the U.S. what they valued most when choosing a hotel in terms of in-room amenities and entertainment. This article will give hoteliers an inside look at those results, as well as the top 10 in-room features guests look for when choosing a hotel.
Ready to provide your hotel guests with a first-class in-room entertainment experience? Check out our hotel TV packages!
The Details Behind The In-Room Entertainment Survey
In May 2025, DIRECTV HOSPITALITY commissioned an independent research survey1 to find out exactly what guests are looking for when it comes to in-room entertainment and amenities. The survey was filled out by 1,500 Americans, 21 years or older, who spend at least five nights a year in hotels. Respondents were given nearly two dozen in-room services, features and content, and were asked to rank them in order of importance when it comes to creating their ideal in-room experience.
What are Hotel Guests Looking for When it Comes to In-Room Entertainment?
The survey asked respondents across various types of hotel categories, including economy, midscale, upscale and luxury, to prioritize the “most important” features they would choose if they could craft their perfect in-room entertainment experience to help get a comprehensive of what hotel guests are looking for when it comes to in-room entertainment. The survey revealed that guests are looking for:
- Fast, reliable Wi-Fi
- Ability to use their own streaming accounts
- Live national networks
- Premium networks
- Live local stations
- On-demand library
“The results show that consumers are no longer satisfied with the bare minimum when it comes to in-room entertainment options,” says Kim Twiggs, AVP of Market Development for DIRECTV HOSPITALITY. “Their appetite for consuming entertainment in various ways and on their own terms are driving their hotel choices and are key components of a rewarding guest experience regardless of hotel type.”
Top 10 Most Important In-Room Hotel Features
The survey also had guests rank what in-room amenities and features they considered most important when staying at a hotel. While it should be no surprise to hoteliers that cleanliness and comfort took the top spots, TV content and features was also a top-ranking factor, coming in at #4 above all other in-room features.
Take a look at the full list of top 10 room attributes in order of importance:
- Room cleanliness
- Bed comfort
- Quiet room
- TV content and features
- Having a coffee maker and microwave
- Room service food quality
- Room lighting
- Having a desk or a workspace
- Types of toiletries provided
- Smart room features, including remote-controlled curtains and lights
Knowing what your guests are looking for when choosing a hotel can help you drive repeat visits and give guests a reason to stay at your hotel over a competitor.
How The Right TV Entertainment Influences Repeat Hotel Visits
Don’t think TV entertainment factors into guests’ decisions when choosing a hotel? Guess again. The survey found that between 30% and 40% of hotel guests said that entertainment has a “high influence” on their decision of where to stay. This was especially important for guests between the ages of 21 and 49, with 47% saying they would return to a property they’ve stayed at previously and 38% saying they would pay more for a room based on the TV entertainment offerings.
Provide a Better Guest Entertainment Experience with DIRECTV
From local news to sports to movies, DIRECTV HOSPITALITY offers a full suite of free-to-guest solutions to help you transform your properties into the ideal entertainment experience. We offer a wide range of programming packages so you can cater to your guests’ needs.
The survey also showed that guests want to be able to log in to their own streaming accounts to watch from the comfort of their hotel room. DIRECTV HOSPITALITY’s Advanced Entertainment Platform (AEP) delivers next-gen content solutions for an enhanced entertainment experience. With AEP, guests can access and log in to their Netflix2 and Amazon Prime Video2 accounts via the respective apps or easily stream app-based content from Paramount+ with SHOWTIME® On Demand, Music Choice® and Tubi without usernames and passwords for a seamless user experience. Combining live TV, app-based streaming and on-demand content with DIRECTV HOSPITALITY provides a premium entertainment experience that guests are looking for.
Get DIRECTV HOSPITALITY For Your Hotel
DIRECTV HOSPITALITY is the ultimate entertainment solution for hotels. From boutique, family-run inns to large nationally-recognized hotel brands, we offer flexible and affordable TV entertainment for hotels of every size. Choose from our wide variety of programming packages, which include access to NFL Sunday Ticket, Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football, family-friendly programming and so much more. Plus, enjoy 99% worry-free signal reliability3 and hassle-free professional installation. Ready to get started? Call 1.888.541.5766 today.
1 HUB Entertainment “Guest Media Research” Survey conducted May 2025 with 1,500 U.S. consumers 21+ who stayed five or more nights in hotels within the past 12 months.
2 Netflix and Prime Video subscription/login required.
3 Based on a Nationwide Study of representative cities.
