Marriott removes porn from hotel rooms

[LynneSin]

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20110125/BUSINESS/110125018/Marriott+removes+porn+from+hotel+rooms

Marriott removes porn from hotel rooms

WASHINGTON — Marriott International said it will phase out adult-content video services from its 600,000 hotel rooms worldwide, causing some to speculate that the Bethesda hospitality giant is responding to interest groups that promote family values.

"The Marriott family is known as being very conservative, partly from their Mormon background," said Patrick Scholes, a senior gaming and hotel analyst with FBR Capital Markets.

The moves comes two weeks after likely GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney's resignation from Marriott's board. During the 2008 presidential campaigns, Romney was criticized by family-oriented interest groups for not pressing Marriott to drop the adult movies offered in its rooms.

A coalition of Christian organizations that includes Focus on the Family met with Marriott International officials in Washington in 2008 to press the hotel chain to stop offering pay-per-view adult movies.

Mark my word, in 5 years they'll be adding it back in because either A.) They are so fricking broke they need the money because those porn films are nothing but pure profits for a hotel or B.) The company was bought out because Marriott was in dire financial situation and ripe for a takeover.


I'm no prude but I find nothing of interest when it comes to watching porn. It's real easy to have the porn blocked from your room especially if you have children staying with you (just tell the front desk, they'll take care of it). But the $12-15 they charge for porn is nothing but profit for these hotels and alot of people travelling do seem to watch it, it's one of their biggest money makers in the hotel industry.

[Lucian]

1. I'm so tired of the family-friendly atmosphere that's taking over this country.

Why are adults censoring adults? It's up to the fucking parents to censor children, ffs.

[Statistical]

5. I doubt that is the reason.

Most people travel with laptops + most hotels have free internet.

Likely an economic decision. They aren't seeing a ROI%.

You can get a lot of internet free online. You don't have as many (legal) choices when it comes to first run movies.

[WinkyDink]

17. Yes, "family-friendly" is all over the TV, in our movies, song lyrics,.... Where do YOU live??

[Lucian]

18. Ask the question again, but with less snark.

[ensho]

2. good - and my 'good' doesn't come from anything religious

nt

[sharp_stick]

3. Oh well there's always Hyatt ;-) n/t

[Not Me]

4. A friend of mine was the night manager at a large, national hotel...

he claimed that on average, the pay per view adult selections were only watched for 11 minutes.

[rfranklin]

6. Just enough to relax you...

if you know what I mean.

[TheCowsCameHome]

9. That long, eh?

I usually caught onto the plot is less time than that.
:rofl:

[tjwash]

7. No more spanktravision?

That makes sense...one can get a much better supply of porn on the web than on the hotel TV system. They were probably losing a bunch of money.

[Statistical]

8. I doubt the reason is religious. Otherwise why wait till now?

More likely economic.

Lots of legal & free porn online + Almost everyone travels with a laptop + most hotels provide free internet = very little value in paid TV porn.

Hard to compete with free.

[Nye Bevan]

11. Agreed. They reached the point where the profit had fallen to such a level

that it was not enough to justify the annoying calls to the front desk from outraged bluenoses who had spotted adult content on their TV.

[itsrobert]

12. And people swearing they didn't order the PPV channnel

It just magically appeared on their tv.

[RockaFowler]

10. Adelphia tried this many years ago

I worked for Adelphia when they took over Comcast's area in South Florida. Adelphia decided that they were too prim and proper (even though they were the biggest thieves in the Cable business) and they wanted all of their subscribers to be prim and proper. Well somke years later the company went belly up. I'm not saying it's the porn, but you never know. Of course the Regis family was stealing from the company.

[itsrobert]

13. With many carrying laptops and smartphones

Their profits were probably on the way down anyway. Probably better to get ahead of the curve with their statement that they are concern about 'family values'.

[blogslut]

14. Not quite as righteous as it sounds

Marriott: No Porn in New Rooms As It Transitions to IPTV

BETHESDA, MD—Following reports yesterday that an unnamed hotel chain customer of in-room television and internet provider LodgeNet that was planning to phase out in-room porn, Marriott today said that it was the chain in question.

But the company announcement also strongly implied, though it did not actually state, that existing rooms will continue to serve up adult fare while new rooms being built over the next several years will not.

Indeed, the announcement made to USA Today actually augurs more access to adult content in Marriott rooms in the future rather than less. Considering the company’s stated commitment to upgrading in-room technologies that will supersede the traditional way in which video and other in-room entertainment has been made available to its customers, guests can look forward to unlimited access to desired content of all types.

"It is our practice to keep adult content out of the reach of children and unavailable to any adult who chooses not to view it. We have strong controls in place that allow guests to block these materials,” the company said in response to a query by USA Today. “Changing technology and how guests access entertainment has reduced the revenue hotels and their owners derive from in-room movies, including adult content. We are working with in-room entertainment providers and technology vendors to transition to the next generation of in-room entertainment. This new platform of Internet-based video-on-demand will facilitate our exit from the traditional hotel video systems that included adult content in the menu selection, and will also provide guests greater choice and control over what they watch across our system.

In other words, instead of offering adult films via the hotel system, guests will, instead, be able to access adult films via the Internet. And I imagine the hotels will find a way to profit, probably by charging tier rates to pre-determined networks.

EDIT ADD: I have a link but it goes to AVN, which is an adult industry trade site.

[WolverineDG]

15. LOL, it will be back

booze & porn are the hotel industry's cash cows. They don't make money on anything else.

dg

[Orsino]

16. It's Morning In America, folks!

All the change you never knew you needed.

[cbdo2007]

19. Porn is free on the internet and everyone has a laptop or tablet device nowadays.

I'm guessing this business has been suffering lately with so many people having laptops and pc tablet devices. All they need is an internet connection and there's no reason to buy porn in the room, they can just get it for free online.

[LynneSin]

20. You assume everyone has a laptop or tablet

I mean I very rarely take my laptop with me when I travel. I'm on fricking vacation and it's a hassle to lug that thing along with me.

[RedCloud]

21. Cleaner bedsheets vs. more peepholes drilled?

Ah the great battle wages onward,