With the iOS 17 update, you can use AirPlay to stream movies in select hotels for the first time
Do you travel a lot and would you like to wirelessly send movies from your Apple device to your hotel room TV? If so, you’re in luck, because Apple just announced that it has updated iOS 17 with a new feature that lets you use AirPlay at a range of IHG Hotels & Resorts properties.
Following on from an announcement Apple made last summer, the update means that streaming movies directly from your Apple device to your hotel room smart TV just got a lot easier. You no longer have to fiddle with cables and can instead connect via AirPlay to send the footage from your iPhone, iPad or Mac straight to the big screen.
AirPlay works with many of the top streaming services, including Apple TV+, Disney+ and Hulu. You can also send content stored on your device to a TV (or other Apple device) using AirPlay. And it’s not just for movies and TV: you can stream music, view photos, move through a presentation, play games, or send a workout to another screen.
Apple says you can do all of this at “select IHG Hotels & Resorts properties.” That includes Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, Hotel Indigo, Candlewood Suites and InterContinental Hotels & Resorts. That includes more than 60 IHG hotels in North America, “and more will be added in the coming months,” Apple said.
Check it before you go
If this sounds like something you’d like to take advantage of, it’s a good idea to contact your hotel before arriving. Apple doesn’t specify exactly which hotels and locations will offer AirPlay-enabled TVs (other than to say it will start in North America), but says that “more information about availability will be available at participating hotels and resorts.”
To get started, you’ll need to scan a QR code on your hotel room TV screen. This will connect your device to the TV and allow you to send content to it. You’re not limited to one connected device either, as multiple iPhones, iPads and Macs can connect to one TV via AirPlay.
Apple adds: “Each QR code is unique to the hotel room and ensures the content is only available to the user – meaning everything guests share on the hotel TV remains personal and private.” Also, your connection is cleared when you check out, so hotel staff and arriving guests cannot access your activity.
If you’re looking for things to watch when you visit a hotel that offers AirPlay-enabled TVs, we’ve rounded up the best Apple TV+ shows and streaming services for you. They should provide you with enough content that you can enjoy on your next trip.