How guest technology shapes hotel satisfaction scores

Hotels have always been a shelter for travelers, and the best became a home away from home. Today, guests expect that feeling every time they stay. J.D. Power’s 2026 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index (NAGSI) shows overall satisfaction is up 13 points from last year, rising to 665 on a 1,000-point scale, with gains across every part of the stay, including hotel connectivity.

What guests expect

Imagine one guest’s stay at your property. She checks in with the hotel’s app on the drive from the airport, skips the front desk and opens her room with a digital key on her phone.

In the room, she turns on the TV and signs into her own streaming accounts. She wants to check the local news and expects a reliable live TV lineup. If she needs information, like the WiFi password, she prefers to self-service via a chatbot rather than call the front desk. She also expects her credentials to be automatically cleared from the TV when she checks out. She hasn’t spoken to a single staff member; she is likely a happy guest.

She’s also a typical guest. Smart TVs are now standard, available at 74% of hotels, and streaming is used by 62% of guests, both up two points from last year. An optimal TV experience depends on solid connectivity.

Among Gen Z guests, 35% rate high WiFi speed as more important than a comfortable bed. If the network is slow, your guest won’t blame the vendor – she’ll call the front desk, and then she’ll write a review. TV failures are easy to see and "TV didn't work" is a fast one-star review. Each one costs you in front-desk calls, tickets and comps.

The impact shows up in the scores, too. When a problem occurs during a stay, guest satisfaction drops 217 points on a 1,000-point scale according to the J.D. Power 2025 NAGSI.

Rising scores raise the bar for every property

J.D. Power scores each guest stay across seven dimensions: check-in and check-out, hotel connectivity, hotel facility, food and beverage, guest room, staff service and value for price paid. This year, scores rose in all seven dimensions.

While this is good news for the industry, it also raises the bar. When guests are having a good stay, any problem stands out. The most practical way to protect guest satisfaction is to prevent the issues that lower scores, starting with the screen that welcomes your guest to their room.

How in-room entertainment helps protect your scores

Back to our guest’s evening. Moviebeam is built to give her what she expects without a call to the front desk:

Live TV she recognizes: 200+ channels, including the local news she’s looking for.

Her own content: Apps and casting, so she can watch what she already likes.

Answers on the screen: Guest services on the TV, plus a branded welcome page with up to 50 promo categories to feature your amenities and services.

Her privacy, handled: Moviebeam automatically clears her streaming credentials from the TV at checkout.

A system that fits your operation: Integrates with your PMS and is delivered over fiber.

Spectrum Business owns and operates the fiber network behind Moviebeam, with local technicians who troubleshoot and fix issues. Our Dedicated Fiber Internet is backed by a 100% uptime SLA to the hand-off point at your property. You get one team, one number and one contract.

ROOMNET is another option that offers live TV through Spectrum Business TVSA (200+ channels), Apple App Store streaming apps and hotel app guest services.

Spectrum Business provides technology to over 95% of the top hotel brands in the U.S. To learn more about what guests expect, read our post on advanced in-room entertainment options.

Your goals are our priority. Let’s talk.

That home-away-from-home feeling is what your guests are scoring. Schedule a Spectrum Business in-room entertainment and network assessment today.