No more pay per view porn at Marriott

[nomadcowatbk]

http://www.usatoday.com/travel/hote...odaycomMoney-TopStories+(Money+-+Top+Stories)

 

[quadraphonic]

That only says they're "pulling it from new hotel rooms they will open in the coming years."

I heard somewhere they would start phasing the other porn room outlets out starting in 2013.

 

[easttxtv]

The hotel where I work got rid of its pay movies (which included a porn selection) over a year ago. Too much hassle. Many complained they were billed but hadn't watched anything (yeah right) or tried to complain about picture quality. Some would leave a deposit but watched more than what the deposit would cover. There hasn't been that many complaining that the service isn't part of the hotel amenities any longer.

 

[DToTheJ]

Seriously, what's the need for hotel porn when you can easily load all the material you want on your iPhone or your iPad, and whip it out whenever you want?

(Not that I have firsthand experience, of course, I don't even own an iPhone yet! )

 

[Darth_vader]

@easttxtv--

The Red Lion hotel in Pendleton did that as well. I imagine it was brought on by a combinatin of hassle (who's going to pay $14 to watch "Saw" anyways?) and On Command going out of business a few years back. But you still see remnants of it. They still have the old On Command remote controls, mostly non-functioning Playststion controllers attached to the sets, and a "Press MENU to Watch TV" card on the screen when you first turn the set on.

I can't say that I particularly miss it!

 

[LKellerIII]

That only says they're "pulling it from new hotel rooms they will open in the coming years."

I heard somewhere they would start phasing the other porn room outlets out starting in 2013.

I'm not naive, but I'm surprised that Marriott ever allowed pay per view porn in their hotels. Aren't they a LDS (Mormon) owned corporation? I would think that porn would conflict with their religious views, and that they would be able to forgo the relatively modest amount of extra revenue that porn would bring in.

And in this era when hotels supply Wi-Fi (free or otherwise), their customers who want porn can access it on the internet in any case, while their hands stay clean.

Color me shocked! ;D

 

[Laurence Glavin]

I believe that most Marriott hotels have full-liquor-service bars. Their wholly-owned radio and TV stations apparently don't accept beer and wine ads (they have no control over the networks, of course); they also don't accept lottery ads which are local to each market.

 

[easttxtv]

The Marriotts are of the Mormon faith but the hotel chain isn't owned by the Mormon church.

The full-serv Marriotts (also including JW Marriott, Renaissance, Ritz-Carlton) all have restaurants and bars; some Courtyards serve drinks during evening restaurant hours; other Marriott brands have evening social/manager's reception (varies by hotel/location, some don't offer it at all) which includes free beer/wine. The whole thing probably depends on local liquor laws, as well.

And @Darth, you are right, $14 is a little much for 1 movie. A previous hotel where I worked had an all-day deal for like, $37-$38 (something like that), most of the guests watching that deal included time for porn.

I'm getting asked more about internet access these days than availability of movies.

 

[nomadcowatbk]

Also the overpriced outdated video games. In 2001, I stayed at a Holiday Inn in DC that offered overpriced outdated SNES games

 

[Darth_vader]

Yeah, at the Red Lion they wanted $8 just to play PS/X Playstation games for an hour. Before the local Game Crazy store went out of business, I could walk out of there with a dozen used PS/X discs (sans CD boxes and paperwork) for that price!

[size=8pt](And one time I did, too. Went home, ripped them to ISO images and ran them on my laptop under Adripsx. I was able to play it long past the one hour. I certainly got my eight dollars' worth then!)

 

[searadiofreak]

Not that I have any experience with this, but don't most hotels just show soft-porn? The only hard-core that I am aware of, again (heard it from a friend) was Vegas.

 

[mleach]

Not that I have any experience with this, but don't most hotels just show soft-porn? The only hard-core that I am aware of, again (heard it from a friend) was Vegas.

That is what I had thought..and besides isn't hard core porn, well some types of it still illegal in a few places around the US? Not talking about the obvious such as child porn but I do remember my co-worker several years ago interviewing Ron Jeremy on the air. During the interview Ron was smoking a cigar and made some mention about how he had always wanted to do a scene while smoking a cigar but.."..per the law of certain states..this is not allowed..you can NOT be filmed smoking a cigar while having sex..". Not sure if Jeremy was joking about that one ( he didn't act like he was ) but about a year ago, back when I had my account at www.city-data.com I do remember seeing a post where someone had mentioned that the porn studios no longer show actors having sex in hot tubs, showers & saunas because having sex in such places is considered "unsafe" and how movies that show sex scenes where the male isn't using a condom are not allowed to be sold in..Chicago.

..of course the poster didn't say if and how does Chicago actually enforce this "law".

 

[BRNout]

The hotel where I work got rid of its pay movies (which included a porn selection) over a year ago. Too much hassle. Many complained they were billed but hadn't watched anything (yeah right) or tried to complain about picture quality. Some would leave a deposit but watched more than what the deposit would cover. There hasn't been that many complaining that the service isn't part of the hotel amenities any longer.

Actually (and don't laugh), but that DID happen to me. In 2005, I stayed at a Fairfield Inn in Augusta, GA and was charged $18 for a "movie" that I never watched. In fact, I never even went to the PPV menu during my stay. Swear to God. Naturally, an $18 movie had to be porn and I complained to the front desk on check out. Initially, I got the looks and attitude that easttxtv's post implies "yeah, right". They went so far as to tell me that it couldn't possibly happen.

Well, I insisted and the manager talked with the LodgeNet rep who (by luck) was making a service call at the hotel later that day.
Well, after a few hours, I got an apologetic phone call that some 'wires were crossed' and that I had been charged for a movie that someone in another room had viewed. Some glitch had taken place which caused that movie to be electronically charge to my account (how convenient for someone). In the end, they refunded my money and officially apologized.

So, it can happen - believe it or not.

 

[OldNumber7]

The days of on demand porn in hotels are numbered, if they aren't already over. When I worked at a motel, the Lodgenet system was intended to be a great revenue tool for the motel but it was a constant hassle. Customer complaints about the billing (usually resulting from their own misuse, or "I must have ACCIDENTALLY ordered 'Stewardess Debbi's Great Layover'") were only part of the problem. Plus, the customers who actually wanted to buy porno flicks would complain about the soft-core content (little or no below the waist frontal nudity and absolutely no depictions of the human parts in "action").
Just like cellphones ended hotel long distance revenue, WiFi and smartphones are ending the in-room porno flick racket.

 

[JeeperOne]

Seriously, what's the need for hotel porn when you can easily load all the material you want on your iPhone or your iPad, and whip it out whenever you want?

Or better yet, take your laptop, HDs that have porn videos & a cable to interface the cable with the computer and *VOILA!* - You have YOUR VERY OWN Playboy Channel

The best of all - IT IS FREE

Cheers

 

[visaman]

@easttxtv--

(who's going to pay $14 to watch "Saw" anyways?)

I have to admit that in the Summer of 2002 I paid to see "Shallow Hal" while staying at the Tropicana in Las Vegas : That's just because in the Winter of 2002, I was staying at the Best Western Saskatoon, and their system wouldn't let me watch Shallow Hal, but I was charged for it, until I got it knocked off the bill.

Not porno,but even more embarrassing to admit.

 

[searadiofreak]

Since when have hotels offered services at retail prices? Never. Check the mini-bar or room service menu. Everything is marked up 100-200% or more. Why should video services be any different? May not be right, but it is the reality.