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  • Traveling? This App Turns Your Phone Into a Hotel Remote
Technology Articles > Cell Phones > Others > Traveling? This App Turns Your Phone Into a Hotel Remote

USA Today reports that hotel room remote controls are one of the dirtiest items inside of a hotel room (and beds are involved!). While it’s no secret that hotel rooms aren’t exactly germ-free, who would have thought that a simple television remote could place you in contact with some of the nastiest bugs out there? Well, LodgeNet did. LodgeNet is one of the largest hotel entertainment equipment names out there, and it’s also the name behind the new LodgeNet Mobile App.

What’s so special about the LodgeNet Mobile App? This app will turn your smartphone into a hotel remote, so that you don’t have to disinfect your fingers every time you change the channel. The app is compatible with any LodgeNet entertainment system (available in 500,000 hotel rooms in the U.S.), and it will make handling (or not handling) any hotel room remote simpler. Here’s how it works (and where you can find it).

Using the LodgeNet Mobile App

After downloading this app (compatible with iOS and Android), you’ll see all the usual remote control buttons appear on your phone. By aiming your phone at a hotel TV, you will be able to change channels, check out on-demand, and even rent movies. In addition, the new LodgeNet app will let hotel guests view hotel information, look at some local restaurants, check out events, and do some other useful tourist things. Presumably, the hotels and events that appear while using this app have paid for placement, but that’s somewhat beside the point. The idea here is to provide hotel guests with a remote control that’s a lot more useful than the remote a hotel provides.

And, as mentioned, you won’t have to get your hands dirty if you use your iPhone, iPad, or Android phone instead of touching that fingerprinted remote. Parents will also be happy to know that the remote app won’t grant instant access to all hotel movie offerings – those that are not fit for younger eyes won’t be available through smartphone or iPad remote access. Seemingly, hotel guests will get a lot of use out of this app, though the LodgeNet app won’t work at all hotels (LodgeNet entertainment must be in place, and this app only works in the U.S. for now).

Availability

The LodgeNet app is free, and it is available right now through the Android Marketplace or Apple App Store. After downloading the app, users will be able to access all of the information listed above instantly. Even if you’re not sure which hotels have LodgeNet entertainment systems, it doesn’t hurt to download this app just in case. If you travel a lot, using your iPad, iPhone or Android phone to control that hotel room television might just save you from catching a bug or touching something that should be sprayed with Lysol.

If you travel a lot, let me know if you will use this app. Or, will you continue to touch one of the dirtiest things inside of that hotel room: the television remote?