Hotel Cable Report -- Orlando 12/2010

[azumanga]

This past week, I've stayed at the Wyndham Orlando Resort on International Drive. The line-up is as follows:

2: WESH (NBC)
3: blank
4: blank (lineup card says "PBS", which would have meant WMFE)
5: Hotel Information
6: WKMG (CBS)
7: blank
8: ESPN2
9: WFTV (ABC)
10: blank
11: WOFL (Fox)
12: blank
13: ESPNEWS
14: ESPN Classic
15: Showtime
16: ESPN
17: CNN
18: TNT
20: TBS
22: Disney Channel (card said "Hallmark Family")
23: CNBC
24: MSNBC
25: Fox News Channel
26: The Weather Channel
27: A&E
28: History
29: Bio
30: NHK World (card said "Court TV", which would be "truTV")
31: Russia Today (card said "National Geographic")
32: Fox Business (card said "Starz")
62: Hotel Menu (default channel)
74: Movie lineup (not listed on card)
75: Infomercials (not listed on card)

The system apparently is a Lodgenet-type system called The Hotel Network, which also replaced the commercials on A&E and History (at least) with their own line-up of commercials. Apparently, Time Warner has a stake in The Hotel Network, as there were several ads for their channels, including TBS, CNN and HBO (which, oddly, was not included on this lineup). And it looks like it is sourced from Dish Network, as the local forecast ticker on TWC features readings from major cities.

[KML-224]

That sounds an awful lot like the lineup I got stuck with while staying at the La Quinta on Park Avenue in Portland, ME in September of 2009: WCSH (NBC), WMTW (ABC), WCBB (PBS), WGME (CBS), WPFO (FOX), four different HBO channels and little else. Compared that to the Clarion Suites I stayed in last month in Portland. It had the same LodgeNet remote and information channel like La Quinta. However, the lineup, save for HBO being placed on cable channel 2, seemed to be the actual lineup from Time-Warner cable. The above five locals were carried, along with WPME (MY), WPXT (CW) and WENH (PBS) from Durham, NH. Even better? The room was actually cheaper that night than what La Quinta would've charged me.

Yes, I was in Portland, ME for a reason. Me and my brother made the 200 mile trek from Connecticut to see an AHL hockey game. My brother didn't care much for the lineup, other than the local news. (We used to live near Portland and checked out WCSH, to see what was different and who was still there.)

[Raymie]

I once was in a Chicago Extended Stay where the manager had blocked out Fox for being a bit too edgy. It also meant we couldn't see the Cubs MLB game that week. (In its place? The even more compelling "You have a Dish 500" slide.)

[ssetta]

Wow, I can't believe I came across this! I'm going there next week, and this is one of the hotels I'm considering! It looks like a good lineup, but I'm concerned about PBS. I know something recently happened with WMFE, and it's no longer the main PBS station, and I'm wondering if hotels have made the switch. I just posted a whole topic about it before coming across this one.

[Mr. X]

At a resort I've stayed at in Kissimmee, the cable had 'Walt Disney World Top 7 Must Sees' running on a loop. I can't remember what channel it was on.