At the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, the digital signage is actually a work of art. (Photo: The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas)
At other hotels, the screens have become works of art themselves.
The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas has eight large floor-to ceiling video columns that play off the mirrored floor to create the illusion that space goes on and on. The columns use photography and film to tell a story. The latest one is called Monarch, a study of the female form.
Marriott's SpringHill Suites recently launched a Digital Art Gallery, which the company calls "part evolving art, part interactive virtual concierge."
The screens display works of art by local artists. They also provide information on local events and gallery openings, travel details such as flight and weather days, and news about the SpringHill Suites brand. A QR code will direct guests to the chain's Facebook page or link them to its exclusive Pandora radio station, so that they can take some of the hotel away with them on their SmartPhones.
Andrea Bitz, vice president of Four Winds Interactive, which also produces digital signage, says it makes financial sense to make the boards serve many functions.
"It's important that it has a long shelf life," she says. "Having the standard news and information was not going to do that.