AV Case Study: Courtyard by Marriott Darwin

Courtyard by Marriott Darwin signals a strong step forward for Darwin as an emerging commercial and tourism hub. The property represents the transformation of the former Smith Hotel, reimagined through a partnership between DCOH and Marriott International to introduce the globally recognised Courtyard brand to the Top End. Operated under Marriott’s international standards, it offers a contemporary stay experience for corporate, leisure, and international travellers.

 

Portfolio General Manager Alex Murray notes the strong demand: “We’ve seen a massive increase in demand. It is providing an opportunity for more of our international partners, corporate partners, along with leisure travellers.”

 

A MODERN WELCOME IN THE TOP END

 

When DCOH transformed the old Smith Hotel into Darwin’s first Courtyard by Marriott, the brief was clear: create a contemporary, guest-centric experience that feels like a genuine home away from home while meeting the expectations of both corporate and leisure travellers in a rapidly growing market.

 

Technology, particularly in-room entertainment and connectivity, sat at the heart of that vision. Alex Murray explains the priority: “Technology is rapidly advancing and changing and at Courtyard by Marriott we’re dedicated to ensuring we give a seamless experience to all guests coming to stay. We want to make sure that they feel comfortable and it’s a home away from home.”

TECH ROOM SERVICE

 

Today’s travellers – especially business guests – expect the same effortless connectivity and content access they enjoy at home. Casting has become non-negotiable. “It’s essential,” says Murray. “It’s a thing that you must provide now.”

 

Security and privacy matter just as much. In an era where guests are wary of leaving digital footprints, the ability to stream personal content securely – with credentials automatically cleared on checkout – delivers important reassurance.

 

Once the refurb is fully complete all 186 guest rooms will feature large LG 4K UHD hospitality TVs running the new LG Pro:Centric Cloud platform. The system delivers personalised welcome messages with the guest’s name and stay dates, seamless casting (including AirPlay and Google Cast via simple QR code), and a clean, intuitive interface that feels familiar rather than institutional.

HOSPITALITY TV: CHANGING THE CHANNEL

 

DCOH’s ICT team, including incoming manager Tom Parker-Huck and outgoing manager Eddie Godwin, adopted a deliberately inclusive approach. “You have to take a holistic approach,” says Tom. “Security, ease of use, practicality, supply, the partners we’re going to engage, and an understanding of where the technology needs to be for customer expectation.”

 

The team has experience with other hospitality TV brands and even purchased stock, but limitations quickly became apparent. After testing an LG Pro:Centric TV, the decision shifted decisively. “From the moment we received that TV, LG were just amazing,” recalls Eddie. “It was like pulling teeth to get an answer for anything out of one of the other brands. Whereas, with LG, it’s like, ‘what can we do for you?’”

 

Such has been the LG conversion that Novotel Darwin’s older hotel TV fleet is also transitioning to LG for consistency across the DCOH portfolio.

 

CONFORMAL COATING

 

Patrick Corballis, Director of AusDigi (the specialist hospitality TV integrator for the project), highlights a feature particularly valuable in Darwin’s humid, salt-laden coastal climate: “With the new iteration of the Pro:Centric hospitality TVs, they have conformal coating which forms a protective layer over those circuit boards. The salts just don’t get to eat away at them, and we get a long life out of them

FEATURES & GUEST CONVENIENCE

 

Pro:Centric Cloud integrates with the hotel’s property management system (PMS) to enable personalised branding and services. Guests receive a named welcome, and credentials for casting and streaming apps are automatically cleared on checkout.

 

Patrick explains the guest-facing simplicity: “Rather than manually entering Wi-Fi data, guests can simply scan a QR code. It will not only turn your Wi-Fi on but also immediately enrol you onto the network. Netflix casting is simplified the same way — scan the QR code and it binds the phone to the television.”

 

Additional hospitality features include the potential for weather forecasts, flight information, room service requests, and linen ordering, all bound to the hotel’s brand.

SIMPLE, POWERFUL MANAGEMENT

 

Tom Parker-Huck praises the operational ease: “They’re really easy to work with… The web interface to build the display is really clean. The hotel marketing office can do it themselves. It’s like Canva – drag and drop.”

 

From an IT standpoint, the cloud platform delivers major advantages. Firmware updates, configuration changes, and content management happen remotely, reducing site visits. Security remains front of mind for Tom: “From an IT management perspective, my biggest worry at all times is security.” The LG solution provides confidence through robust devices, regular updates, and network isolation.

 

SCALING WITH CONFIDENCE

 

Patrick notes the advantages of the cloud approach: “Pro:Centric Cloud allows us to implement any new idea remotely from anywhere in the world. It also allows us to enrol other users so hotel staff can localise changes themselves. The ability for the cloud to scale is very important.”

 

Deployment Groups let the team send different content to specific floors, room types, or even individual guest groups (“Barry’s Bus Tour Group: your ‘swimming with crocs’ excursion is about to depart”). The platform also includes free LG IPTV Channels (including movie and entertainment options), reducing reliance on costly traditional pay-TV systems, with more channels added regularly.

 

Eddie and Tom both credit Patrick and AusDigi for making the rollout remarkably smooth – the easiest TV project they have experienced.

 

A FUTURE-PROOF FOUNDATION

 

The success at Courtyard by Marriott has already shaped wider plans. DCOH is rolling out LG Pro:Centric Cloud across additional properties, appreciating the single cloud dashboard for managing a distributed estate alongside strong local support.

 

Tom sums up the outcome: “The LG Pro:Centric Cloud solution has been excellent in our day-to-day management. It’s meant that our rollout has been effortless and we’ve got full configuration of our screens to make the rooms a better experience for the customers.”

 

For a locally owned group like DCOH, with hospitality operations under its Thyme Hospitality division, the combination of durable, market-leading hardware, a flexible and secure cloud platform, and expert integration has delivered far more than new TVs. It has created a scalable, future-proof foundation that matches guest expectations and operational realities in Darwin’s evolving hospitality scene.

 

The old Smith Hotel has disappeared. In its place stands a confident, contemporary Courtyard by Marriott that reflects a modern Darwin – connected, welcoming, and proudly forward-looking. Not a croc in sight.