Hotels can be stingy about what guests can do with the TV. If you try to plug your own device into the TV in your room to watch your own content, chances are nothing will happen. Hotel TVs typically plug into an external box that tracks the TV's activity and controls which channels, apps, and TV features are available to guests. These boxes prevent you from using the HDMI port, but they are easily bypassed.
Not long ago, social media user Deviant Ollam shared some steps on how to disable “Hotel Mode” on some TVs. We'll detail these steps below, as well as some additional steps you can take if this solution doesn't work.
How to bypass hotel restrictions on certain TVs
Most modern hotels have different restrictions on their televisions, most of which are usually controlled by coaxial or Ethernet cables. There are many reasons for this, but it mainly boils down to controlling your bandwidth and trying to make more money by tracking your behavior on TV. You can bypass all of this, though, by unplugging the cable that controls the throttling.
Before you do this, keep in mind that the hotel may have an alarm attached to this cable, which will alert them that you have removed it. If this happens, you may be warned not to tamper with the TV and its cables, or you may be fined, depending on the hotel. If you want to continue, please follow these steps:
Look for the cable that plugs into the back or side of the TV in the room. The port is similar to a phone or small Ethernet cable plug, and the cable should be connected to a nearby junction box. The cable may also be standard coax, which you will need to unscrew.
Pull or loosen the cable (gently). If it's an Ethernet cable, look for a small and very fragile plastic tab that you need to press and hold to get it out. Make sure you don't damage it as you'll need to plug the cable back in before checking out.
Turn the TV off and on again and you should be able to use the HDMI input.
Oram noted that this little trick could disable the TV remote in some cases. You should still be able to use the buttons on your TV to swap inputs and adjust volume. If this solution doesn't work, there may be another problem.
How to turn off "Hotel Mode"
Some hotels also use a special feature on their TVs called "Hotel Mode." Once activated, it actually blocks input changes, forcing you to use whatever services the hotel has to offer. Depending on the brand your hotel uses, disabling "Hotel Mode" may be simple. Here are some popular brands’ approaches that we see in most hotels:
Hisense
Hisense TV turns off hotel mode:
Press Menu on the remote and select the Lock tab.
You will be asked to enter your PIN. The default value is usually 0000 . If that doesn't work, then the hotel has changed the PIN and there is no way to proceed. If it does come through, tap the "Hotel Mode" option to turn it off.
LG
If your hotel has an LG TV:
Press and hold "Settings" on the remote until the "Enter" banner pops up. This should show the options HDMI 1, HDMI 2, etc. You don't need the All Settings menu, so you'll need to hold down the button until the input appears.
Now, enter code 1105 and click OK . Depending on the specific model, you may need to use different codes. According to Pointer Clicker, some recommended codes include 0000 , 7777 , 0413 , 8741 , 8743 , and 8878 . Entering the correct code should bring you to the hotel mode menu.
Toggle Hotel Mode to Off to disable it.
Samsung
Depending on the type of remote control your Samsung TV has, it may be more difficult to unlock and disable Hotel Mode. If your remote doesn't have digital buttons, download a third-party remote app from your phone's app store (Samsung's official SmartThings app is the most reliable), connect it to your TV, and follow these steps:
Press Mute on the remote, enter 119 , and press OK . This should bring up the services menu.
Find Hotel Mode and disable it to unlock your TV.
How to Unlock Inputs on a Hotel TV
Another popular way for hotels to control how you use your TV is to lock the inputs and prevent you from plugging in your own devices. When this happens, you can plug in the device, but it may not be able to switch to its input, or it may not display. Depending on the model of your TV, you can actually bypass these settings by following a few steps.
TCL
On TCL TVs, first press " Settings" on the remote control to access the Settings menu.
From here, select "System" and then "Parental Controls."
You may be asked for your PIN. The default value for TCL TV is 1234 . If that doesn't work, the hotel has set up a custom PIN and there's not much you can do except try to reset it, which may get you into trouble with the hotel.
However, if the PIN is valid, you can select Input Lock and unlock the input you want to use.
LG
To unlock the inputs on your LG TV, first access Settings by pressing Settings on your remote :
Select All Settings , then navigate to General and System .
Select Security from the list, and then select Input Lock .
You'll be asked to enter a PIN: the default for LG TVs is usually 0000 .
Now, switch the locks on the inputs you plan to use.
sony
Start by opening the Settings menu via your remote to unlock the inputs on your Sony TV:
Now, select System and then Parental Controls .
Enter your PIN when asked. The default value is usually 0000 .
After entering your PIN select "External Input Blocking" and unlock the input you plan to use.
If your hotel's TV isn't listed here, try searching Google for the specific make and model to see if there are detailed instructions for resetting your PIN or unlocking your entry. However, the steps listed above should work for most major hotels.
As a final note, remember that tinkering with your hotel TV may get you into trouble and should be done at your own risk. Unfortunately, hotels can be quite picky about what you do with your TV and may charge you for messing with their settings. If you do unplug anything, be sure to plug it back in before leaving so the next guest can use the TV.
