As a general rule of thumb, the cheaper the hotel the greater range of cable channels. So, my Hampton Inns and HGIs will have 50+ channels, while the Hilton and Doubletrees will have about 20.

On business trips now, I actually prefer the lesser-priced 'mid range' hotels (Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, etc.) to the 'top end' hotels (Marriott, Hilton, etc). I tend to get free phone calls, more TV channels, and often free wireless internet. On a 1 or 2 night business stay, that to me is more important than anything an upper-end hotel could offer.