Sheraton goes Yahoo!

One of Guangdongís leading hotels is about to offer an innovative feature with one of the worldís leading Web companies

Earlier this year, the Sheraton hotel group teamed up with Internet company Yahoo to create a co-branded Web portal and branded Internet lounges in Sheraton hotels in the US. The launch was such a success that the partnership has been extended to hotels around the world, and next month, it arrives in the Pearl River Delta, courtesy of the Sheraton Dongguan.

Yahoo Link@Sheraton, as it has been branded, came about from research into the behavior of hotel guests, according to Tim OíDriscoll, the hotelís general manager. "We were seeing more and more guests spending time in the lobby on their laptops," he says. "People donít always want to work in their rooms, they want some kind of social interaction."

Why Yahoo? According to the hotel group, there was significant overlap between Sheraton guests and Yahoo Internet users. While Yahoo is a consumer brand, it also has offerings for retailers and Yahoo Small Business.

"We are moving from a hotel company to a lifestyle company," says OíDriscoll.

The lobby area of the Sheraton Dongguan is already a pretty cool place to hang out, and on the day we visited, there were at least five people using their laptops to access the Wi-Fi connection at the lounge.

The Yahoo deal isnít the only change under way at the Sheraton, as it gears up for increased competition once the Hyatt Regency opens across town in Songshan Lake ñ expected by September. It is also bringing in more chefs from Southeast Asian destinations to improve the authenticity of offerings at its restaurants.

When we visited, there was a Balinese food promotion being held at the Botanica Brasserie on the ground floor, which was superb. With a cascading water sculpture and plenty of greenery, the restaurant is a nice place to relax and imagine Southeast Asia isnít that far away.

Luigiís, on the same floor, needs no introduction to anyone familiar with Dongguan. Itís the best Italian restaurant for miles, and is often fully booked as proof.

Sheraton Dongguan Hotel 喜來登大酒店
S256 Provincial Highway Houjie Town 厚街鎮S256省道
(86-769) 8598 8888
www.sheraton.com/dongguan