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Customer: Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, a Starwood Hotels & Resorts Brand

Web Site: www.sheraton.com 

Customer Size: 155,000 employees

Country or Region: United States

Industry: Retail—Hospitality 

Customer Profile

A subsidiary of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Sheraton Hotels & Resorts is Starwood’s largest brand, serving upscale travelers at approximately 400 locations around the world. 

Software and Services

• Solution
• Cobranded Web portal
• Technologies
• Microsoft Expression Encoder
• Microsoft Silverlight

Hardware

• Microsoft mice, keyboards, and webcams

“The Microsoft brand—ubiquitous in the world of digital connectivity—lends great credibility to the Link@Sheraton.”

Laura Donahue, Senior Director, Partner Marketing, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

To help differentiate Sheraton Hotels & Resorts from its competitors, Sheraton developed a new initiative for its guests and then teamed up with Microsoft to enhance the experience. The “Link@Sheraton experienced with Microsoft” transforms underused lobby space into a destination within Sheraton hotels—a digitally connected, social gathering spot where guests can work, relax, and connect with others while traveling alone. Associated food and beverage sales are expected to drive revenue. 
 
 

Business Needs

Sheraton Hotels & Resorts is a subsidiary of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, a leading international hotel company. The Sheraton name is associated with “upper upscale” lodging and hospitality, serving business and leisure travelers. The company’s properties include more than 400 full-service hotels and resorts in major cities around the world and at numerous popular vacation destinations. 

For hotels and resorts, achieving a qualitative differentiation of the rooms and amenities that they offer, as compared with other similarly priced properties, is just the start to building a successful brand. Capturing the traveler’s affinity means offering a unique experience. Stewart Slocum, Senior Director, Marketing, at Sheraton Hotels & Resorts, says, “When you look at the attributes of all the players, the experience on the whole has become undifferentiated for the hotel guest.” 

As part of a corporate initiative to revitalize the Sheraton brand, the company conducted in-depth research to understand the needs and traits of its guests. “We found that our guests are ‘people people,’” says Slocum. “They want to form connections with other travelers.” And, like many of today’s travelers, Sheraton guests tend to blur the line between business and leisure, conducting business while on family vacations, and making it a priority to stay connected with their families while traveling on business. 

Sheraton wanted to meet the needs of today’s digitally connected travelers who are accustomed to instant access to information, and who use technology “on the go” for work, entertainment, and social networking. The company envisioned a physical space in which guests could be with others while traveling alone. Sheraton also wanted to capitalize on the underused area of the lobby, which, in many hotels, has become more of a pass-through from hotel room to street, rather than the gathering place it once was. 

Solution

After identifying the common characteristics of its guests, Sheraton developed the Link@Sheraton concept—a social and business environment within Sheraton lobbies that encourages guests to gather, relax, and work in a comfortable lounge-like atmosphere. Then the company teamed up with Microsoft, taking advantage of Microsoft® technologies to create the “Link@Sheraton experienced with Microsoft,” a place where, Slocum says, “guests can choose to be alone but not lonely, or can interact with others.” 

“We had a vision,” says Laura Donahue, Senior Director, Partner Marketing, at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. “And we wanted to bring in a known technology partner that people believe in to help us create it. Microsoft was the natural choice.” 

The Link@Sheraton provides free wireless Internet service for guests’ portable computers, as well as Internet-connected desktop computers with flat-screen monitors and Microsoft keyboards, mice, and webcams. The Link@Sheraton features a Sheraton/Microsoft cobranded Web portal that delivers local entertainment information, events, weather, Microsoft Live Search, and other online services. 

From the portal, guests also can create videos of themselves and send a “video postcard” to family and friends with just a few mouse clicks. The postcard functionality is enabled by the Microsoft Expression® Encoder video encoding tool and the Microsoft Silverlight™ browser plug-in, a free solution for delivering rich, interactive media. 

The Link@Sheraton concept was successfully piloted at several Sheraton properties in 2007. The company plans to open the Link@Sheraton in more than 400 locations worldwide, in a phased approach beginning in late June 2008. Potential future plans for the Link@Sheraton include adding social networking to allow guests to interact with each other through online features such as sharing restaurant reviews and other local commentary, as well as location-based services using Microsoft Virtual Earth™ mapping software. 

Benefits

With the “Link@Sheraton experienced with Microsoft,” Sheraton Hotels & Resorts brings further distinction to its brand identity in a highly competitive marketplace. The new venture will provide a better guest experience that is expected to enhance existing revenue and add new revenue streams. 

Heightened Brand Affinity

The Link@Sheraton helps travelers stay connected with their families, connect with other travelers, and conduct business while traveling. The Microsoft brand and services provided help Sheraton differentiate itself from other major hotels and resorts. “This digitally connected lobby experience is a compelling draw for travelers. The Microsoft brand—ubiquitous in the world of digital connectivity—lends great credibility to the Link@Sheraton,” says Donahue. “The Link@Sheraton helps guests connect with one another and feel a part of the Sheraton community. This is extremely valuable in revitalizing our brand.” 

Enhanced Guest Experience

The Link@Sheraton is fundamental to the company’s efforts to enhance the guest experience. “Our guests want a comfortable, genuine experience. On the road, they are disconnected from their daily lives. The Link@Sheraton will help them connect with people, with their passions, and with new and interesting places,” says Slocum. 

Adds Hoyt Harper, Senior Vice President, The Sheraton Group, “The innovations that Microsoft brings to the table have helped us create an office-away-from-the-office atmosphere and also allow guests to feel a little closer to home. Guests can stay connected with their families as well as stay productive while away from the office. This business and leisure mix is essential to the guest experience.” 

Increased Revenue

The Link@Sheraton takes advantage of valuable yet underused square footage in hotel lobbies to provide new services. It also can increase revenue for food and beverage. In one of the pilot properties, the Link@Sheraton was situated near the hotel’s café. “Café sales increased significantly when the Link@Sheraton went in,” says Slocum. “Our goal is to have a Link@Sheraton at each of our locations worldwide. We’re expecting great results from this.”