There's a New Hotel Lobby in Town, and It's Drawing Quite a Crowd

Sheraton North Houston Unveils First "Link @ Sheraton" in Texas

HOUSTON, July 22 /PRNewswire/ -- There's a new hotel lobby in town, and
it's drawing quite a crowd. The new Sheraton Link lobby is the first of its
kind in Texas and one of less than a handful in the U.S. It is the
centerpiece of a multi-million renovation of the Sheraton North Houston at
George Bush Intercontinental Airport.
"Lobbies used to be a major social gathering place 50 years ago, but
evolved into a sterile environment, primarily for check-in," said Robert
Kisker, hotel general manager. "Guests simply went to their rooms, and only
returned to the lobby when they passed through it on their way somewhere else
or to check out of the hotel. Today's travelers want to have more
interaction. The new design is a sea change and refashions the lobby into an
appealing destination for guests, providing comfortable spaces that promote
socialization and networking. We have gone from perhaps one or two people
sitting in the lobby to 20 to 30, and it is pretty much continuous throughout
the day, with several hundred people using the area each day."
The Sheraton's new lobby space provides guests with a sense of belonging,
warmth and community. At the heart of the lobby re-design is the "Link @
Sheraton," a signature lobby-based communications hub that enables guests to
stay connected and fully productive while traveling and away from their
offices. The Link @ Sheraton is a unique environment that meets the needs of
Sheraton's core guests by enabling them to work, relax and remain connected to
family and friends during their travels. It provides a total online
experience, including free Wi-Fi and Internet-enabled computer stations, which
allow guests to e-mail, search the Web, research local attractions and even
print up boarding passes. Guests also have access to televisions, daily
newspapers, and food and beverage offerings.
Adding to the social aspect of the new lobby design, a communal table at
the lobby's center allows several groups of guests to work independently of
one another within the same space, with game tables and oversized chairs that
encourage interaction or rest and relaxation. Guests also are surrounded by a
distinctive ambiance created through new sensory elements, including a clean,
"open air" scent, music, lighting and botanical designs.
The hotel also has completely made over all 420 guest rooms and 30,000
square feet of meeting space. Newly designed guest rooms showcase a palette
of colors inspired by nature, including off-white, yellow, terracotta, cool
blues, brown and green, and feature four distinct zones: a welcome area, a
"connection" zone, an area to rest and a space to re-energize. Redesigned
bathrooms minimize clutter and maximize space, with wall-mounted usable
shelving and granite counter tops. The fitness center was enlarged to nearly
800 square feet and outfitted with Life Fitness CardioTheater equipment
equipped with personal televisions.
The hotel's popular Basil's Restaurant was refreshed as was the Basil's
Tavern, which offers entertainment four nights a week.
Located at 15700 John F. Kennedy Blvd., the property is adjacent to the
airport. "Because we offer shuttle service to the airport every 20 minutes,
we believe that we'll also be an attractive gathering place for people who
have extended waits for airplanes. The combination of free Internet, great
food and a friendly, relaxed atmosphere presents a compelling alternative,
compared to a jammed-packed airport."
The hotel is putting the finishing touches on the renovation, primarily in
non-guest areas, and expects it to be completed by early July.
The Sheraton North Houston at George Bush Intercontinental Airport is
operated by Seattle-based The Dow Hotel Company, which is a hotel
owner/investor and operator of 10 first-class, full-service hotels throughout
the United States. The company's portfolio of owned and managed properties
consists of hotels, under such brands as Marriott, Hilton, Embassy Suites,
Sheraton, Crowne Plaza, Doubletree and Radisson Hotels and Resorts. The
company aggressively seeks to acquire, co-invest with joint venture partners
and/or manage mid- to large-size, first-class, full service hotels, especially
those with extensive food and beverage capabilities.
Contact: Jerry Daly, Chris Daly
(703)435-6293

SOURCE The Dow Hotel Company

Jerry Daly or Chris Daly for The Dow Hotel Company, both at +1-703-435-6293