Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts' new website launched with online reservation contest
Jan 20, 05 | 4:30 am 
"Where will you find your Shangri-La?" The answer is one click away on www.shangri-la.com, the new website of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, Asia Pacific's leading luxury hotel group.The recently enhanced website contains 6,000 web pages in total in English, Chinese and Japanese, with improved content and site navigation. Following the English version, the Chinese and Japanese versions will be launched in the first quarter of 2005.
snapshot of Shangri-La.com
A "Find Your Shangri-La" contest celebrates this largest scale revamp in the group's history. From 1 February to 31 March 2005, all reservations booked online and utilised during the month of March, will automatically be entered. Fifty winners per week, a total of 200 guests, will be selected at random to receive a complimentary room for their entire stay at any Shangri-La hotel or resort.
In a first for an Asia-based hotel company, its dynamic packaging, "Shangri-La Vacations", allows online customers to customise and choose from travel services such as flights, car rentals, destination activities, and accommodation packages including a stay at a Shangri-La property ? all in one convenient online location. Initially this service will only be available to residents of the US and UK.
A new web booking engine, with photos and virtual tours, makes it easier for bookers to compare rates and room types, and make changes on dates, rates and personal preferences directly online. The stay details for members of Golden Circle, Shangri-La's guest recognition programme, are automatically updated on their profiles.
The new CHI Spas page features the overview, philosophy and visuals of Shangri-La's first luxury spa brand. CHI's signature therapies are based on the five elements of metal, water, wood, fire and earth. Visitors can identify their own personal element sign and associated characteristics by answering a few simple questions online.
"Destination Information" is now available on each hotel's web page, featuring five days' weather forecast as well as "Quick Facts" including
currency converter, language, time zone, measure, electricity, plug type and mobile phone system.
On the new "Shangri-La Careers" page, hotels can post their vacant positions and job seekers can submit online their resumes and applications.
"We have made it easy, fun and informative for our customers to explore Shangri-La and make bookings efficiently and flexibly," said Michael Leong, director of corporate e-business of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts. "The expansion of our online features and services demonstrate Shangri-La's commitment to providing the finest in Asian hospitality and service as we continue to grow."
The website revamping programme was carried out in February 2004 with a series of customer focus group studies in Beijing, Tokyo, Singapore and Hong Kong. This feedback resulted in the full-scale upgrading and development of the website's functions and appearance. Hong Kong-based Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts currently manages 45 hotels under the Shangri-La and Traders Hotels brands, in Australia, mainland China, Fiji, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and the United Arab Emirates with a rooms inventory of over 21,000. In addition, the group has over 20 projects under development in Canada, mainland China, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Oman, Qatar and Thailand. For more information or reservations, please contact a travel professional or access the website at www.shangri-la.com
