Aimed at becoming the first platinum five-star hotel in the Hangzhou city, the Dragon Hotel is determined to leapfrog its competition by offering a totally new client experience achieved through a RMB one billion (US$146 million) upgrade project. As a major part of the three-prong project, IBM will implement an information technology (IT) infrastructure system.

Dragon Hotel has been chosen as the official venue for conferences hosted by the Hangzhou Municipal Government. This, together with the challenges brought by the economic climate, has compelled Dragon Hotel to launch a large-scale upgrading project.

The project includes the upgrading of the hotel rooms and infrastructure to a luxury environment as well as training of hotel management and staff.

The fully integrated IT system, when available for service early next year, is expected to boost the hotel's efficiency and productivity and reduce the operational cost, thus helping the hotel improve its competitive advantage.

Under the agreement, IBM will integrate the hotel's major systems -- the hotel management system, the communications system and the one-stop service center -- which include the personal digital assistant (PDA) system, self check-in kiosk, interactive TV, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system, Internet telephony, cell phone system and room control system.

Prior to the implementation, IBM Global Technology Services designed a range of customised "Smart Hotel" solutions comprising IBM's RFID technology, Site and Facilities service and Integrated Communications services.

"In the hotel industry, technology can make a real difference by significantly enhancing the customer experience and maximise their comfort and satisfaction," said Eric Du, General Manager, Dragon Hotel. "Through the cooperation with IBM, Dragon Hotel would be able to build a Smart Hotel system to improve significantly the operational efficiency and productivity, the response time to client demands, and most of all, the client experience."

To support Dragon Hotel's objective to continue to be Hangzhou's preferred conference hotel, IBM will implement a conference management system.

Additionally, through collaboration with China Telecom, China Mobile and China Unicom, IBM will integrate China's six telecommunications networks into one platform, the first of its kind in the industry. Every handheld set in the guest rooms will function as a mobile phone to make local and international calls any where in the hotel.