Travelers can stay connected without lugging a laptop at certain Sheraton hotels offering free Yahoo-sponsored Internet access at lobby computers, the companies said on Monday.

“This is an opportunity to bring Yahoo beyond the desktop,” said Murray Gaylord, vice president of brand marketing at Yahoo Inc., the world’s largest Internet media site.

The companies are conducting pilot projects at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina and Sheraton Boston, where a section of lobby has been reconfigured with work stations at round conference-type tables as well as sofas and other comfortable seating. The Wi-Fi and broadband Internet service can also be accessed without charge from the hotels’ guest rooms.

Sheraton is the largest and most global hotel brand operated by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.

Source: Reuters