Sheraton Hotels celebrates MLB partnership
'Official Hotel of Major League Baseball' hosts ALCS screening; Starwood Preferred Guest also part of deal
To celebrate the new exclusive partnership of Major League Baseball with Sheraton Hotels & Resorts and Starwood Preferred Guest, the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel hosted a special screening of the Blue Jays' 11-8 victory in Monday night's Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.
The event was hosted by stars such as All-Star shortstop Jose Reyes, former Mets player and current analyst Keith Hernandez, Michelin-starred chef Andrew Carmellini and former Yankees pitcher Jeff Nelson.
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The partnership designates the Sheraton as the "Official Hotel of Major League Baseball" and SPG as its "Official Hotel Loyalty Program." It also assures that beginning in the spring of 2016, Sheraton will provide guests with complimentary access to MLB.TV during their visits as well as add MLB Network as a new in-room entertainment channel.
Fans will also be able to book their hotel stays from a Sheraton booking widget installed on select team's schedule pages.
"It's a great thing to have available for people that have to stay at the hotels," said Hernandez, who often stays at Sheraton Hotels to avoid the quick turnaround of a day games after a night game. "If you're a Seattle fan and you're on business trips across the country, you can watch your team. I think it's a wonderful opportunity. It's a great idea."
Before the start of the ALCS, however, was another intense competition: a hot dog cooking contest between Reyes, donning complete chef's gear, and Carmellini, with a plethora of unexpected ingredients and sauces at their disposal.
"I'm looking forward to seeing Jose's cooking skills," Hernandez said. "I don't know anything about them. I know he can hit."
Reyes stuck to largely traditional toppings and was rewarded for it, declared a winner by two-thirds of the judges. But everyone has the opportunity to be a winner with this new partnership, giving baseball fans a chance to connect with their team no matter where they are.
"I've stayed here numerous times, said Nelson. "To get this partnership reaffirms the fact that it's a great hotel, great location. I enjoy staying at all the Sheartons, but I especially enjoy staying here."