Generic top-level domainsDNSSEC
Overview
- .shangrila is a brand gTLD delegated to the DNS Root Zone under ICANN's New gTLD Program.
- It is intended to provide an authoritative Internet space for the Shangri‑La hotel brand — used for information, services, bookings and marketing related to Shangri‑La hotels and resorts.
- The registry is managed by Shangri‑La International Hotel Management Limited with back-end services provided by Verisign.
History
- The .shangrila application was part of ICANN's New gTLD Program (application revealed in June 2012).
- The application received a GAC Early Warning from China on the grounds that the string refers to a Chinese county and might be a geographic name requiring government support. The Chinese government did not support the application.
- .shangrila was delegated to the Root Zone on 2 July 2016.
- Applicant positioned the gTLD as a restricted registry operated by Shangri‑La International, with plans for an IDN version representing “shangrila” in Chinese.
Usage and Audience
- Primary intended registrants:
- Shangri‑La International, its affiliates and partners.
- Localized booking services and marketing teams under Shangri‑La's control.
- Target audience:
- Consumers seeking official information, reservations, services and resources related to Shangri‑La hotels and resorts.
- Applicant background (from application):
- Shangri‑La International (trading as Shangri‑La Hotels and Resorts) operates dozens of five‑star hotels and resorts globally and positions the gTLD to reinforce brand authenticity and consumer trust.
Registration Rules
- .shangrila is operated as a restricted registry.
- At the stated stage, only affiliate entities of Shangri‑La International are eligible to register domain names in .shangrila.
- The registry stated it would implement ICANN-mandated rights abuse prevention measures as part of the registration processes.
- The application indicated use of second- and third-level domains for localisation, booking and communications.
SEO and Brand Impact
- The .shangrila gTLD is explicitly positioned as a branded namespace to:
- Promote Shangri‑La brand identity and authenticity online.
- Provide consumers assurance of brand authenticity and a trusted source for bookings and information.
- The TLD's primary value is brand control and trust rather than general-purpose SEO claims in public sources.
Notable Cases or Examples
- The GAC Early Warning from China concerning the string's geographic connotation is a notable issue in the application's review history.
- Delegation on 2 July 2016 marks its operational status in the DNS Root Zone.
Operator
Shangri-La International Hotel Management Limited
Whois
% IANA WHOIS server % for more information on IANA, visit http://www.iana.org % This query returned 1 object domain: SHANGRILA organisation: Shangri-La International Hotel Management Limited address: 28/F. Kerry Centre address: 683 King’s Road address: Quarry Bay address: Hong Kong contact: administrative name: Legal Executive organisation: Shangri-La International Hotel Management Limited address: 28/F. Kerry Centre address: 683 King’s Road address: Quarry Bay address: Hong Kong phone: +852 2820 0418 e-mail: ngtld-shangrila1@cscinfo.com contact: technical name: Howard Eland, Senior Director, DNS Infrastructure Group organisation: Identity Digital Inc. address: 10500 NE 8th Street, Suite 750 address: Bellevue WA 98004 address: United States of America (the) phone: +1.425.298.2200 fax-no: +1.425.671.0020 e-mail: tldtech@identity.digital nserver: A0.NIC.SHANGRILA 2a01:8840:6e:0:0:0:0:68 65.22.112.68 nserver: A2.NIC.SHANGRILA 2a01:8840:71:0:0:0:0:68 65.22.115.68 nserver: B0.NIC.SHANGRILA 2a01:8840:6f:0:0:0:0:68 65.22.113.68 nserver: C0.NIC.SHANGRILA 2a01:8840:70:0:0:0:0:68 65.22.114.68 ds-rdata: 62932 8 2 fe4a231c54b837a4cb8edf50861ad9739f580b1aab76ad8230be6ed655d57a59 whois: whois.nic.shangrila status: ACTIVE remarks: Registration information: http://www.shangri-la.com/ created: 2016-06-24 changed: 2023-08-11 source: IANA