A Romford hotel will be transformed into a buzzing media hub during the Olympics after sealing a deal to accommodate the entire Chinese media team.

Harefield Manor, in Main Road, this week revealed it will house 180 members of the Chinese press team throughout the London Games.

The golden deal will see journalists from across China, including Radio Beijing, the Chengdu Economic Daily and website QQ.com, broadcasting from the Victorian building.

The team has booked 55 rooms at Harefield Manor, with 30 rooms still to be booked in another Havering hotel.

The manor’s conservatory will be transformed into a studio with journalists using the building to interview winning athletes, file reports and edit sound and film clips.

It is hoped they will also use the building to wine and dine Olympic VIPs.

The Chinese media team got in touch with the hotel after seeing the website www.visithavering.org, which owner Paul Harris helped launched last year in an effort to attract Olympic business and visitors to the borough.

The website, which scores 13,000 hits per week, has been supported by the Romford Recorder, Havering Council, MacDonalds and Lloyds TSB.

The media team’s booking comes after Mr Harris spent more than �300,000 expanding the building in an effort to accommodate Olympic visitors.

He said: “They’ll be broadcasting Romford to the world.

“This is going to be a huge boost for the local shopping economy. And who better to publicise Havering than the Chinese Olympic media team?”

Mr Harris added: “I think they’re going to be the number one power in the world. They’re a country that’s expanding like mad and it’ll do us the world of good to have some of that economy in this country.”

Mr Harris is still on the look out for a local quality hotel with 30 rooms available to accommodate the remaining team members. To contact him call: 01708 751 901