Back of the net: London hotels sign sporting partnerships

The 5* Athenaeum Hotel is the official hotel partner of World Tennis Day London Showdown, taking place at Earls Court on 3 March, while glh’s new 4* hotel brand Amba Hotels will be the title sponsor of the City of London Mile on 22 June.

World Tennis Day​

The London Showdown, which is part of a global series of matches, events and activities planned for World Tennis Day, will feature ex-Wimbledon champions Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Pat Cash as well as grand slam champion and Andy Murray’s coach, Ivan Lendl.

As part of its partnership with the event, The Athenaeum Hotel will host a pre-event conference on the morning of the 3 March, as well as a cocktail party on 2 March, which will be attended by all four players.

Jeremy Hopkins, general manager at the Athenaeum Hotel, said the partnership would bring the hotel into contact with new audiences across the globe, and allow it to offer its guests a 'new experience'.

“We are very excited to be the official London hotel partner of World Tennis Day. It is a fantastic global marketing opportunity, linking us with high profile tennis events across the world," he told BigHospitality.

“World Tennis Day now takes place in the three biggest financial markets in the world, including New York and Hong Kong – so to be a part of the inaugural event in London is simply sensational."

Amba City of London Mile​

Meanwhile, the City of London Mile will be re-named the Amba Hotels City of London Mile, with a new logo to reflect the brand’s sponsorship of the event.

The event, which will see 5,000 runners tackle a route which covers part of the Olympic Marathon course to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support and Trinity Hospice, has been organised as part of the Olympic Legacy.

Amba chief executive Belinda Atkins told BigHospitality the sponsorship of the iconic race was part of glh’s ‘long-term strategy’ to grow its new hotel brand, which will open hotels in Charing Cross, Buckingham Palace, Marble Arch and Tower Bridge.

“We have some key iconic locations in London that we will be converting to the Amba brand and we feel the inaugural City of London race, which starts at St Paul’s and passes some iconic London landmarks, is a perfect fit for us,” she said.

“Also, our target market is very much the person that is into sporting events, whether watching or participating, and the sort of person who is likely to be engaged in something fun.

“We feel that our brand is very competitive and wants to be at the forefront of new things, so the race is a good fit with the people who will be staying at Amba hotels.”