Al Basel Consultancy signs VIP partnership with Corinthia Hotels

The agreement was signed by Matthew Dixon, General Manager, Corinthia Hotel London and Al Basel senior management led by Basel Al Kasem, Managing Director and Omar Al Kasem, Director-VIP Accounts.

Under the terms of the agreement, Al Basel will help promote the hotel across the GCC region particularly targeting VIPs who often travel to London on business and leisure trips.

The consultancy firm will also be advising the hotel on marketing initiatives, tools and high-profile events.

The agreement proves to be very timely and strategic as recent industry reports have shown that Britain has become a major beneficiary of outbound travel from the Gulf region; with residents spending over Dhs5.2bn in Britain in 2011, reflecting 5% across all spending.

To date, the United Kingdom (UK) garnered around 459,000 visits from the GCC in 2011, which demonstrates a 19.8% increase from the previous year. Tourism, as industry experts have revealed, is a major part of the UK economy and makes up at least £115bn (nearly Dhs679bn) of the country's GDP.

"We are very confident that this new VIP partnership with the Corinthia Hotel London will play a major role in the hotel's efforts to attract visitors coming from the GCC region," said Basel Al Kasem, Managing Director, Al Basel Consultancy.

"The new alliance also proves to be very timely as the UK has set its sights on attracting over half a million tourists from the GCC, particularly from the UAE. We are looking to target the region's VIP travelers—businessmen and their families who often travel to the UK. Our aim is to promote the Corinthia Hotel London as the perfect place to stay in, be it for business or for leisure," he added.

"Our new partnership with Al Basel Consultancy represents the strong ties that the UK has had with the GCC region. Al Basel was a unanimous choice for us to partner with, as we both share common goals and visions of enhancing travel, tourism and hospitality between both global points. We expect the firm to help us position the hotel as a preferred brand of choice for businessmen and other tourists who are visiting London. Surely, Al Basel's expertise combined with the diverse features and offerings of Corinthia will make for a winning combination," concluded Matthew Dixon, General Manager, Corinthia Hotel London.

Corinthia London is a 21st century grand hotel located in the heart of London, created by experts with a passion for craftsmanship and an understanding of world-class service. Housed within a Victorian building, the hotel is composed of 294 rooms—36 suites and 7 penthouses—that offer sweeping views across London's most popular landmarks.

The Corinthia Hotel London has become widely known for its offer of unrivalled world-class luxury with superb ground floor offerings like the Northall, a restaurant that serves the best in British produce throughout the day; Massimo Restaurant & Oyster Bar, a speciality seafood restaurant and the musically inspired Bassoon Bar. The hotel is also home to the flagship ESPA Life, a next-generation spa housed across four floors and the Daniel Galvin hair salon.

The hotel boasts of the largest room sizes in London, which are highlighted by original Victorian columns that have been faithfully restored and tall windows that let in swathes of natural light. Mixing the old with the new, all of the hotel rooms integrate cutting edge technology, with the meeting rooms having the ability for recording, mixing and broadcasting. Corinthia London is the ninth of Corinthia Hotels' collection of five-star hotels founded by the Pisani family of Malta.