Associated Luxury Hotels International (ALHI) has announced a series of strategic partnerships aimed at integrating gaming, esports, education, and entertainment solutions across its global portfolio of luxury hotels, resorts, cruise lines, and destination management organisations (DMOs).
The partnerships, revealed during Global Esports Industry Week (GEIW) in Austin, Texas — an event co-organised by the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) and The Esports Radar — include collaborations with Cyberlabs, UNEVN, PLAYHRDR Advisors, and The Esports Radar.
Through these alliances, ALHI plans to support international esports events by securing luxury accommodation for players and organisers, while also introducing next-generation gaming and entertainment offerings to its Member properties. According to ALHI, these efforts are intended to help its Members engage with a global gaming community estimated at more than three billion players.
Michael Dominguez, President & CEO of ALHI, said: “Gaming is now mainstream. It’s time for the travel industry to evolve alongside it, and ALHI is proud to lead this movement, making it easier for guests to engage while on the road for business or leisure.”
Innovations in Gaming Hospitality
Among the partners, UNEVN, based in Espoo, Finland, will supply its portable BASE desk gaming stations, designed to transform underused hotel spaces into ready-to-use esports zones. The BASE desk integrates a monitor, high-performance PC, and foldable design to offer hotels a flexible gaming amenity.
Cyberlabs, a London-based consultancy, will work with ALHI properties to redesign public spaces and guest rooms to accommodate gaming and content creation. The firm’s experience includes projects in education, retail, and sports venues, such as its partnership with Charlton Athletic F.C.
PLAYHRDR Advisors will provide esports readiness certification programmes, educational initiatives, and strategic consulting to help ALHI Members and DMO partners integrate esports into their offerings and destination strategies.
“Our partnership with ALHI marks a significant step forward in bridging the gap between the thriving esports industry and the luxury hospitality and tourism sectors. We are excited to empower ALHI’s network with the knowledge and tools to embrace esports, creating new revenue streams and attracting a dynamic audience,” said Ed Tomasi, President of PLAYHRDR Advisors.
Supporting Global Esports Events
As part of the collaboration, ALHI worked with ESIC and The Esports Radar to host GEIW activities at its properties, including the inaugural summit at the Downright Austin hotel. GEIW, held alongside the sold-out BLAST.tv Austin Major, featured executive forums, networking workshops, and industry gatherings focused on the future of esports.
Stephen Hanna, CEO of ESIC, commented: “This collaboration underscores our commitment to delivering world-class experiences for the global video games and esports industries. We look forward to building on this momentum by continuing to work with ALHI properties for our future international events.”
Sam Cooke, CEO & Co-Founder of The Insights Group, which owns The Esports Radar, added: “we will look back on this moment as a major milestone for the hospitality sector’s full embrace of gaming and esports. With this line up of partners supporting ALHI and its member properties, there is an enormous amount of potential and we can’t wait to get started.”
A Future-Ready Hospitality Vision
Neil Johnson, Vice President of Esports & Consulting Services at ALHI, noted that these initiatives are aimed at helping Member properties attract new audiences, gaming events, and revenue opportunities: “By working with leaders like Cyberlabs and UNEVN, we’re giving our Members the tools to tap into new audiences, attract gaming events, and unlock new revenue potential.”
The partnerships reflect ALHI’s broader strategy to align luxury hospitality with evolving guest expectations, immersive experiences, and the global rise of gaming culture.
Disclaimer: The Global Esports Industry Week is an initiative with participation of The Esports Radar, part of The Insights Group.
