Chelsea have announced that Hilton will become the club's official hotel partner. The news comes with uncertainty still surrounding who will be the west London side's shirt sponsor next season.
The Blues deal with Three was expected to come to an end with the close of the 2022/23 season, but the sponsor is still currently recognised on Chelsea's website, while news recently emerged suggesting Stake would be the club's next sponsor, after another deal had been blocked.
The expectation that Stake, an online casino, would become the main sponsor was met with a great deal of criticism with the Premier League coming to a collective agreement that shirt-front gambling sponsors would no longer be utlised from the 2025/26 season. The possibility was also met with a degree of frustration due to work Chelsea's foundation has done to work on gambling harm awareness.
Chelsea Supporters Trust noted: "An online casino and betting company as the primary shirt sponsor is not in line with the commitment of growing Chelsea FC as a ‘world class’ organisation. “We understand Chelsea’s desire to maximise revenue streams across the whole club. Whilst we accept that it will happen, it must not take place at the expense of the club’s values.”
football.london understands the club will listen to fan sentiment but that is also a reality to deal with in the sponsorship packages that have been presented. However, an announcement has yet to be made.
The partnership with Hilton appears to be offering the club their stays as they travel across the United States for pre-season this summer. Friendlies will take place in Chapel Hill, Philadephia, Atlanta, Landover and Chicago.
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John Rogers, Head of Global Partnerships at Chelsea, said: "Ahead of our exciting visit to the States in July and August for pre-season tour, we are very pleased to team up with such a prestigious name as Hilton for the future. We are proud to be the first football club to work alongside Hilton and look forward to rewarding their Hilton Honors members, and our fans, in innovative ways."
Stijn Bastiaens, Vice President, Strategic Partnerships, Hilton, said: "We’re thoroughly looking forward to collaborating with such an esteemed and world-renowned club as Chelsea. Through the partnership we’ll be launching unique content and experiences to our Hilton Honors members, as well as extending the most welcoming Hilton stays to the Chelsea team while they’re travelling on tour."
