Barbour Griffith & Rogers Hired By Sharia-Linked Hotels

Barbour Griffith & Rogers, a Washington, D.C. based lobbying firm which describes themselves as representing “a diverse, blue-chip clientele which includes Fortune 500 companies, international governments, trade associations, non-profits, academic institutions, hospitals, coalitions, and state and local governments” has been hired by Dorchester Group Ltd. The company runs the Beverly Hills Hotel, Bel-Air Hotel (Los Angeles), The Dorchester/45 Park Lane (London), Hotel Eden (Rome), Hotel Plaza Athenee (Paris), Le Richemond (Geneva) among other properties.

As a recent CNBC article noted, “The Dorchester Collection, which includes the Beverly Hills Hotel, the Bel Air Hotel, The Dorchester and several other luxury-level properties around the word, is owned by the Brunei Investment Agency, a branch of the Ministry of Finance of Brunei.

“No @Virgin employee, nor our family, will stay at Dorchester Hotels until the Sultan abides by basic human rights,” said Richard Branson. At issue is the decision of the oil-rich state to adopt a strict form of Sharia law that would call for the severing of limbs for theft, as well as stoning to death for adultery or homosexual acts, according to the BBC. Enforcement would be limited to within the borders of Brunei.”

Government filings noted that BGR’s representation of the hotels is for “international issues impacting the hotel, commercial and services sectors.”

Brunei operates under sharia law.