Spiderman visit boosts business says Doha hotel GM

The Torch Doha general manager Gerhard Foltin has said last month's risky hotel climb by legendary French-born skyscraper climber nicknamed Spiderman was "fantastic" for business. 

Robert made it into the Guinness Book of World Records on April 12 for being the first person to scale The Torch Doha 300m tower, without a safety rope and harness.

Thousands of people gathered at the hotel to watch the world record attempt, organised in collaboration with Aspire Zone Foundation.

"It was fantastic for our image. We have other events coming up, we have one gentleman from Norway who wants to 'fly' from the top of the building wearing a parachute 'dress' like a bird," said Foltin.

"Alain Robert is coming again, he liked it so much. But he’s coming this time for holidays, he just wants to relax and see what he climbed," the general manager added. 

However, speaking to Hotelier ahead of the climb last month, Robert said not all hotels had been so welcoming. 

"I wanted to climb the Burj Al Arab in Dubai so I travelled to Dubai and met with Jumeirah but they refused. They said something like it wouldn't go with the hotel's image," said Robert, who climbed the world's tallest building, Burj Khalifa, in Dubai in March 2011.

Well-known for climbing unassisted, the 50-year-old has conquered more then 85 giant structures, including the Empire State Building, Chicago's Willis Tower and the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur.

Jumeirah was unavailable for comment at the time of publishing.