Vikram Chatwal

{{promotion |date=September 2023}} {{short description|American hotelier and actor (born 1971)|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = | name = Vikram Chatwal | honorific_suffix = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = Vikram Chatwal.tif | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_name =  | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|11|1}} | birth_place = Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | death_date =  | death_place = | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates =  | monuments = | nationality = | other_names = | citizenship = | education = Wharton School of Business | occupation = | years_active = | employer = | organization = | agent = | known_for = | notable_works = | style = | height =  | television = | title = | term = | predecessor = | successor = | party = | movement = | opponents = | boards = | spouse = {{marriage|Priya Sachdev|2006|2011|end=separated}} | partner =  | father = Sant Singh Chatwal | parents = | relatives = | callsign = | awards = | signature = | signature_alt = | signature_size = | website =  | footnotes = }}

'''Vikram Chatwal''' (born November 1, 1971) is an American hotelier and actor.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/05/fashion/weddings/priya-sachdev-and-vikram-chatwal.html|title=Priya Sachdev and Vikram Chatwal|first=Lola|last=Ogunnaike|work=The New York Times |date=March 5, 2006|via=NYTimes.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Rathe|first1=Adam|title=The Rebirth of Vikram Chatwal|url=http://dujour.com/article/vikram-chatwal-interview/47663|access-date=24 September 2014|publisher=DuJour Magazine|date=2014}}</ref>

== Early life and education == Chatwal was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and his family moved to Montreal, Quebec, Canada in the 1970s and then to New York City in the 1980s, where his father invested in fine dining and hotels.<ref name="Walters">{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2006/jul/30/theobserver.observerbusiness6 |title=Turban Cowboy hits town |last=Walters|first=Joanna |date=30 July 2006|work=The Observer |access-date=18 February 2010|location=London}}</ref> Chatwal is of Indian Sikh heritage, growing up in a Sikh household and attended Sikh camp in upstate New York where he learned to recite prayers.<ref name=NYTimesHotelGoodPlace>{{cite news|last1=Holson|first1=Laura M.|title=Hotelier In A Good Place|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/21/fashion/the-hotelier-vikram-chatwal-finds-himself-in-a-good-place.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0|access-date=12 August 2014|work=The New York Times|date=20 July 2011}}</ref> Chatwal attended the United Nations International School in New York City<ref name="nym">{{cite news|url=http://nymag.com/relationships/features/16368/|title=Vikram's Big Fat Sikh Wedding|last=Schoeneman|first=Deborah |date=5 March 2006|work=New York Magazine|access-date=18 February 2010}}</ref><ref name="tnn">{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-toi/Clintons-India-connection/articleshow/144077.cms|title=Clinton's India connection|last=Kumar Sen|first=Ashish |date=24 August 2003|work=TNN|access-date=18 February 2010}}</ref> as well as the Wharton School of Business where he graduated in 1993.

== Career == Chatwal's father, Sant Chatwal, founded Hampshire Hotels and Resorts, as well as the Bombay Palace restaurant chain, but in 2014 had to resign as CEO due to an arrest by the FBI on illegal campaign contributions to which Sant Chatwal pleaded guilty in the US District Court, Eastern District of New York getting US$500,000 fine and 1,000 hours community service.<ref name=NYTimesHotelGoodPlace/>

After graduating from Wharton in 1993, Chatwal began working for Morgan Stanley.<ref name=NightOutWithUnwinds>{{cite news|last1=Kuczynski|first1=Alex|title=A Night Out With Vikram Chatwal, The Turban Also Unwinds|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/14/style/a-night-out-with-vikram-chatwal-the-turban-also-unwinds.html|access-date=12 August 2014|work=The New York Times|date=14 March 1999}}</ref> He worked as an actor and movie producer, landing roles in films such as Zoolander and Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.<ref name=NYTimesHotelGoodPlace/> He was also a model, and was photographed for ''Vogue'' magazine in 1997.<ref name=NightOutWithUnwinds/><ref name=ForbesFallFromGrace>{{cite news|last1=Bahree|first1=Megha|title=Sant Chatwal: An Indian American Hotelier's Fall From Grace|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/meghabahree/2014/04/22/sant-chatwal-an-indian-american-hoteliers-falls-from-grace/|access-date=12 August 2014|work=Forbes|date=22 April 2014}}</ref> Chatwal joined the family business in 1999 and opened the Time Hotel, a luxury hotel in New York City. This was the first of six independent luxury hotels that he initially operated under his company Vikram Chatwal Hotels.<ref name=LeaderMageDream>{{cite news|title=One Man's Dream is Another's Hotel|url=http://www.leadersmag.com/issues/2013.1_Jan/Hospitality/LEADERS-Vikram-Chatwal-Vikram-Chatwal-Hotels.html|access-date=26 August 2014|publisher=Leaders Mag|date=2013}}</ref>

In 2006 Chatwal opened the Night Hotel, in New York's Times Square.<ref name=NYTimesHotelGoodPlace/>

Chatwal's business was affected by the real-estate crisis of the 1990s<ref name="WSJExpansion">{{cite news|last1=Hudson|first1=Kris|title=Survivor Stands on Verge of a Grand New Expansion|url=https://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748703418004575456023690808554|access-date=26 August 2014|publisher=The Wall Street Journal|date=30 August 2010|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140417212801/http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748703418004575456023690808554|archive-date=17 Apr 2014}}</ref> and in August 2010, it was reported Chatwal's flagship property the Dream Hotel in Manhattan was scheduled to enter foreclosure proceedings within 90 days if he did not make payment on a $99 million mortgage.<ref name="mrg">{{cite news|url=http://therealdeal.com/newyork/articles/nyc-delinquency-rate-continues-upward-as-distressed-properties-list-grows-according-to-trepp-data|title=NYC delinquency rate continues upward as distressed properties list grows|date=6 August 2010|work=The Real Deal Online|access-date=6 August 2010}}</ref> Despite the economy, Chatwal expanded his hotel-management operations by opening additional hotels in New York City, Miami and overseas.<ref name="WSJExpansion" /> The initial expansion came in 2010 with the opening of the Chatwal Hotel, a $100 million project in the former Lambs Club building in the Theater District of Manhattan.<ref name="WSJExpansion" /> Through his expansions, Vikram has helped grow the Chatwal brand to include additional properties in Manhattan, Miami, Bangkok and Cochin, India.<ref name="LeaderMageDream" /><ref>{{cite news|last1=Hruska|first1=Rachelle|title=The Grand Openingof Vikram Chatwal's Dream Cochin Hotel|url=http://guestofaguest.com/new-york/travel/the-grand-opening-of-vikram-chatwals-dream-cochin-hotel|access-date=26 August 2014|publisher=Guest of a Guest|date=6 April 2009}}</ref>

In 2015, Chatwal's Dream New York hotel completed a $20 million renovation. Updates included a playscape in the ground floor lobby as well as updates to guest rooms and suites.<ref name=DreamNameCnag>{{cite news|last1=Chao|first1=Vivian|title=Dream Midtown Completes a $20 million Renovation & Officially Changes Name from Dream New York|url=http://www.hotel-online.com/press_releases/release/dream-midtown-completes-20-million-renovation-officially-changes-name-from|access-date=26 January 2015|publisher=Hotel Online|date=22 January 2015}}</ref> As part of the renovation, the hotel name was changed from Dream New York to Dream Midtown.<ref name=DreamNameCnag/>

Chatwal was awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the first South Asia Media Awards in New York City in June 2005.<ref name="mw">{{cite news|title= Could Vikram Chatwal become the world's first Sikh billionaire? |date=8 August 2006|work=Money Week}}</ref> He was also featured on the June 19, 2006 cover of ''Forbes Asia''.<ref name="forbes">{{cite news |url=https://www.forbes.com/global/2006/0619/078.html |title=Upgrading |last=Bahree|first=Megha |date=19 June 2006|work=Forbes Asia|access-date=18 February 2010}}</ref> He is also attributed as revitalizing the hotel industry in Manhattan, opening the Time Hotel during a time when few other hotel groups were investing in the area.<ref>{{cite news|title=Manhattan's Time Hotel Rings in 15th Anniversary with Renovations|url=http://www.hautehotel.com/manhattans-time-hotel-rings-15th-anniversary-renovations/|access-date=28 August 2014|publisher=Haute Hotel|date=23 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Koumelis|first1=Theodore|title=Hotel Pioneer Vikram Chatwal's Time Hotel celebrates its fifteen-year anniversary with a new look|url=http://www.traveldailynews.com/news/article/60473/hotel-pioneer-vikram-chatwal-s-time|access-date=28 August 2014|publisher=Travel Daily News|date=15 May 2014}}</ref>

=== Filmography === * ''Zoolander'' (2001)<ref name="Observer">{{cite news|url=http://www.observer.com/2009/daily-transom/fashionably-late-hotelier-vikram-chatwal-now-10-percent-less-party-animal |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090417045346/http://www.observer.com/2009/daily-transom/fashionably-late-hotelier-vikram-chatwal-now-10-percent-less-party-animal |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 April 2009 |title=Fashionably Late Hotelier Vikram Chatwal Now 10 Percent Less Party Animal |last=Pasternack |first=Alex |date=14 April 2009|pages=Observer|access-date=18 February 2010}}</ref> * ''One Dollar Curry'' (2004)<ref name="tnn"/> * ''Ek Ajnabee'' (2005)<ref name="Nagaland"/> * ''Hope and a Little Sugar'' (2006)<ref name="Nagaland"/> * ''Karma, Confessions and Holi'' (2006)<ref name="Nagaland"/> * ''Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.'' (2007)<ref name="Nagaland">{{cite news|url=http://www.nagalandpost.com/ShowInfotainment.aspx?infoID=SU5GMTAwMzY2-eMpiGTRUa%2Fw%3D|title=Vikram Chatwal spotted in rehab|date=31 December 2009 |work=Nagaland Post |access-date=18 February 2010}}</ref> * ''Days of Grace'' (2011) * ''Spring Breakers'' (2012), Executive Producer * ''Sold'' (2014)

== Personal life == Chatwal was married to Indian model Priya Sachdev on 18 February 2006. Chatwal and Sachdev were divorced in 2011.<ref>{{cite news|title=Family of Dream hotel developers accused of skipping out on real estate commission|url=https://www.crainsnewyork.com/residential-real-estate/family-dream-hotel-developers-accused-skipping-out-real-estate-commission|date=August 12, 2022|author=C. J. Hughes|work=Crain’s New York Business}}</ref>

In April 2013, Chatwal was arrested at Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport in Florida while trying to board an aircraft with cocaine, marijuana and prescription pills.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://people.com/crime/vikram-chatwal-arrested-for-drug-possession-and-trafficking/|title=Vikram Chatwal Arrested for Drug Possession and Trafficking|website=PEOPLE.com}}</ref> The charges were later dropped.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.americanbazaaronline.com/2014/05/30/vikram-chatwal-escapes-jail-time-finishing-rehab-program-arrested-possession-drugs/ | title=Vikram Chatwal escapes jail time by finishing rehab program after being arrested for possession of drugs - the American Bazaar | date=30 May 2014 }}</ref>

In 2016, he was arrested again, this time by the New York City police for setting fire to two dogs with an aerosol can and lighter. Chatwal was booked for torturing animals, reckless endangerment and criminal mischief.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/manhattan/nyc-dog-walker-hits-hotelier-ptsd-suit-lighting-pups-article-1.2855872|title=NYC dog walker slaps hotelier Vikram Chatwal with PTSD lawsuit after he set fire to canines|first=Barbara|last=Ross|date=November 2, 2016|work=New York Daily News}}</ref>

== References == {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chatwal, Vikram}} Category:1971 births Category:American people of Indian descent Category:American Sikhs Category:American hoteliers Category:Living people Category:American people of Punjabi descent Category:Wharton School alumni Category:People from Addis Ababa Category:United Nations International School alumni

Vikram Chatwal

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