HOTELIERS OF THE WORLD
hospitality tales , almost never occurred . Bhalla was born to a military father and a nurse mother and grew up in a small town north of New Delhi . Naturally , his father wanted him and his brother to join the army , but in an act of youthful defiance , Bhalla , instead , went the hospitality route , which consisted of three years of hotel school in India that led to operations management training with Taj Hotels . It was with Taj that he first fell in love with the food and beverage side of the business and he eventually ran one of India ’ s preeminent restaurants , Orient Express at Taj Palace , New Delhi . To this day , cookbooks line the bookshelf in Bhalla ’ s office .
At 26 , Bhalla had the rare opportunity to work at and be part of the opening of what is still one of the world ’ s most iconic hotels :
Burj Al Arab in Dubai . It meant leaving India and taking a step down in role , but Bhalla saw it as a stepping stone and a push outside his comfort zone .
In 1999 , Dubai looked a lot different than it does today . The vertiginous cityscape did not yet exist ; the 1,000-foot-high hotel standing like a guard presiding over a stillincubating embryo . To Bhalla , it was the perfect place to be , the cusp of what was to become one of the greatest manmade feats in history . “ It was incredible ,” he said of the experience . “ It was not the Dubai of today .”
It was sinking in and learning the luxury ropes in Dubai that helped propel Bhalla and nurture his career . “ I was working with the best people , the best product and the best of clientele ,” he said . “ That luxury journey was wonderful .”
Bhalla was at the Burj Al Arab around the time when Dubai really began to build up , with projects like the World Islands getting underway . But like an athlete at the top of his game , Bhalla decided it was time for a move . “ It was one of those things where you wanted to be challenged and not be complacent ,” he said . “ I left at the peak and everybody asked me , ‘ Why ?’”
LONDON CALLING How , might have been the better question . Not only was Bhalla leaving one of the great hotels of the world , but he was also leaving Dubai , which , beyond its sun and beaches , charges no personal income tax . Where he was going did . And it certainly was not known for its warm sun and bright beaches , but gray skies and chilly air . London was
The Connaught Bar was voted the fifth best bar in the world in the 2023 edition of The World ’ s 50 Best Bars .
28 hotelsmag . com Mar / Apr 2024