“ EVERYONE SHOULD BE ON A ROAD TO A FINAL DESTINATION . A LOT OF PEOPLE MISS OUT KEY ELEMENTS BUT THE LONG-TERM APPROACH IS MORE IMPORTANT . FOR ME IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT ‘ WHAT ’ S NEXT ?’”
million ) for as little as £ 5 million ( US $ 7 million ),” Chadha says . Last year and going forward , the business strategy is less opportunistic and price-driven . He now focuses on development sites in key locations , which for Nine Hotels are airports , railway stations and city centers where corporations are located .
The business and corporate focus has resulted in a spin-off of residential serviced apartments and offices . At the two locations where Le Grove Serviced Apartments are available , his Holiday Inns at Watford Junction and Birmingham , they are part of the hotel building but have a separate entrance . The model is for a 100-key hotel plus 35 serviced apartments and Regus managed offices , which share the public areas , restaurant and gym facilities with the hotel .
He still builds commercial and residential real estate but says his heart , along with the business , is 90 % in hotels . He works mostly with Hilton , IHG and AccorHotels for the corporate brand and sales and marketing muscle , while his management company operates the properties .
Nine Group aims to acquire and develop three or four hotels a year going forward . In 2018 , it will open a Crowne Plaza at London Gatwick Airport , a Holiday Inn at the O2 Arena entertainment complex and a Doubletree by Hilton in Reading . The Novotel Heathrow opened in February is the flagship , tapping into the current vogue for community living in public areas . “ The hotel owner has to differentiate the product ,” Chadha says .
Nine Group builds to the standards required by the brand but upscales to its own specification . Guests who come into the Novotel stop to take pictures of the lobby and post them on social media , according to Chadha , who is proud of the light and airy space they have created , unexpected in an airport hotel . “ Guests are entering a space which is unique in its surroundings ,” he says . “ It has been designed with open areas where people play , socialize and interact . The style keeps guests in the public areas – they don ’ t go straight to their rooms . It has become an important hub – in fact , guests sleeping in other airport hotels use our lobby .”
Chadha is now looking to continental Europe for further opportunities . The group recently acquired Cartuja del Golf , a boutique hotel close to Marbella in southern Spain , and he says there is “ huge scope ” in leisure-based development on the Mediterranean coast and in Southern Europe , as well as in key business locations .
“ EVERYONE SHOULD BE ON A ROAD TO A FINAL DESTINATION . A LOT OF PEOPLE MISS OUT KEY ELEMENTS BUT THE LONG-TERM APPROACH IS MORE IMPORTANT . FOR ME IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT ‘ WHAT ’ S NEXT ?’”
— VIVEK CHADHA
An unexpected airport hotel , Nine Group ' s Novotel at Heathrow airport .
One of his influences has been the work and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi , who concentrated his energy in the service of others . Chadha donated £ 100,000 ( US $ 140,000 ) toward a statue of the Indian activist and civil rights campaigner unveiled in 2015 in London ’ s Parliament Square , alongside statues of Winston Churchill and Nelson Mandela . “ I have been a follower of Gandhi most of my life and believe in his values both socially and in business ,” he says .
In business he admires The Westmont Hospitality Group , which manages branded hotels across Canada , and he is inspired by the work of Indian-born businessman Surinder Arora , who has built a multimillion-dollar business out of airport hotels . “ He has the ability to do transactions and deals – in fact he has done deals others could not manage ,” he says . “ Surinder has a real grasp on linking people who are in his network . Many people network but not many put it to good use .”
Chadha ’ s aim is to become one of the largest hotel owners and developers , in line with his personal philosophy that “ everyone should be on a road to a final destination . A lot of people miss out key elements but the long-term approach is more important . For me it has always been about ‘ what ’ s next ?’”
May 2018 hotelsmag . com 17