‘Hotel business is about the heart’
13 April 2013 4:56 AM IST
‘If you have a passion, I believe you should follow it,’ says Vijay Wanchoo and that is exactly what the man is all about. All heart and vision. But traits like these come at a price and almost two decades in the hotel business, Wanchoo has clearly seen the best and the worst and come a long way.
The man behind The Imperial, the romance and the splendor of it, had a rocky start to his career. Initially as a trainee in ITDC, Wanchoo was left a little shaken. But as the best always do, he headed over to get his degree in hotel management from PUSA in 1976. Straight out of St Columbus, Wanchoo was all set for a long struggle till he actually managed to get what he wanted, but there was no deterring the man.
From a trainee chef at Oberoi to a sous chef and finally Assistant Food and Beverages Manager at the Lalit, he made the smooth transition from the business of food and restaurants to the management side. Wanchoo was named the best F&B Manager in 1994. His first stint with Imperial happened in 1996 when he joined as Executive Assistant Manager. Spice Route was a brainchild of Wanchoo in his first chapter at the hotel. He left in 1999 to join the ITC group and opened the Marriott in Saket (now known as the Sheraton).
‘It is not often that one gets to return to two ex-companies,’ says Wanchoo. But that is just what happened to him. He returned to join the Lalit in 2006 and finally it was back to Imperial turf in 2009 as Senior Vice-president and General Manager. And today, as Senior Executive Vice-President and General Manager, Wanchoo is a proud emperor of all things luxurious and heartfelt.
Imperial is all about the luxury and the experience, explains Wanchoo as he talks about the last few years of being at the helm and what lies ahead. He is a man who clearly prioritises his staff above most other business concerns and more often than not little innitiatives Wanchoo has come up with – from special self defence classes for the ladies to anti-smoking sessions, the wall of fame and letters that he writes to the parents of the best employees every year – goes a long way to keep everyone happy. For the guests, he came up with unique concepts of Moments of Magic and Pass the Baton – the visitors at the Imperial can be rest assured that they will be receiving the best attention.
So what is Imperial focussing on this year? Green innitiatives top the plans, says Wanchoo. Besides regular renovations and raising the bar on quality, the environment-friendly ventures will be prioritised.
‘It is all about the romance and history at the Imperial,’ says Wanchoo adding that the building is one of the oldest lot of constructions in Delhi and thus maintains the grandeur of the past and extra care must be taken to preserve that.
And speaking about things away from business matters, Wanchoo is a complete Delhiite at heart but if he had to ever live elsewhere – Shimla and then Kashmir would be his picks.
‘The Imperial is the only hotel with a squash court and has one of the biggest pools amongst hotels in the city,’ adds Wanchoo who is a sportsman himself and a complete sports lover.
He captains the hotel cricket team and he thinks it perfect when he can play on the same pitch with his staff. ‘It makes them feel good,’ says Wanchoo. An avid billiards player as well, Wanchoo makes sure that despite all engagements, he makes time for passions that keep him going.
The man behind The Imperial, the romance and the splendor of it, had a rocky start to his career. Initially as a trainee in ITDC, Wanchoo was left a little shaken. But as the best always do, he headed over to get his degree in hotel management from PUSA in 1976. Straight out of St Columbus, Wanchoo was all set for a long struggle till he actually managed to get what he wanted, but there was no deterring the man.
From a trainee chef at Oberoi to a sous chef and finally Assistant Food and Beverages Manager at the Lalit, he made the smooth transition from the business of food and restaurants to the management side. Wanchoo was named the best F&B Manager in 1994. His first stint with Imperial happened in 1996 when he joined as Executive Assistant Manager. Spice Route was a brainchild of Wanchoo in his first chapter at the hotel. He left in 1999 to join the ITC group and opened the Marriott in Saket (now known as the Sheraton).
‘It is not often that one gets to return to two ex-companies,’ says Wanchoo. But that is just what happened to him. He returned to join the Lalit in 2006 and finally it was back to Imperial turf in 2009 as Senior Vice-president and General Manager. And today, as Senior Executive Vice-President and General Manager, Wanchoo is a proud emperor of all things luxurious and heartfelt.
Imperial is all about the luxury and the experience, explains Wanchoo as he talks about the last few years of being at the helm and what lies ahead. He is a man who clearly prioritises his staff above most other business concerns and more often than not little innitiatives Wanchoo has come up with – from special self defence classes for the ladies to anti-smoking sessions, the wall of fame and letters that he writes to the parents of the best employees every year – goes a long way to keep everyone happy. For the guests, he came up with unique concepts of Moments of Magic and Pass the Baton – the visitors at the Imperial can be rest assured that they will be receiving the best attention.
So what is Imperial focussing on this year? Green innitiatives top the plans, says Wanchoo. Besides regular renovations and raising the bar on quality, the environment-friendly ventures will be prioritised.
‘It is all about the romance and history at the Imperial,’ says Wanchoo adding that the building is one of the oldest lot of constructions in Delhi and thus maintains the grandeur of the past and extra care must be taken to preserve that.
And speaking about things away from business matters, Wanchoo is a complete Delhiite at heart but if he had to ever live elsewhere – Shimla and then Kashmir would be his picks.
‘The Imperial is the only hotel with a squash court and has one of the biggest pools amongst hotels in the city,’ adds Wanchoo who is a sportsman himself and a complete sports lover.
He captains the hotel cricket team and he thinks it perfect when he can play on the same pitch with his staff. ‘It makes them feel good,’ says Wanchoo. An avid billiards player as well, Wanchoo makes sure that despite all engagements, he makes time for passions that keep him going.
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