Surinder Arora
{{Short description|English businessman}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Surinder Arora
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| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1958|09}}
| birth_place = Punjab, India
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| nationality = British
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| occupation = Hotel owner
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| spouse = Sunita Arora
| children = 3
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Surinder Arora (born September 1958) is a British billionaire businessman of Indian descent in the hotel sector. He concentrates on hotels near airports, making a specialty of providing rooms for aircrew, and has close links with British Airways and a strong personal interest in aviation {{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2007/aug/17/5 | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=David | last=Teather | title=The Friday interview: Surinder Arora | date=17 August 2007}}
Early life
Arora was born in September 1958{{cite web|url=https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/officers/5qScIrGi0Ese2lDliEUmNaKez5A/appointments |title=Surinder Arora – Personal Appointments (free information from Companies House) |publisher=Beta.companieshouse.gov.uk |date= |accessdate=9 July 2017}} in the Indian state of Punjab to parents who had been displaced from the India/Pakistan border town of Fazilka and were about to emigrate to the United Kingdom. Arora was left with an aunt and uncle whom he believed to be his parents until he re-joined his real parents in the UK at the age of thirteen. Arora's family had a strong work ethic and he has described his mother as being very ambitious for him.{{cite web |first=David |last=Teather |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2007/aug/17/5 |title=The Mr Nice Guy of the hotels world |work=The Guardian |date=17 August 2007 |accessdate=9 July 2017}}
In 1988, Arora became a salesman for the Abbey Life insurance company, becoming a sales manager and achieving a rating as the company's second-best salesman after one year.{{cite web|url=http://www.nriinternet.com/NRIhotels/UK/Surinder_Arora/BIO.htm |title=Surinder Arora-Punjabi NRI developed largest and most luxurious MICE hotels on Heathrow Airport |publisher=Nriinternet.com |date= |accessdate=9 July 2017}}
Hotel career
In 1993, Arora left Abbey Life to develop a "B&B" (bed and breakfast) to serve airline staff at Heathrow Airport. The hotel that replaced the B&B won a contract from British Airways in 1999.{{cite web|url=http://www.catererandhotelkeeper.co.uk/articles/13/10/2009/330316/surinder-arora-my-life-in-hospitality.htm |title=JavaScript is disabled in your browser. |publisher=Catererandhotelkeeper.co.uk |date= |accessdate=9 July 2017}}
In 2004 Arora won the franchise for the Accor Sofitel brand and bought the 500-bedroom Le Meridien London Gatwick hotel to rebrand as the Sofitel London Gatwick. Sofitel London Heathrow, a £180m 600-bedroom sister hotel was announced the same year. Today Arora owns hotels that provide a total of over 5500 bedrooms including franchises from Hilton and Holiday Inn.
In September 2021, the Home Secretary, Priti Patel was accused of breaking the Ministerial Code when it was revealed that she had brokered a lobbying deal in a secret meeting with Arora and the head of BA.{{Cite web|url=https://www.northwaleschronicle.co.uk/news/national/19575066.labour-accuses-priti-patel-breaching-ministerial-code-meeting/|title=Labour accuses Priti Patel of breaching ministerial code over meeting|date=11 September 2021|website=North Wales Chronicle|accessdate=12 September 2021}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/priti-patel-breaks-rules-again-24963905|title=Priti Patel breaks rules again after secret meeting with billionaire and BA|first=Nigel|last=Nelson|date=11 September 2021|accessdate=12 September 2021|website=Daily Mirror}}
Business style
Net worth
In 2009, he was ranked at 388 in The Times list of the richest people in the UK with a net worth of £140 million.{{cite news |url= http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/specials/rich_list/rich_list_2009/article6066485.ece |title=Surinder Arora and family - Sunday Times Rich List|work=TimesOnline|publisher=News Intl |location=London |issn=0140-0460 |quote=Surinder Arora |accessdate=2 June 2011}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} In 2013, The Sunday Times Rich List (STRL) estimated his worth to be £356 million.{{cite web|last=Tripathi |first=Shruti |url=http://www.londonlovesbusiness.com/entrepreneurs/famous-entrepreneurs/meet-surinder-arora-the-356m-london-hotelier-youve-never-heard-of/5701.article |title=Meet Surinder Arora, the £356m London hotelier you've never heard of | Interviews |publisher=LondonlovesBusiness.com |date= 11 June 2013|accessdate=9 July 2017}} In May 2019, following a revaluation of his hotels, his net worth rose by £780 million to £1.129 billion.{{cite news |last1=Frodsham |first1=Isobel |title=Former baggage handler Surinder Arora named London's latest hotels billionaire |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/former-baggage-handler-surinder-arora-named-london-s-latest-hotels-billionaire-a4139226.html |accessdate=17 October 2019 |work=The Evening Standard |date=10 May 2019}}
Politics and public life
Arora was a public supporter of the Labour Party under Tony Blair, though he opposed the 2003 Iraq War. He is currently a member of the New Enterprise Council, a group of entrepreneurs that advises the Conservative Party on business policy.{{cite web |url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/parties-clash-in-corporate-credentials-battle |title=Parties clash in corporate credentials battle - MarketWatch |accessdate=2014-03-15 |url-status = dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110528060800/http://www.marketwatch.com/story/parties-clash-in-corporate-credentials-battle |archivedate=28 May 2011 |df=dmy-all }} He is also a member of the London Skills And Employment Board,{{cite web |url=http://www.london.gov.uk/lseb/about/members/arora.jsp |title=London Skills and Employment Board - About - Members - Surinder Arora |accessdate=2009-06-09 |url-status = dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006234640/http://www.london.gov.uk/lseb/about/members/arora.jsp |archivedate=6 October 2008 |df=dmy-all }} and deputy chairman of Wentworth Golf Club.{{cite web|url=http://www.caterersearch.com/Articles/2006/09/21/308966/surinder-arora.html |title=JavaScript is disabled in your browser. |publisher=Caterersearch.com |date= 21 September 2006|accessdate=9 July 2017}}
Arora is married to Sunita Arora with three children, and lives in Wentworth, UK.{{Cite web|last=Magazine|first=B. Beyond|date=2017-03-02|title=Surinder and Sunita Arora: A Tale of Two Winners|url=https://www.bbeyondmagazine.com/surinder-sunita-arora/|access-date=2021-03-12|website=B Beyond Magazine|language=en-GB}}{{cite news |last1=Arbuthnot |first1=Leaf |title=A Life in the Day: Surinder Arora |url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/transport/article/a-life-in-the-day-surinder-arora-sunday-times-rich-list-vwkwc5nm7 |work=The Times |language=en}}
References
External links
- [http://www.theguardian.com/business/2007/aug/17/5 Surinder's interview] on The Guardian
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arora, Surinder}}
Category:Businesspeople from London
Category:Indian emigrants to England
Category:English people of Punjabi descent
Category:Naturalised citizens of the United Kingdom