He is one of the best-looking General Managers I have ever come across, for how many GMs would you know who can boast about appearing in an AD and even a movie?! Not to forget that he manages one of the most iconic hotels in Delhi, catering to a huge clientele comprising diplomats, film stars and celebrities from across the globe. However, none of the achievements have given him any airs as he continues to mingle with his staff, celebrate festivals with his guests and staying motivated, putting his best foot forward at all times. Vijay Wanchoo, Sr. Executive Vice President & General Manager, The Imperial New Delhi is a stalwart in the hospitality industry and it was a complete honour and joy interviewing him for our BOTT GM Special Series.
Priyanka Saxena Ray
There is something about The Imperial that makes you feel “regal” the moment you step into it. Something akin to the old-world charm that only gets stronger with time, The Imperial is undoubtedly the most alluring properties of the city.
Sitting across the table in Mr. Wanchoo’s office, one can feel the energy of the office – his phone buzzing constantly and his team rushing in with requests – things which he handles as calmly as a person would handle his routine business. Well, this is his routine, the rush and frenzy have kept him going all these years isn’t it? He smiles in reply and we start talking about his journey – right from the start.
Born and brought up in Delhi, Vijay Wanchoo recalls his house as a “sports hub” where he was well-trained in drawing a badminton-court on ground and could do it with almost his eyes closed. After passing from school – St. Columba’s School, Vijay, like any other teenager had a dream of buying the then popular “Bobby Bike” and was keen on doing whatever measly job he could, till he was finally of age of joining the army, which is what he wanted to do. But life had other plans.
“My father took me to meet his friend whose son was doing apprenticeship in ITDC and they asked me to join it as well, though given my shy personality, they had their doubts. But Dad gave me the push and I joined. We did two months of theory classes and I developed a superiority complex, since I was better versed in English language and had a good personality too as compared to any other apprentice. When we were sent to The Ashok Hotel for our training, I said no to the ‘waiter dress’ and luckily I was given the captain’s uniform to wear, which I soiled completely after clumsily handling a tea/coffee tray that ended up falling on me only,” recalls Vijay laughingly.
The initial few months at The Ashok was an interesting time for him as he served many celebs and earned good tips in return. Deciding that it is the hospitality industry only where he will base his future, Vijay Wanchoo did his three year Hotel Management Diploma from Pusa New Delhi and enjoyed every bit of it. It was during his training in Shimla in 1977 that he learnt to play Billiards and is today a pro at the game.
Time moved on as he was appointed as a Kitchen Trainee at The Oberoi New Delhi. Though Vijay was looking for an opening as a Management Trainee but soon started enjoying his stint at the Kitchen. “One day I approached Mr. Biky Oberoi (Mr. P. R. S. Oberoi, Chairman, The Oberoi Group) and said I wanted to be sent abroad to study and sharpen my skills further. “He saw potential in me and I along with a fellow colleague was sent to London’s Westminster College to study for a month. I rounded-off my period at The Oberoi after working at The Oberoi Srinagar for six months and enjoyed every bit of my time there,” he shares.
He went on to work with The LaLiT, which was then Holiday Inn, as Assistant F&B Manager for eight years, moving on to become the Food and Beverage Manager before joining The Imperial. In 1994 he won the H&FS Award as Best F&B Manager.
In between, he also tried his hand at doing his own stuff, which mainly included doing a cooking show on TV, playing consultant, only to realise that he was not cut out to be an entrepreneur. He worked at The Imperial for three and half years wherein his biggest responsibility was opening of the Spice Route.
Vijay Wanchoo left The Imperial and joined ITC. He was made the GM Operations of the Fortune Hotels and in the year 2000 he opened The Marriott Saket (now Sheraton). “ITC sent me to Cornell, ITHACA, USA, in 2006 for a two-week General Managers program, which was a great addition to my portfolio. Soon after, I got a job offer from The LaLiT as VP Development and it was during that period when the hotel underwent re-branding. In 2009, I joined back The Imperial and there has been no looking back for me since then,” he says.
The Imperial is a class apart hotel in the capital, but to make it so, one has to give credit to the owners and the hard-working team which is constantly making efforts to ensure the status remains so. The challenges for a single property to survive amidst multi-national chain properties are plenty, but even that situation has its own advantages. The property has been around since a long time and the duration can be guessed by the fact that presently it is the 5th generation of the family managing it! However, the years have only added to the charm and allure of the hotel and Vijay Wanchoo, who after a decade is now the Sr. Executive Vice President and the GM, keeps introducing new ideas and initiatives to keep the guests entertained and come back for more.
“We are constantly upgrading the hotel to improve the amenities being offered. We have opened a big Spa, which is a very good facility and a great attraction for guests. Besides a huge swimming pool and squash court, our Eliza program for the single lady travellers is a big hit wherein we have few exclusive rooms reserved for single lady travellers which are manned by a camera at their door, a lady butler and more initiatives to ensure utmost safety. We have a cricket team, which has won two finals in the inter-hotel matches. The mantra for me is innovation. We at The Imperial celebrate all major festivals with our guests and staff, such as Holi, Diwali, Christmas and more. We take our Annual Day celebrations very seriously and plan plenty of activities around it,” shares the GM.
He is, undoubtedly, one of the most dynamic GMs I have met, who doesn’t believe in limiting his life between his family and job. He pursues a plethora of interesting hobbies such as Billiards and Cricket; wants to learn Golf and Scuba Diving; has already tried his hands at Sky Diving, Hot Air Ballooning and Snorkelling and to top it all, is a popular model for few renowned brands, has enjoyed a cameo in the recent Bollywood movie Fitoor and isn’t shy of admitting that he would love to be a part of cinema in a larger capacity one day.
A man who doesn’t mince HIS words and is not shy of mouthing his dreams and aspirations, Mr. Vijay Wanchoo is indeed a GM who is full of surprises, interesting tales and intriguing hobbies..!
