Vikram Chatwal Biography: Hotels, Age, Wife, Net Worth, Career, Daughter, Parents

Vikram Chatwal is a prominent American hotelier, actor, movie producer, and former model whose entrepreneurial spirit has shaped luxury hospitality in key global cities.

Born to Indian Sikh parents and raised across continents, he founded Vikram Chatwal Hotels in 1999, launching properties like the Time Hotel and the flagship Chatwal New York, a $100 million redevelopment that expanded the family legacy started by his father, Sant Singh Chatwal.

Profile

• Full Name: Vikram Chatwal
• Stage Name: Vikram Chatwal
• Born: 1, November 1971
• Age: 53 years old
• Birthplace: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
• Nationality: American
• Occupation: Hotelier, Actor, Movie Producer, Former Model
• Height: Unknown
• Parents: Sant Singh Chatwal and Daman Chatwal
• Siblings: Vivek Chatwal
• Spouse: Priya Sachdev (m. 2006-2011)
• Children: Safira Chatwal
• Relationship: Divorced
• Net Worth: $100 million

Early Life and Education

Vikram Chatwal came into the world on November 1, 1971, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to Sant Singh Chatwal, a prominent Indian-American businessman and hotel magnate, and Daman Chatwal.

He grew up with his brother, Vivek Chatwal, in a family that moved from Ethiopia to Montreal, Canada, in the 1970s and then to New York City.

Chatwal attended the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1993 with a degree that equipped him for finance before he pivoted to the arts and hospitality.

His Indian Sikh heritage runs deep, marked by time at a Sikh camp in upstate New York where he learned prayers, though his religious practices stay largely private.

Career

Vikram Chatwal dipped into modeling and acting in the 1990s, becoming the first Sikh model featured in Vogue in 1997 and landing small roles in films like Zoolander (2001), where he played a member of Hansel’s posse.

He briefly worked at Morgan Stanley after Wharton, but his true calling emerged in 1999 when he joined the family business and launched Vikram Chatwal Hotels with the opening of the Time Hotel in New York City.

This marked the start of a portfolio of six independent luxury properties, blending high-end design with cultural flair that quickly drew a celebrity clientele and set him apart in the competitive hospitality scene.

Chatwal’s vision expanded in the 2000s with further Bollywood cameos in Ek Ajnabee (2005) and Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. (2007), alongside producing the edgy Spring Breakers (2012), which showcased his knack for spotting bold projects.

His crowning achievement arrived in 2010 with The Chatwal, a $100 million restoration of the historic Lambs Club into a boutique hotel that earned him the Entrepreneur of the Year Award at the 2005 South Asia Media Awards and a Forbes Asia cover in 2006.

Under his leadership, the brand grew to include spots in Manhattan, Miami, Bangkok, and Cochin, India, transforming family roots into a global empire while navigating personal and legal hurdles that tested his resilience.

Chatwal steers the Dream Hotel Group with innovative renovations and new openings, maintaining a footprint that honors his multicultural background while appealing to modern travelers.

His producing credits and occasional acting nods keep him connected to entertainment, where he champions stories of ambition and excess.

Through philanthropy via the Vikram Chatwal Foundation, supporting education and health for underprivileged children in India, he extends his influence beyond business, embodying a legacy of reinvention that inspires peers in hospitality and the arts.

Social Media

• Instagram Handle: @vikramchatwal
• Facebook Handle: Vikram Chatwal

Personal Life

Vikram Chatwal married actress and former investment banker Priya Sachdev in 2006 in a lavish ceremony, welcoming their daughter, Safira Chatwal, that same year before divorcing in 2011 amid his struggles with alcohol addiction and rehab stints.

He has remained single since, focusing on co-parenting Safira, whom he adores enough to tattoo her name on his arm, while keeping other romantic details out of the public eye.

Filmography

• Zoolander (2001)
• Ek Ajnabee (2005)
• Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd. (2007)
• Spring Breakers (2012)

Net Worth

Vikram Chatwal boasts an estimated net worth of $100 million, fueled by his leadership of the Dream Hotel Group and ownership stakes in luxury properties like The Chatwal and expansions across continents.

His wealth traces back to the family empire built by his father, Sant Singh Chatwal, through Hampshire Hotels and the Bombay Palace chain, amplified by Chatwal’s own ventures in modeling, acting royalties, and producing hits like Spring Breakers.