With its palatial mansions, high-end stores, designer outlets, restaurants, and hotels, London is a Mecca for wealthy Indians. Here, ultra high net-worth individuals can create what one marketer calls “cocoons of luxury, pastures of isolation, the unbranded, branded experience”. Here’s why:
Hotels
The Dorchester, with its 50 suites, is a hot favourite with the billionaires’ club. The Dorchester Collection of luxury 5-star hotels includes the contemporary 45 Park Lane, often used by younger family members, and Coworth Park by Ascot, handy for doting parents escorting their children to and from Eton.
This September, socialite Bindiya Chanrai had her pre-wedding party in the Dorchester ballroom.
Recently, Waymade Healthcare co-founder Vijay Patel also organised a lavish sit-down event there. The hotel’s senior chef, Uday Shankar, shares a personal relationship with many Indian guests and ensures they have their hearts’ desires. China Tang at the Dorchester is the most expensive Chinese restaurant in town and is frequented by rich, fun-loving chaps such as Dr Rahul Nanda, the chairman of TOPS Security who’s also on a British newspaper’s rich list. Nanda makes sure he eats there at least “once every three weeks”.
Image: Getty Images
Private Yachts
(This story appears in the 07 December, 2012 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)