NEVER SAY NEVER, EVER

Perseverance, determination and a refusal to back down from challenges helped Chander Baljee, CMD of royal Orchid Hotels build a network of 60 operational properties, within two decades

- VINITA BHATIA

Chander Baljee is a strong believer in serendipity; a well-founded belief if one examines his life’s journey. His family runs the popular Baljee’s restaurant in Shimla since 1953, and a visit to the hill station is incomplete without dropping in to enjoy some piping hot sweetmeats.

Chander joined the business in 1972 to help his father and brother open an upmarket restaurant, ‘Fascination’ on the premises. Soon, it became the go-to destination for the city’s young crowd and tourists.

A chance conversation with a regular customer, who was then the Deputy Director at Mysuru’s Tourism Department, proved to be a life-changer. “This gentleman would visit our restaurant for tea and urged me to visit the southern state for business. I simply agreed,” Chander reminisced.

Most would dismiss this as just another polite chat with a client. However, when the Deputy Director wrote to Chander about the expiry of Hotel Metropole and Vrindavan Garden Hotels lease and that the state government was re-opening bids for both properties, the latter decided to pursue this opportunity. Despite the palpable opposition from his family, he travelled from Himachal Pradesh to Mysuru to submit tenders for the hotels.

“When we did not get these projects, my host suggested I consider leasing ‘Hotel Stay Longer’. After some negotiation, we got the property and I have been in Bengaluru ever since,” Chander laughingly said.

Incidentally, Hotel Stay Longer, rebranded later as Hotel Harsha, is still part of Royal Orchid Hotels (ROH) portfolio. Even more interestingly, Hotels Metropole and Vrindavan Garden are also part of the company’s network.