Vikram Chatwal, born on November 1, 1971, is an American hotelier and actor of Indian Sikh heritage. Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, his family moved to Montreal, Canada, in the 1970s and later to New York City in the 1980s, where his father, Sant Singh Chatwal, invested in restaurants and hotels. Vikram grew up in a Sikh household and attended Sikh camp in upstate New York. He attended the United Nations International School in New York City and graduated from the Wharton School of Business in 1993.
After graduating from Wharton, Chatwal initially pursued a different path, working for Morgan Stanley. However, he soon ventured into the entertainment industry, working as an actor and movie producer. He landed roles in films such as "Zoolander" and "Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd.". Chatwal also worked as a model, becoming the first Sikh model to appear in Vogue Magazine.
In 1999, Vikram joined his family's business and opened the Time Hotel, a luxury hotel in New York City. This marked the beginning of Vikram Chatwal Hotels, an independent group of luxury hotels that expanded to include properties in Miami, Bangkok, and Cochin, India. He was recognized as Entrepreneur of the Year at the South Asia Media Awards in 2005 and featured on the cover of Forbes Asia in 2006. Chatwal is credited with revitalizing Manhattan's hotel industry, opening the Time Hotel when few others were investing in the area.
Chatwal's personal life has also been a subject of public interest. On February 18, 2006, he married Priya Sachdev, an Indian model and actress. Their wedding was a grand affair, spanning ten days across three Indian cities and attended by over 600 guests from 26 countries, including celebrities and dignitaries such as Naomi Campbell, P. Diddy, and Bill Clinton. Priya Sachdev and Vikram Chatwal welcomed a daughter named Safira Chatwal. However, their marriage ended in divorce in 2011. Reportedly, Vikram's substance abuse issues contributed to the split.
After his divorce from Priya, Vikram Chatwal's name was linked to several celebrities, including Lindsay Lohan and Kim Kardashian, though these relationships were not confirmed. He was later reportedly in a relationship with lingerie model Angela Lindvall.
Vikram Chatwal's career faced setbacks when he was arrested in 2013 for possessing illegal substances. In 2016, he was arrested for setting two dogs on fire, leading to charges of animal torture, for which he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to community service. Despite these challenges, Chatwal has worked to revitalize his career in the hospitality industry. He completed a $20 million renovation of the Dream New York hotel in 2015 and has continued to expand the Chatwal brand.
Priya Sachdev, after her divorce from Vikram Chatwal, married Sunjay Kapur in 2017. Sunjay Kapur passed away on June 12, 2025, due to a cardiac arrest following an allergic reaction to a bee sting. Following Sunjay's death, Priya Sachdev has been embroiled in a high-profile succession battle for his estate. She has also taken on a role as a non-executive director at Sona Comstar, the company previously chaired by her late husband. Priya has updated her name on Instagram to Priya Sunjay Kapur.
