Real Estate

Hotel Scion/Zoolander Bit Player Brings 'The Dream' to South Beach

Hotel aficionados already know the name Vikram Chatwal, but for the rest of us, well, you might know him as the guy in the turban who stood behind Hansel during the runway-showdown scene in Zoolander. Yes, he has a side job as an actor, but his main gig involves opening...

By Kyle Munzenrieder

April 8, 2009

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Hotel aficionados already know the name Vikram Chatwal, but for the rest of us, well, you might know him as the guy in the turban who stood behind Hansel during the runway-showdown scene in Zoolander.

Yes, he has a side job as an actor, but his main gig involves opening up exclusive hotels. It runs in the family -- his father founded Hampshire Hotels & Resorts.

Chatwal already has five hotels in New York City and one in Thailand, and is quickly expanding in India. But Dream South Beach will be the next hotel the scion opens. The company announced last fall that the Tudor and the Palmer House, at 1111 and 1119 Collins Avenue, will be combined for the new outpost, and it's is scheduled to open Labor Day this year. The property will also include a restaurant and a rooftop lounge. Here is your obligatory clichéd "let's hope the economy picks up by then" joke.

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