Surinder Arora (born September 1958) is an English billionaire businessman of Indian descent in the hotel sector. He concentrates on hotels near airports, making a specialty of providing rooms for aircrew, and has close links with British Airways and a strong personal interest in aviation ^[1]

Arora was born in September 1958^[2] in the Indian state of Punjab to parents who had been displaced from the India/Pakistan border town of Fazilka and were about to emigrate to the United Kingdom. Arora was left with an aunt and uncle whom he believed to be his parents until he re-joined his real parents in the UK at the age of thirteen. Arora's family had a strong work ethic and he has described his mother as being very ambitious for him.^[3]

In 1988, Arora became a salesman for the Abbey Life insurance company, becoming a sales manager and achieving a rating as the company's second-best salesman after one year.^[4]

In 1993, Arora left Abbey Life to develop a "B&B" (bed and breakfast) to serve airline staff at Heathrow Airport. The hotel that replaced the B&B won a contract from British Airways in 1999.^[5]

In 2004 Arora won the franchise for the Accor Sofitel brand and bought the 500-bedroom Le Meridien London Gatwick hotel to rebrand as the Sofitel London Gatwick. Sofitel London Heathrow, a £180m 600-bedroom sister hotel was announced the same year. Today Arora owns hotels that provide a total of over 5500 bedrooms including franchises from Hilton and Holiday Inn.^[4]

In September 2021, the Home Secretary, Priti Patel was accused of breaking the Ministerial Code when it was revealed that she had brokered a lobbying deal in a secret meeting with Arora and the head of BA.^[6][7]

In 2017, Arora was awarded the Asian Achievers Awards for "Business Person of the Year" ^[8]

Arora refers to members of his business as "like family". Turnover of staff, especially maids, is much lower than the high hotel industry average.^[3]

He is known to value long-term business relationships.^[9]

In 2009, he was ranked at 388 in The Times list of the richest people in the UK with a net worth of £140 million.^[10] In 2013, The Sunday Times Rich List (STRL) estimated his worth to be £356 million.^[11] In May 2019, following a revaluation of his hotels, his net worth rose by £780 million to £1.129 billion.^[12]

Arora was a public supporter of the Labour Party under Tony Blair, though he opposed the 2003 Iraq War.^[3] He is currently a member of the New Enterprise Council, a group of entrepreneurs that advises the Conservative Party on business policy.^[13] He is also a member of the London Skills And Employment Board,^[14] and deputy chairman of Wentworth Golf Club.^[15]

Arora is married to Sunita Arora with three children, and lives in Wentworth, UK.^[16][17]