Sandpiper Hotels have a lot of unique and unusual facts associated with them, the parentage just being the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Creating a group of hotels from scratch, with no pedigree or prior experience in hospitality in a short span of two years is a testament to the grit, determination and vision of the founders, the PANDITS.
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A highly acclaimed and certified psycho therapist Preeti PANDIT and an Engineer, Pankaj PANDIT, had lofty aspirations yet built them on very firm foundations. The Indian couple with their son Himanshu, led the life of a vagabond as global expatriates travelling since 1983 and having lived in destinations as diverse as Cuba, Nepal Russia, Qatar, USA and Myanmar. Perhaps, here is where the roots were laid to what they wanted to do when they finally decided to settle down in Singapore, a country known for its financial strength, progressive culture and cohesive society.
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Taking baby steps and considerable financial risk, the Pandits decided to set up a regional chain of hotels starting with Singapore and a desire to grow within ASEAN incorporated Sandpiper Hotel Management Pte. Ltd. They bought the property in 2009 and Sandpiper Hotel Singapore became the newest member of the Pandit family! It opened its doors on 2 December 2012 to tumultuous accolades from the guests and neighbors including industry peers.
Professionally, Preeti Pandit prided herself as being a friend who constantly strives to help her patients by living holistically, managing a healthy mind and reducing unnecessary stress. She has carried these credos to the hotels by choosing enviable locations, providing clutter free, clean and dependable accommodation and by personally training every associate to provide personalized service from the Heart. She wanted to do this by running a fair business and providing value for money, which she believes assists to reduce the stress for the guests. She firmly believes that it need not be expensive for it to be good and hence decided on the 3* value for money, boutique, guest experience led hotels as she bedrock for Sandpiper hotels.
The Sandpiper Hotel Singapore was refurbished over two years and has her persona written all over it. She painstakingly curated the entire experience and hand-picked each and every item on display and for guest use. She was the de-facto interior designer choosing champagne and yellow as the key colors representing energy. The Eugenia plants at the entrance provide the much-needed shade and greenery during the day and the alluring smell in the evenings. Rooms were designed with contemporary subtleness and Zen simplicity was the underlying spirit and thought for the white color and use of mirrors for enhancing space along with her love for the art by choosing the Hussain’s that adorn some of the walls.
The hotels were named after the famous migratory bird known to take great flights of fantasy to new avenues for exploration and survival. Preeti feels travelers are often like these migratory birds. She conceptualized the logo and breathed life into them akin to an involved mother that she is in real life too.
Pankaj Pandit used his management and financial expertise.
The 31-room hotel, nestled in Dunlop Street, sits strategically at the cross roads of culture (in Little India and a short walk to Bugis; Raffles City and the famed Raffles Hotel) and technology (with Sim Lim square across the road). It is a 3-minute walk from the Dunlop MRT and provides easy public transport connectivity and access to the airport and all key tourist landmarks of Singapore.
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Today, Himanshu PANDIT, a marketing graduate of the highly acclaimed National University of Singapore (NUS), who is the only qualified hotelier in the family, having studied hotel management in Switzerland and having obtained international hospitality experience in multiple locations including the USA, Europe and Asia has taken over the responsibility of providing operational efficiency and assisting his parents in the strategic development direction. Interaction with guests and using state of the art technology to enhance the guest experience is what excites him daily. A faster paced development process is the challenge he most relishes.
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Don’t be surprised if you bump into the family members at the hotel reception enquiring about your stay! They are not used to resting on their laurels and humility and humbleness are deep rooted values they all learned early.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to them should work or leisure bring you to our shores.
May you soar like a sandpiper as you reach for new heights in your life.