Hotel King and the Rajya Sabha Member, Lalit Suri, 60, died of a heart attack in London today. He was the Chairman & Managing Director of Bharat Hotels. His wife Jyotsna and four children survive him.

He was the President of the Hotel Association of India and the Chairman of the renowned World Travel & Tourism Council - India Initiative.

He also owned Midday newspaper in Delhi.

He was a trained automobile engineer and started his career as manufacturing vehicle bodies in early days of professional career.

Suri had established his first hotel in Delhi in 1988. His group, Bharat Hotels chain is comprised seven hotels included the Inter Continental, The Grand in Delhi, and six Grand hotels in Mumbai, Goa, Bangalore, Srinagar, Udaipur and Khajuraho.

Suri was very near to the Gandhi family. He always wanted to be in politics. He had said on the tourism that Tourism is the future, and we must never forget that.

He was currently busy in expansion mode of the Grand hotel chain. He had a plan in mind to set up a chain of hotels in many cities in the North and overseas as well.

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