Mr Chopra recalled receiving a call from Dell's country head
Billionaire Michael Dell was once denied a late check-out at a five-star hotel in Gurgaon, as revealed by the former president of Oberoi Group, Kapil Chopra, during a podcast. Chopra discussed this incident with Shantanu Deshpande, founder of Bombay Shaving Company while talking about hotel customer complaints.
Mr Chopra, who served as president of Oberoi Group from 2013 to 2018, mentioned that strict check-in and check-out policies are a common grievance among hotel guests. He recounted an incident involving Michael Dell, the billionaire chairman and CEO of Dell Technologies, who was refused a late check-out at the Oberoi Gurgaon.
Mr Dell, needing to stay until the evening, approached the receptionist in an "unassuming way" to request a late check-out. Unfortunately, it was the receptionist's first day, and she didn't recognize Dell. "The country head of Dell and all the other Dell executives were on their phones, so Michael Dell was alone in the lobby... he walks up quietly, in his unassuming way, to the front desk and asks if he can get a late check-out," Chopra recounted.
The receptionist, unaware of Dell's importance, quoted the hotel policy: "Sir, check-out is till 12 pm. If you stay till 6 pm it's a half day charge. If it's post 6 pm, it's a full day charge," Chopra said.
This minor incident escalated, leading Michael Dell to decide to check out of the hotel entirely. Mr Chopra recalled receiving a call from Dell's country head. "The country head called me saying, 'You could have charged us more. Why was Michael Dell refused?' Now he wants to check out because he wants to set an example."
"Michael Dell is very particular about setting an example," said Chopra, who left Oberoi Group in 2018 to launch The Postcard Hotel and EazyDiner.
Michael Dell, 59, is the founder of one of the world's largest technology infrastructure companies and is worth an estimated $105 billion, according to Forbes.