PROMINENT Asian businessman Surinder Arora’s company has acquired the Ministry of Justice for £245 million, adding to his portfolio of properties.
The Arora Group bought the Queen Anne’s Mansions (QAM), near Buckingham Palace, from Land Securities.
The current lease expired in December 2028, and the Arora Group was quoted as saying in the Times that it will explore “all potential avenues” for the redevelopment.
Arora told the paper, “This acquisition underscores the Arora Group’s commitment to strategic investments in exceptional properties.
“The group will collaborate closely with stakeholders to ensure the redevelopment plan honours the site’s rich history while creating a modern, high-value asset for London. We remain deeply committed to investing in the UK economy – not just through bricks and mortar, but by creating meaningful, long-term jobs.”
Among the properties Arora owns are the Luton Hoo Hotel, Golf and Spa, the Fairmont Windsor Park and the Radisson Blu Hotel at Heathrow.
His company also has interests in commercial properties across London, from Kensington Square to Gatwick and Heathrow. Recently, the group submitted plans for a lower-cost alternative to Heathrow Airport’s proposed third runway, working with US engineering firm Bechtel.
Queen Anne’s Mansions
Chief executive officer at Landsec, Mark Allan, said, “This sale provides strong evidence of the continuing recovery in the central London investment market and allows us to crystallise a full value for this off-strategy asset much sooner than we had envisaged.”
Arora is the founder and executive chairman of the Arora Group, one of the UK’s leading hotel operators and property businesses.
Born in Punjab, India, he moved to London in 1972 and began working as a waiter at the Renaissance London Heathrow Hotel, which he would later go on to own.
Since its creation in 1999, the Arora Group has expanded through project management, from planning to delivery and long-term operation.
Today, the Group owns and operates 13 hotels across the UK, and several hotels at Heathrow Airport such as Sofitel and Hilton Garden Inn. It also leases five additional hotels. Alongside hotels, the Group manages a strong property and construction business.
The group is also building a new hotel at Dublin Airport, marking its first project outside the UK. Diversification has included acquisitions in the retail sector, such as County Mall in Crawley and the Peacocks Shopping Centre in Woking. In central London, the group purchased a three-acre freehold site in South Kensington, formerly occupied by Heythrop College, with redevelopment plans under consideration.
Arora is married to Sunita, and together they have three children – Sapna, Sonia and Sanjay. The Asian tycoon now works closely with his son, Sanjay, the chief operating officer, who leads new developments.
The group remains family-run and continues to expand across hospitality, retail, and property, maintaining a focus on long-term growth. Revenues at Arora Holdings rose to £304m producing an operating profit of £44.9m for the year ending March 2023.
The Arora family was ranked 14th in the Asian Rich List 2025 published by Eastern Eye with an estimated wealth of £1.4 billion.
