Vraj Pankhania is Founder and Chairman of the Westcombe Group and its charitable arm the Westcombe Foundation.
The Westcombe Group is a family-run, top 25 UK property and hospitality group with a longstanding reputation for delivering complex regeneration projects, restoring historic buildings and creating long-term value.
Having come from humble beginnings, Vraj is justly proud of the success that Westcombe enjoys today. The Pankhania family’s roots trace back to Gujarat and Vraj came to the UK from Kenya in 1969. In 1975, Vraj founded the Westcombe Group and, using a £5,000 bank loan, purchased the company’s first property on Westcombe Hill in Blackheath, South East London.
Westcombe’s continuing development of its Acre Hotels collection has strengthened further the group’s market-leading status as a trusted partner for global premium brands including Accor, Hilton and IHG. At the same time, Westcombe continues to grow its international business through diversification across Europe, in the Middle East and USA.
The Westcombe Group now provides affordable homes through its own housing association, the Dholak Partnership, and Vraj is proud of the role these homes played during the pandemic, being made available to key workers.
For Vraj, family has always come first and this approach remains central to Westcombe Group’s ethos today. In 2003, Vraj handed over day-to-day management of the Westcombe Group to his sons Kamal (CEO) and Sunil (COO) and Vraj stepped up to guide the business as its Chairman.
Throughout his career, Vraj has been motivated to make a positive difference helping those in need across the world. In 2008, Vraj founded the Westcombe Foundation, funding disaster relief and vital infrastructure like schools and hospitals in countries including Kenya, India and Nepal. In the UK, the Foundation partners with charities such as Crisis and the Trussell Trust, as well as environmental initiatives like The Queen’s Green Canopy.
Under Vraj’s stewardship, the Westcombe Group’s vision reflects a purpose-led approach to sustainable property development and meaningful philanthropy, uniting conscientious capitalism with authentic community-focused support and a belief in a brighter, more optimistic future for our country.