Faculty & Research
Raj Chandnani
Director of Strategy
WATG
Raj Chandnani oversees strategic planning and consulting for WATG. He has a wide range of hospitality industry expertise focusing on diverse segments, including consumer trends, travel and tourism, gaming, timeshare, residential, and spas.
Chandnani is actively involved in the business development efforts in terms of identifying new project opportunities and forging strategic relationships. He also works closely with the firm's clients, and provides a wide array of strategic consulting for proposed development, including visioning and concepting, competitive positioning, supply and demand analysis, financial modeling, and operator selection. Chandnani has specialized in commercial real estate and hotel advisory services since 1994. Prior to joining WATG in 2001, Chandnani was as associate director with Insignia/ESG Hotel Partners, where he spent six years in a variety of capacities including asset management, investment sales, financing, and portfolio due diligence. He was previously with PKF Consulting in Los Angeles, and has also taught classes on strategic planning, financial management, real estate finance, hotel development, and tourism at UCLA, USC, and Cornell University. Mr. Chandnani was instrumental in WATG's collaboration with Mobil Travel Guide in the recent launch of their spa ratings. Chandnani is a regional vice president for the Cornell Hotel Society and a member of the planning committee for the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS). He is a graduate of Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration.