Marco Saxer bids adieu to Calcutta on March 31. Ahead of his farewell, the general manager of Swissotel Kolkata Neotia Vista chatted with t2, about becoming an honorary Calcuttan.
You and (wife) Nina have been rampant in the city’s social scene. How much of it was work and how much play?
(Laughs) I guess it’s part of the job but it becomes part of our lives.
Nina took it to the next level... she enjoyed socialising in Calcutta so much! For me, it has to be part of my job because frankly speaking, being social is tiresome. I’m working until 8pm or 9pm and then going to one of these events. In the morning, I still have to wake up at 6am to be in the hotel before 8am. In the first two years, it was very important to be in the social circle. In Bangkok, we did too much of it and after two years, we just couldn’t do it any more!
Has Calcutta been your longest stint?
No, I was in Bangkok for 10 years with Amari Hotels & Resorts. Four years in Calcutta is a good time.
Who are some of the closest friends you’ve made in Calcutta?
There are so many... all the consulates, designers Abhishek Dutta and Agnimitra Paul... Jose Ramirez Barreto was very close when he was in Calcutta... and my fellow GMs!
Name a few of your favourite things in Calcutta...
Restaurants: The kids love to go to Fire and Ice and Chili’s. We like the Japanese restaurant called Fuji and after football every Sunday, we go to Au Bon Pain. Then there’s Bar-B-Q on Park Street and all the Bengali restaurants like 6 Ballygunge Place and Oh! Calcutta. Even 1658 Bar + Kitchen was a favourite.
Places: I love to go to St Paul’s Cathedral and Prinsep Ghat when there’s a concert. Or cruise parties. When I first came to the hotel, I was surprised that there was no library. So some team members and I went to College Street, picked up books and opened a library for the staff. I also went for a few horse races, something that was new to me.
Playground: Every Sunday, I take the kids to Mohun Bagan ground. While they practice I take a long walk and relax.
Sporting club: Mohun Bagan in Bengal and Atletico de Kolkata in Calcutta. Internationally, 50 per cent of my family is for Manchester United and 50 per cent for Chelsea.
Did you at any point of time have to drop the average room rate (ARR) for the sake of business?
In the summer, yes. In winter (November to mid-March) there is enough demand and all the hotels have good occupancy and good rates. Then comes along a long monsoon. The silver lining is our proximity to the airport which ensures that a guest will catch the flight the next day! This is helpful during heavy rains.
What are the biggest trends in the F&B space here?
Calcutta is receptive to new food. All our festivals — from Kenyan to Japanese — did very well. We pushed wine-drinking through pairing sessions with Indian food and it went up but it’s gone down again. There’s still a long way to go.
Where next?
My next assignment is with the Warwick Hotel in Doha, Qatar. It’s a year-old hotel with over 180 rooms. In June we will start an extension with over 100 rooms.
Karo Christine Kumar
