How did you start out?
Varun Chhibber: I was training to join the Indian Army. As part of the training we were taken to a luxury hotel in Delhi where I saw a hotelier standing in the air-conditioned lobby, managing the show. I thought this is what I want to do! When I told my father, who was a high-ranking officer in paramilitary, he asked, ‘What will you do in a hotel?’ I had my answer ready, a quote that I used rather timely: The hands that serve are more sacred than the lips that pray.
What made you say yes to The Oberoi Grand?
I think that in our company no other hotel has as much potential to grow as The Oberoi Calcutta. One, because the city is growing with the whole focus on business building. And two, Calcutta is getting a lot of hotels but they’re all modern. So Oberoi Grand has that advantage of a 150-year-old history. Plus, the focus our company has on this hotel is phenomenal. So what else does a general manager want? A great product, youthful team and a brand like Oberoi. It was no decision, it was simple.
Tell us about Calcutta and you...
I spent a little over two years in Calcutta in 2004. I ran La Terrasse, Baan Thai and also handled Belvedere so I got to know the who’s who in the city. My wife and I had an apartment just opposite Kali Bari and on some days I would take the Metro to work, on other days drive. My regular haunts were Azad Hind, Peter Cat, Mocambo and Big Ben.
Has your perception of the city changed in these 10 years?
A lot of the people are the same but they’re well-travelled now and ready to experiment. Topics of conversation have changed to things like road trips and new cuisines. The other day I met someone who told me that I should open a Peruvian restaurant. India has none and for someone to suggest that for Calcutta is great because personally I’m a big fan of Peruvian food! It’s also great vegetarian fare.
So are you planning one then?
(Laughs) The hotel will definitely have additions when the time is right and I’d like to keep those a surprise!
You’ve arrived in Calcutta at a very crucial time when Marriott and Westin will open doors...
Yes it is a very interesting time to be here. Each room that opens in this city is competition. However I think that whether it’s a Marriott or Westin or the new wing of ITC, they are all modern hotels. And I’m not saying that we will not compete with them but I think the time is now right to focus on our strength, which is our legacy. This [Grand] is where [founder] Rai Bahadur [Mohan Singh Oberoi] started his hospitality journey. We will continue doing what we think we are best at. At the end of the day, we are a 209-room heritage hotel, not a mammoth 1,000-room hotel that needs to be filled with people. All we need to do is find every day those 100 guests coming to Calcutta who will pay a premium to be in Grand.
A quick SWOT analysis of Grand as you see it...
Our strength is the location, the history. Weakness and opportunity merge and we have an opportunity to bring in more concepts of food and beverages that exist within our own company. Baan Thai is India’s leading Thai restaurant for almost two decades so we already have a great product in the market. The only threat is complacency. I don’t think that any number of rooms in the city is a threat to me unless my team or I become complacent. Mr Oberoi [Prithvi Raj Singh, far better known as Biki] is very clear that we want to be the best, we don’t want to be the biggest.
What are your short and long-term targets?
Let’s say my immediate goal is to keep the hotel absolutely pristine. Maintain and enhance the historical heritage of the building. Long-term, we want to add features, facilities and services which are not available in Calcutta as yet. Whether it is food and beverage, or bespoke experiences. For residential guests, giving them unique dining experiences. For example, we are one of the rare hotels with balconies. And who says that a couple cannot sit in their own balcony in a 150-year-old building, overlooking the swimming pool and have the most romantic meal? So I think it is about finding new experiences within the existing structure.
Last question, is the unopened wing of the hotel really haunted?
(Laughs out loud) No, not at all. I live in the hotel with my family! Since 1938 (the year when Mr Oberoi took over the hotel), Grand has had millions of visitors. The non-operational Chowringhee wing has large rooms and suites. The Oberoi Group will make a strategic decision on when to make them operational, basis the feel from the market.
GM DIET & MORE!
Age: 36
Graduated from: The Oberoi Centre for Learning and Development, New Delhi
Last assignment: The Oberoi, Mumbai as general manager
Family: Wife Nupur and son Vansh, 8
When not working: Watches historical and fiction documentaries “compulsively”. Is a “cricketer by DNA” and has a small pitch at home. Is also a Hindi movie buff. “Anything that is released is consumed!” Finally, loves to drive
Last film watched: Wazir, loved the “intensity” of Farhan Akhtar
Dream car: Land Rover Discovery so that he “keeps discovering”
Currently reading: The Kite Runner
Menu favourites: At Baan Thai, everything starting from Raw Papaya Salad to Tom Yum. Thai Green Curry and Jasmine Rice is an all-time favourite, wrapping up with Thapthim Krop Favourite city restaurants: Azad Hind for old time’s sake. And 6 Ballygunge Place
Favourite corner in the hotel: By the poolside where “the dew settles down, the sound of water and chirping of birds can be heard”
Choice of poison at a party: Corona beer with a wedge of lime
Karo Christine Kumar
Picture: Rashbehari Das
