Text by MAAN D’ASIS PAMARAN
Home is definitely where the heart is for this charming Swiss gentleman.
He was a fresh graduate from Lausanne when he first came here to the Philippines in 1980. “I had visions of traveling, of seeing the world, and when I heard of an opening at the Manila Midtown Ramada in Manila, I took it,†recalls Marco Polo Ortigas general manager Frank Reichenbach.
The Swiss national did not know much about this country back then, and had to consult a map to pinpoint where it was, after he had signed a contract to become the F&B manager of the hotel that was located on the other side of the world.
He stayed with the Ramada for one-and-a-half years and made his mark on Manila’s nightlife during his tenure by bringing the Cusco Bar to life. “The bar was in existence when I got here, but it was empty. At the time, live bands were all the rage, so I convinced my GM and ultimately, owner John Gokongwei himself, to start providing live music, too. I remember the Something Special band was very popular, and we got them to perform for us, followed by a set with Ivy Violan. Soon we had queues and we were jam-packed. Then, Kuh Ledesma and her friends started to come over, too.â€
He was definitely off to a good start in his career as a hotelier, and this prompted another offer with a bigger challenge. “I got a call to fill a position for a Peninsula partner hotel in Beijing in 1981. It was only three storeys high and was patterned after the Holiday Inns in the US. You have to remember that China, in those years, was very different from the China we know now. The men and women wore uniforms in blue, green and gray, and everybody rode on bicycles,†he recalls as his blue eyes gaze at the Ortigas skyline through the executive lounge’s picture windows. He smiles and talks about their captive market. “In those days, we were always at 100 percent occupancy, with expats even sleeping in the lobby. It was the first Western-managed hotel in Beijing, and we attracted the market because we had western standards,†he explains.
He went back to the Philippines and worked at The Peninsula Manila from 1983 to 1985. This was when he met and married his lovely Filipina wife, Norge. The newlyweds did not stay long, however, as they left for Bangkok soon after their wedding.
This has set the trend for most of their family life, as he says they and their two now-grown-up children have lived in 15 countries. “They went to nine or 10 different schools; while my daughter Abbie was complaining during her teenage years that she kept losing her friends, they now agree that it was the best childhood and they were very happy. It was a good education for them, too. My son Francis speaks Arabic quite well because we stayed in Lebanon and Bahrain. It was actually quite a shock for them to go back to Switzerland and study in a normal school,†he grins at the memory.
Francis is now helping manage his in-laws’ hotel business in Switzerland while Abbie is working in Finance in the US. His nine-year-old grandson Mark, who lives in Boston, is set to visit Manila sometime this year.
It was last year when he and his wife decided to come back to the Philippines. “It was always in our plans to return here and eventually retire,†he says. “I was always asking around the industry if there was an opening in Manila. When this opportunity came along at the Marco Polo Ortigas, I saw that it was a very good one, and I took it.â€
While busy with his role as GM of the Marco Polo Ortigas, he also finds time to help mold future hoteliers as a member of the board of directors for Institut Hôtelier “Cesar Ritz†in Switzerland. “I would give career talks to the students and I would always tell them that making it in this industry meant 10 percent luck and 90 percent sweat. I would advise them to make sincere service a priority. You cannot be acting all the time, because a customer or guest would feel honest service and it just shows in your attitude towards work.â€
He, himself, takes time out to talk to guests and his staff. While he is a firm believer in making coordination and communication better through technology, he also feels that taking time to walk out of his office is very important. “It helps you get feedback faster, because you know what is happening with the service and the staff. You don’t have to wait until a situation has come up.â€
He likes the hotel’s location at the Ortigas area and describes it as strategic. “We have all these villages and businesses around us; it is very upmarket. Even the traffic here is our friend, because people would rather spend time with us than get stuck during rush hour,†he chuckles lightly.
Because of the location, most Marco Polo Ortigas guests are usually on business and he makes sure that the hotel meets their needs. “Their needs are actually very simple to handle. As long as you have reliable airport pickup and transfers and good internet connection, they already appreciate that. We also make sure to continuously improve our breakfasts; we also offer them good rooms so they could have a good night’s rest. At the Vu Bar upstairs, we have a live band when they need to entertain their guests. Of course, our staff is always flexible and ready to helpâ€.
This attitude is also the reason why Frank feels that it really is more fun in the Philippines. “I remember when I first got here, we were dreaming of having one million visitors. Now, while we are still a little bit behind Thailand when it comes to Tourism, we are already being discovered as a destination. Aside from the natural beauty that this country has to offer, it’s the people. No matter what happens — the typhoon or the traffic, they have a healthy attitude towards life. The smiles are genuine and you can see that Filipinos are a happy people.â€
Photography by MELO BALINGIT
Grooming by ERWIN ONING
Read more stories about Manila’s most illustrious in PeopleAsia’s latest April – May 2016 issue available now in your favorite newsstands and bookstores. For inquiries, call Bong at 09328443281.
