Joe and Marietta Guest House in Calangute: A quality Goan stay where integrity is the cornerstone
Joe and Marietta Guest House in Calangute is run by Joaquim FX Fernandes (Joe, for short), a 63-year-old from Goa, India. The guesthouse started some 25 years ago, Goa was a tourism hotspot. “The beach in my village, Calangute beach, was always referred to as Queen of Beaches in Goa. Tourists were plenty. That is what inspired us to start the guesthouse. We are owners of the guesthouse,” shares Joe.
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Joe and Marietta who give the guest house its name have been married since 1989. “We have two adult children, a boy and a girl. While the girl is a music teacher, our son is a lawyer. I used to be a journalist (news reporter) with the print media in Goa. While I helped with the administration of the guesthouse, Marietta was hands-on, guiding our room boys with the house-keeping, etc,” Joe says.
Love of hosting
The Fernandes family get to meet and interact with some wonderful people. “It is their love and appreciation of our sincerity that has inspired such wonderful reviews of our property. We are ranked No. 2 out of 328 speciality lodgings in Calangute,” Joe reveals.
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Joe and Marietta Guest House in Calangute are not focussed on money and profits; but are focussed on quality. Joe shares, “We don’t have a swimming pool, sauna and helipad but we do not flip bedsheets when a guest checks-out and offer that room to the next check-in. We lay freshly-laundered bedsheets for every check-in. We place a high premium on cleanliness. Integrity is the cornerstone of our enterprise.”
The family talk to guests to understand their needs. “We explain ourselves too. We do not mislead guests into believing we will give what we cannot deliver. We guide them with scooter rentals, car rentals, places to visit, etc. But frankly, most guests to Goa come well-prepared with the plans and know beforehand where they want to go and when; be it the beaches, restaurants, casino, etc. We do not cling to guests 24 x 7 but we are there if they need us,” says Joe.
At Joe and Marietta Guest House in Calangute they do not personally offer activities like cooking classes or guided tours. But they do guide guests to service providers like taxi service, scooter rentals, water sports operators, etc.
Cultural addition
Earlier, Joe and Marietta Guest House in Calangute used to offer typical Goan breakfasts to their guests but now they do not serve Goan meals. “Covid broke everyone’s back. Also, there is a proliferation of restaurants in Calangute for every pocket. Now we do not offer breakfasts but Marietta does offer – on order – Goan and other delicacies like Serradura, Tiramisu, cakes, etc,” Joe shares.
The Goan Carnival and Shigmo, the Sao Joao festival in Siolim (North Goa), Zatras, etc. are big draws for tourists to Goa. “Our state is famous for music, musicians and its cuisine. A heady brew of all these are on offer in so many restaurants in Goa. Guests’ comfort is primary to us. Our amenities include air-conditioning, modern washrooms with western commodes, hot water through solar water heating, LED TVs with TataPlay channels, fridge and free Wifi. Sorry, we can’t make any claim to be offering any traditional Goan hospitality,” he adds.
At Joe and Marietta Guest House in Calangute they have two solar water heating systems on their rooftop, each of 1000 litres each. They segregate garbage into wet waste and dry waste. While the local Panchayat collects the dry waste, the Fernandes’ treat their wet waste in two Black Soldier Fly bins in their backyard. “We strive to reduce plastic waste, either by recycling old plastic bags or taking our 7-year old nylon carry bag for our shopping,” Joe says.
Vocal about local
Joe and Marietta Guest House in Calangute buy most of their foods from local farmers; they give business to local cabbies, and scooter rental operators. Whenever guests ask them where they can get local food, they refer them to their neighbour Maria, who provides fish curry rice and other Goan food. They however don’t collaborate with local artisans, guides, or farmers to create a more authentic experience.
There are many guest experiences that have been memorable for the Fernandes’ . But probably the most memorable is that some of their guests have been coming to them for over 20 years.
“Present times are a challenge. There are too many rooms in Calangute now. Many guesthouses are run on lease by people who have moved to Goa for business opportunities. There is lot of undercutting and room prices have crashed. To keep overheads low, they compromise on quality. On the other hand, expenses have shot up. We are committed to quality,” says Joe.
Joe and Marietta Guest House in Calangute mostly receive positive reviews from guests. “But some people are unrealistic. Unmindful of the low price they pay, they expect 7-star luxury. This is no issue at all for us to handle cultural differences or language barriers with international guests. Our level of English is good enough for most international guests. Our sincerity is our USP,” shares Joe.
Evolution over time of Joe and Marietta Guest House in Calangute
They hope to re-start breakfasts again and expect Joe and Marietta Guest House in Calangute to be a niche guesthouse in the bed-and-breakfast sector in Calangute.They don’t have any plans to expand or offer new experiences beyond these.
“Check on the guests’ reviews of the property. Do not go for the cheapest accommodation. We get many guests because the next-door hotel they booked online was cheap, turned up to be quite a dirty dump when they arrived,” Joe advises others who want to start and run a successful stay in Goa. Stick to your core values and that will bring you success is what the Fernandes family base their stays offering on.
To book a stay at Joe and Marietta Guest House in Calangute contact 9823367655
