The Norwegian squad barely cracked a smile Wednesday night as they made their way through the lobby of the MC Hotel in Montclair. They headed straight to an elevator that will take them to their rooms for the coming days as Norway prepares to take on Brazil in a FIFA World Cup Round 16 match Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
This didn’t surprise Jeff Sica, MC Hotel owner through his company Circled Squared Alternative Investments.
Previous soccer stars staying here — players on the national teams of England and Germany — have had similar business-first attitudes.
The World Cup may be the globe’s biggest party for fans, but for the players, it represents a moment in which legacies are crafted.
“What’s so impressive about the players is the level of intensity you can see in their eyes,” Sica said. “You can tell that they’re about to play the most important game of their life.”
Their arrival at MC Hotel was not a coincidence — and far from just the random result of an internet search.
Sica and MC Hotel began the process of becoming a premier destination with FIFA a few years back. It resulted in teams staying there last summer during the FIFA Club World Cup. And those positive reviews led to pairings for this tournament this summer.
MC Hotel is a Marriott property, FIFA’s preferred hotel brand. It’s one distinction that helped put it on FIFA’s radar in the first place.
Then there’s the hotel’s history.
Sica is thrilled that the MC Hotel has become a premier booking partner for global icons, not just soccer stars. It has hosted actors Billy Bob Thornton, Pam Anderson and Adam Sandler, among others, who were in North Jersey for movie shoots.
All of it goes back to Sica’s overall dream and mission — to make the MC Hotel not only a premier place for stars, but for business leaders and those just looking for a staycation.
“I never wanted it to be a stuffy place,” Sica said. “I never wanted it to be a place that if you weren’t wearing a sport coat you felt underdressed.
“I want it to be the living room of Montclair.”
It’s why the lobby that Haaland and his teammates walked through Wednesday was casual but stylish. The perfect match for the uniqueness of Montclair.
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There were as many state troopers as excited fans Wednesday night.
Sica knows that will change in the coming days as more people learn where the team is staying. It certainly did for the recent visits by England and Germany.
Sica is not worried.
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The staff is trained to handle high-profile guests in a professional manner. And again, there is plenty of law enforcement (and team security) to keep things in order.
The players won’t be a problem.
This isn’t Super Bowl week. Don’t expect Team Norway to be partying it up in Montclair. Aside from a few members of the German national team venturing out for a bit, the players staying here have stayed locked in on the mission ahead.
Norway will practice at the Red Bulls’ old training facility in Whippany. But most of this week will be spent in meetings and film sessions on the second floor, where they will take advantage of the numerous conference and breakout rooms that usually are filled with corporate gatherings and off-site events.
The hotel’s Food and Beverage team will work with Norway’s traveling chefs to prepare the appropriate meals.
Delores Tronco, the hotel’s Food and Beverage Director, said that’s always an interesting endeavor.
“The Norwegians are quite particular about having fish flown in from their country,” she said. “That’s kind of a fun detail — not something that we encountered with Germany or England.”
All-you-can-eat wings and pitchers of beer are off the table, Tronco said with a laugh.
“I have not seen a burger and fries on any of the banquet event orders,” she said. “It’s kind of the things that you would expect — a lot of fruits and vegetables, a lot of pasta, a lot of rice, a lot of lean protein.”
There may be one exception if Norway advances. A true slice of New Jersey.
“I believe that there could be pizza possibly in the future if the team secures a win on Sunday,” Tronco said. “I can’t promise — just a rumor.”
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The most interesting part of Wednesday night was seeing regular guests walk through the lobby ahead of the team. Most had no idea what the police presence and ropes creating a walkway were about.
You have to remember, while national teams will take two to three floors at the hotel, many of the spots among the hotel’s 159 rooms still are being sold to the public.
Rest assured, the hotel has measures in place to keep fanboys out. Atmosphere is everything.
Sica said he is looking forward to Team Norway’s lengthy stay — England and Germany were only there for two nights. He’s eager to see if the players want to interact in the lobby or with fans.
Global exposure
Some of the English players went out on a second-floor balcony and chatted with, then signed and tossed jerseys down to, supporters below. The Germans kept to themselves, except for the few that went on a guarded walk through town.
Either way, the staff is prepared.
They showed that when Thornton became a regular in the lobby bar and restaurant area during his six weeks there filming.
“He would come down, sit in the bar, and drink Michelob Ultra, just like he does in the commercials,” Sica said. “He’s exactly the same. He’s a regular guy. We loved having him.”
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Team Norway will stay through Sunday. On Monday morning, depending on the outcome of their match, it will either fly home or fly to Miami to meet the winner of England and Mexico in a quarterfinal.
The hotel will serve as a destination for one of the two finalists for the July 19 match that will be watched by billions around the world.
Sica said he stresses to the staff that the hotel remains focused on being a premier destination for everyone — not just movie stars and soccer icons. He’s created an atmosphere that appeals to all.
He wants it to be a place people come not only to stay but just to socialize.
The vibe clearly is working.
Sica said the MC Hotel has received rave reviews from its previous high-profile guests. When England checked out the day after it defeated Panama in a Group Stage match at MetLife Stadium, the team’s manager gave Sica the message he wanted to hear.
“He said, ‘I hope we make the finals, because I want to be back,’” Sica said.
For Sica, that’s the whole strategy in a sentence.
“It’s called the Halo effect,” he said. “It’s good enough for them, it’s good enough for me.”
