The former Ceylon Continental Hotel will re-open its doors this December unveiling its new identity, ‘The Kingsbury’. The hotel underwent a US $ 18 Mn refurbishment backed by Sri Lanka’s most diversified conglomerate – the Hayleys Group. The newly refurbished 5 star property will consist of classical architectural features and breathtaking views of the Indian Ocean from all its 229 ...

CINNAMON LAKESIDE COLOMBO Overlooking the tranquil Beira Lake, the Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo is the epitome of indulgence and elegance. Their inimitable blend of luxury, personal attention, sincerity and warmth gives you the opportunity to operate at your own pace and in your own space, regardless of whether you are visiting for an important business luncheon or dropping in for a ...

Chaaya Blu Trincomalee Chaaya Blu Trincomalee, Sri Lanka was once a resort originally designed to resemble a great sailing vessel. Transformed in 2010 with a new and refreshing retro-chic design it’s 81 rooms in theme are decorated with bleached wooden decks, cut cement floors, rattan furniture and denim trimmings. A touch of vibrant orange is used to contrast the blue ...

Come rediscover the luxurious beach escape at this revamped boutique hotel – Saman Villas Bentota Everything about this recently refurbished boutique hideaway says luxury: the magnificent headland setting down to the beaches, the infinity pool and indulgent spa, the attentive service and spacious suites. Idyllic escapism. Dine in the open-air terrace restaurant or elegant dinner restaurant before heading for a ...

Lonely Planet – Sri Lanka the Number One Place to Visit in 2013 Lonely Planet the largest travel guide book and digital media publisher in the world has just named Sri Lanka the Number One place to visit on their ‘Best in Travel 2013 – Top 10 Countries’ list. The published article says that: “investment is fuelling the (Sri ...

Maldives Association for Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO) honoured the travel and tourism industry with first ever Maldives Travel Awards. The grand awarding ceremony was held on 28th September 2012 at Paradise Island Resort. Awards for 21 categories including resorts, hotels, liveaboards and aviation were awarded trophies. Senior management members of top hotel chains in Maldives attended the event. ...

Midnight’s Children – Film – Deepa Mehta & Dilip Mehta with Escape Holidays – Wrap Party Photo Specialist Sri Lankan Destination Management Company ‘Escape Holidays‘ announced that it is the official travel provider of ‘Midnight’s Children‘ the latest film by critically acclaimed film director Deepa Mehta. The film is an adaptation of Sir Salman Rushdie’s 1981 Booker Prize winning novel ...

Located 500 metres offshore and appearing to float on the surface of the ocean, Edge the overwater restaurant and Subsix, the world’s first underwater music club, are now open. Accessible only by boat, Edge and Subsix complete the gastronomic experience at NIYAMA, Per AQUUM’s newest resort in the Maldives. To celebrate the opening of Subsix, Per AQUUM has teamed up ...

British Airways is to resume flights to Sri Lanka next year after a 15-year absence from the Indian Ocean island. BA will fly from Gatwick to the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, via Male in the Maldives, from March 31, 2013. The carrier had stopped flying to the island in 1998 due to the country’s long-running civil war which ended in ...

Saffron Aviation (Pvt) Ltd, a joint venture between John Keells Holdings PLC (JKH), MMBL Leisure Holdings (Pvt) Limited and Phoenix Ventures Limited, signed an agreement with the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka last week, to establish a domestic air taxi service in Sri Lanka with an initial investment of US$ 6.8Mn out of a total planned investment of US$ ...

The Hyatt Regency Colombo hotel project was initiated recently with an investment of Rs.20 billion after the signing of the BoI agreement granting the new developer, Sinolanka Hotels and Spa (Pvt) Ltd., the necessary approval. The project, expected to be completed by December 2013, will be developed as a five-star luxury hotel complex consisting of approximately 565 rooms with around ...

The Hikkaduwa Beach Festival is between the 27th and 29th of July 2012. The shores of Hikkaduwa are bound to be buzzing with fun filled activities. Thousands are expected to descend to the usually laid back town of Hikkaduwa in search of some good music, food and sun-filled fun. The festivals repertoire includes unique Hikkaduwa drummers, jazz nights and a ...

After signing an agreement with Weligama Hotel Properties Ltd, the Marriott Hotels & Resorts brand plan to open their first Sri Lankan hotel. Weligama Bay Marriott Resort & Spa set to open in 2014, will boast 200 rooms over 11 floors. Marriott Asia Pacific president and managing director Simon Cooper was delighted the company was opening a world-class hotel on ...

Sri Lankan Airlines will expand its services to Beijing and Shanghai, with daily flights to the two cities running from July 15, to serve the increasing number of Chinese travelers to Colombo, Male, Bangkok and other points on its global network. The additions will take the airline to 21 flights per week to four cities in China, including four to ...

Soneva Gili Resort will cease affiliation with Soneva on 30 June 2012 due to the Management Agreement with Soneva coming to an end. The Resort will be rebranded and named “Gili Lankanfushi, Maldives” from 1 July 2012. Gili Lankanfushi, Maldives will mark the 12th property to the portfolio of HPL Hotels & Resorts, a Singapore-based hospitality management company, operated and ...

Thailand’s Centara Hotels and Resorts will open two 4-star hotels in Sri Lanka in the last quarter of 2012 which will be under their management in the island’s South West and East coasts. “These two superb hotels mark our debut in Sri Lanka, a market that we feel holds great promise for us,” Thirayuth Chirathivat, chief executive of Centara Hotels ...

Back on the radar as a tourist destination, Sri Lanka is on the verge of a hotel building boom with both international hospitality groups and local players launching major projects. Here’s a quick look at what is underway: Colombo Shangri-La Colombo: The Hong Kong-based company recently broke ground for a 661-room tower near the storied seafront Galle Face Green in ...

1 Mobility Liveaboards gives you the freedom to access a much wider array of dive spots. Not being confined to spots of the day. Watching the boat move travel through the silky blue water, you eagerly await to see what you next big adventure is. Normally 3 dives are done daily and no dives are done at one location.   ...

Lotus Tower Another wonder of beautiful Sri Lanka is about to bloom in end 2013. The enchanting 350 meters high gigantic 11-storyed tower called, “Lotus Tower” will be rising up in the sky at the Beira Lake water front (Beira Wewa) in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Lotus Tower is set to be the 19th tallest tower in the world and ...

Maldives Travel Trends 2012 After the success of last year’s ‘2011 travel trends for Maldives’ article that received positive feedback and appreciation from industry peers and various stakeholders – it is my pleasure to write something about ‘twenty-twelve’… even though admittedly I do find the task a little daunting. Like last year, I spent much of this year in ...