Heritance Kandalama wins Presidential Award for Best 5-Star Resort/Best Chef

Picture shows senior officials/winners from the Aitken Spence Group with their awards

Heritance Kandalama, Sri Lanka’s most awarded hotel, was awarded the Presidential Award for Best 5-Star Resort while Dimuthu Kumarasinghe, Skills Development Chef of the Aitken Spence Group won the award for the Best Chef at the Presidential Awards for Travel and Tourism Excellence 2007 held at the Presidential Secretariat.

The Aitken Spence Group was the most awarded group at the Awards, bagging five awards including the Best Destination Management Company and Best Professional Conference Organization (PCO), according to a company statement.

Heritance Kandalama has positioned Sri Lanka on the global tourism map with its recent recognition as one of the Top 15 Green Hotels of the World by the popular US-based Travel and Leisure magazine published by American Express Publishing Corporation.
Designed by world-renowned architect Geoffrey Bawa, the hotel has also been recognized by the United Nations Global Compact Network Sri Lanka as one of the corporate sector’s top five best practices. The company said that its Skills Development Chef Dimuthu Kumarasinghe, considered one of the world’s best chefs, is a fitting winner of the Presidential Award. He has a list of unprecedented merits: a record nine gold medals at the Culinary World Cup 2006 in Luxembourg, four gold medals at the Culinary Olympics 2004 in Germany, and has been felicitated by the World Association of Cooks Societies for his achievements and contribution towards innovative culinary skills. He currently works at Heritance Ahungalla while passing on his skills to his peers within the group’s hotel as its Skills Development Chef. “This is yet another testament of our continued commitment to innovation and standards within our hotels and promoting Sri Lanka Tourism. Dimuthu’s achievement further testifies our investment in people and training.

This recognition will further our commitment to positioning Sri Lanka as a world tourist destination,” said Malin Hapugoda, Managing Director of Aitken Spence Hotels.