Hotel Dolphin reopens at Waikkal after Rs.1 bln refurbishment
In a period of three years, Hemas Serendib Leisure Management Ltd has spent around Rs 1 billion to completely overhaul Club Hotel Dolphin located on the beach front in Waikkal, about 6 km off Negombo. Dolphin consists of 100 rooms in the blocks and another 50 chalets.
In 2010 the chalets were refurbished at a cost of Rs. 530 million and last Sunday the rooms in the blocks were reopened after the overhauling at a cost of Rs. 550 million. The occasion of opening the hotel after refurbishment was graced by Basil Rajapakse, Minister of Economic Development.
On the sidelines of the event, Sanjika Perera, Director, Business Development and Projects told Business Times (BT) that the local community around the hotel is benefitted as all the activities outside the hotel around the area are left for locals to handle like bullock cart rides, going shallow or deep fishing excursions.
He said that around 40 per cent of the staff serving the hotel are from the area and most of the daily requirements of the hotel such as fish, vegetables, etc are all purchased from around the area. He said even string hoppers and hoppers are supplied by the locals.
Abbas Esufally, Chairman, Serendib Leisure Management Ltd and Director, Hemas Holdings said that they have achieved a significant milestone in the company’s quest to grow its hospitality business and have the hotel reopened within the scheduled time as promised to their tour operators and customers.
Ranil de Silva, Managing Director – Serendib Leisure Management Ltd, said that “Club Hotel Dolphin is world renowned as one of the most popular club hotels in Sri Lanka”.
Though these hotels now enjoy the sunny golden sandy beaches, in the early 90’s they had a very hard time to keep their clientele due to the terrible sea erosion that had earlier washed away a large strip of their land and the sea carved into these hotel backyards. As these hotels starting from Negombo are marketed advertising the golden sandy beaches, due to the erosion and the loss of beaches, some tourists have even claimed damages for not be able to enjoy what has been advertised.
Almost all the tourist hotels in Negombo are along the beach and in the early 90’s the coastline from Negombo and beyond to Marawila was seriously affected by erosion. The government at that time undertook to build barriers such groins in the Negombo coastline, but left out Ranweli and Dolphin which are outside the Negombo hotel area. At that time these two hotels had to spend more than Rs 10 million each to build groins.
Mr. Perera said that, the threat of erosion is now gone and travellers visiting Dolphin could now enjoy the full potential of the beach front.