Shangri-La eyes third property in Sri Lanka
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Mehdi Serrour
Shangri-la is eyeing a third property in Sri Lanka in the wake of announcing the scheduled opening of the Hambantota hotel next June. Shangri-La’s Hambantota Resort and Spa, Sri Lanka General Manager Mehdi Serrour told reporters in Colombo on Friday that there will be a third property as well – in addition to the Colombo Galle Face property.
Mr. Serrour said they have already recruited “smiling people” from surrounding villages in Hambantota to sell the destination. The company placed ads three years ago seeking “those who could smile with the mouth, eyes and heart” to join Shangri-La.
This attracted about 1000 out of which 70 were selected for training locally in English for five months and to their overseas hotel locations like Maldives, Malaysia, Doha and Singapore for a period of two months. Out of those, only 56 will be joining the establishment since the others have dropped out.
The hotel is looking at recruiting 100 more persons with at least 50 being females from the locality in addition to picking locals with foreign exposure to drive the chain forward. Shangri-La Hambantota has currently completed construction of the building and the pool with the laundry, kitchen and beds already available on the site with 1, 100 people involved in raising the southern property and 500 in Colombo.
It would have a family concept attracting visitors from the UK, Germany, India, China and the Middle East in addition to MICE clients for which they could cater up to 1,500 on the 53-acre property. While focusing on selling the authentic Sri Lankan experience they would have a one hectare dedicated for an artisan village and 20 electric trishaws to take guests to their rooms on arrival, Mr. Serrour explained.
Shangri-La has invested US$2 billion in Sri Lanka in the two properties with 40 per cent spent on the southern property.