Shangri-La Colombo opens for business
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The President at the Lion dance ceremony during the opening.
Shangri-la Hotel Colombo was opened for business on Thursday by President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in an elaborate ceremony at the hotel venue opposite the Galle Face Green. A traditional Lion dance ceremony greeted the visitors while Bollywood actress, Sri Lanka’s Jacqueline Fernandez and two other Chinese guests were ceremonially registered as the first guests of the hotel by the President. Several ministers were present at the opening.
The star-class hotel, which has the region’s largest pillar-less ballroom, at 1,580 sq metres, is the newest product in Sri Lanka’s growing tourism industry. It’s also one of the largest mixed-development properties with apartments and malls, to be open in two years time.