Hilton Colombo draws plans for 2 1/2 acre bare land
Mr. Manesh Fernando
The Colombo Hilton, after 33 years has got the wings to expand its 2 1/2 acre bare waterfront land.
“We are drawing up plans to develop the 2 1/2 acre waterfront land which we own in the pool side of the property,” Manesh Fernando, Area General Manager, Hilton Sri Lanka told the Business Times in an interview on Monday. Amidst the billions of dollar properties coming up in Colombo, he was confident that Hilton will get some good returns from this land.
The hotel is also aggressively upgrading and refurbishing on a US$10 million budget. He was happy that the new regime is revitalising the asset as fast as possible. He said planned refurbishments were halted five years ago but they resumed this year.
“The Chinese restaurant has resumed construction since August. From November for the first time in its history, Hilton will undergo a room refurbishment,” Mr. Fernando noted saying that rooms underwent soft renovations 23 years ago (but they’re not enough).
He also said Hilton’s air-conditioning plants, chillers, cooling towers, building management systems were renovated and generators upgraded in a bid to reduce energy consumption. Basically, the hotels will start new restaurants and do many upgrades to revitalise the asset, he said.
Having been exposed to the 2002–2004 SARS outbreak which was an epidemic involving severe acute respiratory syndrome when he was in Vietnam and came out on top, Mr. Fernando was positive that the economy will get back on track after the vaccines for COVID-19 come into the market. “The occupancy was at 8 per cent and at the time the world economy wasn’t that interconnected. Then I remember Vietnam received its highest occupancy after the vaccine was discovered.”
He reiterated the urgency for destination organisations and the hospitality industry to apply a new perspective on destination, development and community engagement.
He believes that people are affected by being stuck in 5 km radiuses all over the world. “They will travel after the vaccines are discovered. We need to be ready for it. We need to be strategic and look for new ways of increasing the length of tourists’ stay.”
In the last quarter of this year, Double Tree Weerawila by Hilton will be opened, Mr. Fernando said adding that next year Hilton Yala will come into effect. Hilton Negombo is under construction and it will be a beach property which will benefit the Sri Lankan round-trip circuit for tourists, he added.
Hilton owns a land in Kandy and Mr. Fernando said it will be developed in due course. His long-term plans are to have Hiltons all around the country.
“Yes, I am very optimistic and confident about the future. Hilton has seen the worst times in the country and we have persisted. Now I am so happy that competition has come (in the way of other hotel brands) which will improve the destination and human capital.”