TV Times

TV Times

Sampath: New RM at Galadari
The doors of the Galadari Hotel have been opened wide to welcome the arrival of the affable and widely experienced Hotelier, Sampath Siriwardena as the new Resident Manager of the well established Colombo five star property.

Sampath arrives at the Galadari at a time when the challenges to a hotelier are evolving constantly and business in Colombo is increasing rapidly. Having completed 16 years of service at The Hilton Colombo, and having last held the position of Director Rooms Division, Sampath brings with him 28 years of hotel experience almost exclusively in the Front Office and Rooms Division departments.

After completing his studies at S. Thomas’ College, Mt. Lavinia, Sampath commenced his career at the then newly opened Lanka Oberoi in 1975 as a Receptionist. He held the position of Front Office Manager before he left Lanka Oberoi in 1987, to join Hilton at its inception also as Front Office Manager. He was promoted as Director Front Office in 1995 before finally taking on the responsibility of Director Rooms Division in 2000.

This dynamic gentleman is a graduate of The Oberoi School of Hotel Management and completed the summer programme on hotel management. He also had the opportunity to follow academic programmes at The Hilton Career Development Institute of Hospitality Management in the U.K. and completed the Cornel University Hospitality Management Programme in Singapore.

Having gained experience in working at Hotel Yokohama in Japan in the late 80’s, the international exposure, contributed to Sampath being entrusted greater responsibilities on his return to Colombo.

Sampath’s innovative and forward thinking personality resulted in several new product initiatives particularly during his tenure at the Hilton. Responsible for introducing the special executive floors at the Hilton Colombo, Sampath is known for his articulate communication skills; be it with guest or staff of the hotel. His drive does not stop purely with the product and services; he contributed significantly towards the enrichment of the organization, and is renowned for having introduced up-selling amongst the front line staff.

Having an appetite for hard work, Sampath manages to combine this with an ever pleasant charming smile and believes in inculcating teamwork at every level. Brimming with new ideas and concepts and willing to share his wealth of experience, the Galadari Hotel will no doubt benefit immensely from this colossus of the hospitality industry.

Sampath is married with one child and is not forgiven by fellow Thomians as his son is not only schooling at Royal, but also representing the First Eleven at cricket.

16 medals for Colombo Plaza
The Colombo Plaza hit the top again bagging 16 medals at the recently concluded Culinary Art Competition. The hotels impressive collection of awards comprised 3 Gold medals, 4 Silver and 9 Bronze.

The Colombo Plaza’s Executive Chef Ranjith Morugama was delighted with his team’s success, saying this was a well-deserved victory. “They worked hard and achieved this purely on commitment and their own creativity which we at the hotel develop.”

Two of the brightest stars among the Colombo Plaza’s talented winners were Mr. N. Weeraman and Mr. Namal Wijeratne who won a Gold medal each.
Mr. Weeraman won the Ice Carving competition for his creation of an angelfish beside a marine plant. He also won a Bronze medal for butter carving at Culinary Art 2003 and holds a Silver medal in ice sculpture from a previous competition. Mr. Weeraman who studied at the Dharmalokaya College, Kelaniya has been gifted in drawing and sculpture since childhood.

He worked as an illustrator in the advertising industry before moving into the field of cookery. In his spare time Mr. Weeraman is a dedicated wildlife painter who aspires to achieving great things in the field of painting someday. Namal Wijeratne received the Gold Medal for Apprentice Chefs. A newcomer to the field, with only a year’s experience, Wijeratne has high hopes of excelling in his chosen career.

Having studied at the D.S. Senanayake College and a graduate of the Sirimavo Bandaranaike Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management, he was encouraged to enter the field by his elder brother who is also a graduate of the Institute.
He enjoys the opportunities for creativity his job affords, as well as the ever-changing nature of his work. Truly dedicated to his art, he likes to experiment with new recipes when cooking for his family.

The Culinary Art Competition is held every two years to recognize and celebrate the most talented chefs in Sri Lanka’s leading hotels. It is organised by the Chef’s Guild of Lanka who work tirelessly to promote culinary standards in Sri Lanka.

The two winners began preparing for the competition a month ahead. “The competition requires a lot of preparation. You need to think about what will be required of you, the time constraints etc.”, said Mr. Weeraman. “It’s very advanced. Winning a Gold medal is a tremendous for our careers”, said Mr. Wijeratne.

Both winners expressed their gratitude for the immense encouragement they had received from the Colombo Plaza in participating in the competition. “The hotel gave us the maximum support. Chef Chaminda Liyanage and Chef Ranjith Morugama were especially supportive,” said Mr. Weeraman.

“They gave us lots of guidance and helped us in preparing for the competition. Chef Chaminda was right with us when we were participating in the competition, which was important for our morale,” said Mr. Wijeratne. “Wasantha Perera, a wildlife artist was very supportive in my butter carving,” Mr. Weeraman said.
For both our young chefs, their recent victory is certain to be just the beginning of a sparkling career that lies ahead.

‘Wana Niwahana’: Safe hideout
By Sanath Weerasuriya
Habarana being a centre spot for travellers visiting Trinco, Polonnaruwa, Batticaloa, Ritigala, Kekirawaa or surrounding jungles, it has become the first stop before th e destination for many . ‘Wana Nivahana’, one of the popular Eco Friendly places in Habarana, is located along the trunk route from Colombo to Trinco, just before the Habarana juction.

‘Wana Nivahana’ is the first of its kind hotel in the area. Set against the tranquil environs of an exclusive 14 acre mini-forest, ‘Wana Nivahana’ has just five large rooms in three chalets. It is indeed a safe hideout in the jungle very close to the main road.

The hotel is also a popular stopover for breakfast and lunch travellers, apart from the high demand for over night stay. The place is managed by the veteran hotelier Renuka Jayamanne of ‘Hospitality Managemnet & Consultancy Associates’. Renuka, is a well-known personnel in the hospitality business and is an active member of HCIMA.

“ We have only five rooms and it is full during the weekends. Some people book this place few weeks ahead” Renuka said. In its large garden, ‘Wana Nivahana’ has organically grown fresh fruits and vegetables, which are served in the restaurant, which is open to both residents and non-residents.

‘We always try to serve traditional Sri Lankan food and I am keen on the frruits and vegetable grown in the area.” she said. The most attractive thing about the place is, the ‘Hiri Wetena Weva’ few kilometers away from the hotel.

“This too has a big demand. Sri Lankans visiting here always like to have a bath in this type of weva.” Renuka added. Sumudu and Krishna are the two main wires in the place and Krishna is the man in the kitchen.

“We do not have star class facilities but guests always make sure to return. Personalized service , village touch, healthy food and environment always make sure the visitor to come back for more” Renuka explained.

Reservations for ‘Wana Nivahana’ can be made through the Hospitality Management & Consultancy Associates at 251 Havelock Road, Colombo 6 or on hotline 0777584542 .

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