One of the country’s oldest and prestigious hotel Group, Galle Face Hotels is to get a new facelift with refurbishments and repositioning.
Sanjeev Gardiner, the Group Chairman and CEO of The Galle Face Hotels Group said this at a recently held press conference. Mr. Gardiner explained the future development and expansion plans of the properties that are under the Ceylon Hotels Corporation cluster of the Group.
Mr. Sanjeev Gardiner along with Mr. Chandra Mohotti (Senior Vice President of the Leisure Division) initially announced the appointment of Mr. Chethiya Perera to the position of Vice President in-charge of strategy and development of The Galle Face Hotel Group with effect from last month. Mr. Perera joined the group with a wealth of experience, having been a Director of Aitken Spence Hotel Holdings PLC and CEO and Managing Director of the Aitken Spence Maldives Operations. In his new capacity, he is to be in overall charge of development, re-positioning and re-furbishment of the Ceylon Hotel Corporation’s multitude of properties in some of the most scenic locations in Sri Lanka.
‘Especially in order to cater to the expected boom in tourism, this Group which invested heavily in the worst of times for tourism in the country has now decided to embark on a major refurbishment and re-positioning programme which would eventually envelope almost all its units’, said Mr. Gardiner.
The first phase is expected to be completed in two years, and the Ambepussa Rest House and Avanhala will be ready for the re-launch next week.
In agreement with the Government’s efforts and optimism in Tourism with projects such as Visit Sri Lanka, and the envisaged growth of tourists up to 2,500,000 in the year 2015, the confident Mr. Gardiner assured that the original concept of “value for money” properties for the domestic traveller would never be compromised even though his Group would compete for the International Traveller, with other properties in the locations.
Grateful to the domestic travellers who kept the company alive at the most challenging times of tourism the company’s vision is to offer further opportunities to domestic travellers.
Sample refurbished rooms in the Tissamaharama Resort and the Lihiniya Surf Hotel in Bentota had been completed and visuals were shown. In order to complete the refurbishment program for the forthcoming Winter Season and also to cater to the World Cup to be held in Hambantota next year - these Resorts will be closed for refurbishment for short periods. The rooms, public areas and service standards of these resorts will be totally upgraded to match up to International standards.
The refurbishment of the Hotel Suisse in Kandy in sections is expected to be ready for re-launch by December 2010. Upgrading of the entire hotel - rooms, public areas, and facilities has taken into account the necessity to accommodate domestic travellers while the sophistication expected by International Traveler and Travel Agents would also be available. It is expected that Sri Lankan and foreign Travel agents would include these hotels in their brochure programs.
The envisaged cost of this program of phase I is approximately Rs.650 million.
The Group Chairman emphasized from this initial phase his teams’ commitment to human resource development and training in order to upgrade and enhance service standards of the chain of lodging and eatery outlets in his Group that would enhance the image of the Group and stake holder value. |
E-mail
