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Value for money for domestic traveller: Gardiner Group revamping CHC to boost domestic tourism
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"We are now in the process of revamping the present CHC hotels and rest houses around the country and also plan to acquire, build or lease more properties in Star Class tourist destinations within the country for the purpose of expanding professionally the domestic tourism sector in Sri Lanka," Gardiner Group Chairman, Sanjeeva Gardiner said.
He elaborated that with a dynamic hotelier - Chandra Mohotti - at the helm of the CHC, his colossal investment would be justified.
Gardiner said that plans are afoot to invest Rs. one billion to refurbish the Galle Face Hotel, another Rs. one billion to give a facelift to the landmark Queen's Hotel in Kandy while a further Rs. 1.5 billion will be spent to uplift the Ceylon Hotels Corporation properties including the Suisse Hotel in Kandy and to acquire new properties to expand the domestic tourism in Sri Lanka. This phased programme will be completed in the next five years.
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Speaking to the "Daily News" Chief Executive Officer of the Ceylon Hotels Corporation Chandra Mohotti, whose name has been synonymous in Sri Lanka with credibility in the hotel business for the past two to three decades, explained the Group's intentioned plans in the short and long term.
Potential of domestic tourism
"A predominant feature is that the Gardiner Group has realized the potential and necessity to promote domestic tourism which so far has been relatively neglected and does not depend on the vagaries of international tourist arrivals," Mohotti explained.
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The most attractive feature is that the pricing of these properties will be affordable to the domestic traveller and will be kept at the same levels that were maintained when the Corporation was under Government purview, but with improved facilities, services and food quality," Mohotti said.
The Gardiner Group which always had the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo and Lihiniya Surf in Bentota as its flagship properties, now has under its umbrella the two landmark hotels in Kandy - Queen's Hotel and Suisse Hotel - and 21 other rest houses and hotels around the country.
Ambitious plans
Mohotti explained that the Gardiner Group headed by its Group Chairman Sanjeeva Gardiner has ambitious plans of making the travel market affordable and would include certain popular destinations - three to four star properties - which would attract foreign tourists as well.
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Under the same umbrella the Gardiner Group hopes to revive and expand the Travel Bureau which was the travel arm of the Ceylon Hotels Corporation.
Mohotti claimed that reputed hoteliers are gradually being recruited to the CHC to uplift the standards of the hotels and rest houses namely Kumar Thambyah as General Manager of the Queen's Hotel and Suisse in Kandy and Harsha Thewarapperuma as Director/Operations overlooking the operational aspects of the Corporation.
The Company's intention is to have a blend of experienced hoteliers with a group of young hoteliers who would eventually be at the helm.
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Training programmes are being formulated with the main purpose of developing the skills of present Executives and staff.
It is hoped that the main thrust of personnel development would enable the staff, who for so long years have had a stagnant existence, to benefit with proper motivation and more importantly receive high remunerations and service charge levels in keeping with the tourist industry standards.
Mohotti is optimistic that the massive investment by the Gardiner Group on all CHC properties will undoubtedly benefit the domestic traveller who will be the eventual beneficiary.
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