Villa Palma Beach Resort

For Sun, sea and relaxation:

Beverley JANSZ

Built amidst gently swaying Palm trees at a beautiful location at Pamunugama, Villa Palma Beach Resort provides undisturbed sunbathing and relaxation besides the blue waters of the Pamunugama beach adjacent to the resort.

Although a ‘Boutique’ type resort, it offers all modern facilities to the discerning traveller. Complemented by lush palm trees, sea breeze and the sounds of lapping waves, Villa Palma offers the perfect combination of hospitality and comfort.

A Tourist Board approved ‘Grade A’ beach resort, it maintains tradition with comparable luxury and an individual touch - a perfect recipe for relaxation.

‘A Villa holiday is like non other. You are known by name and not by room number, where you would be treated with true traditional Sri Lankan hospitality by our friendly staff’ says Manager, Eric Rodrigo.

He adds that under the expert guidance of veteran hotelier, Frigidian Fernando, Villa Palma has become one of the first class ‘Boutique’ type hotels in Sri Lanka.

The resort has 20 luxury rooms with all modern facilities, including TV, mini-bar, telephone with IDD facilities and roomservice. The hotel has a business centre and a restaurant which could accommodate over 250 guests.

The resort is ideal for family outings, company picnics and in-house seminars and workshops.

The restaurant offers Western, Chinese, Italian, Indian and spicy Sri Lankan cuisine prepared by well experienced chefs. The resort has a beautiful swimming pool too.

Regency shopping arcade at Galle Face Hotel

Giving a new meaning to a “Shopaholic’s Dream...”:

Beverley JANSZ

Imagine one shopping arcade where you could browse around and pick up a variety of items, all under one roof?

And just picture the whole arcade located not in a modern chrome and steel structure, but in a cool and spacious old-world building with an ambience reminiscent of those wonderful days of wind and roses?

The Piazza Shopping Arcade at the Galle Face Hotel, where each store has been carefully selected to provide just the right mix of high quality with exclusivity, blending a diversity of items under one roof.

The museum at The Piazza Shopping Arcade at Galle Face Hotel displays a wide range of memorabilia dating back to its origin. The main exhibit at the Museum is the first car owned by Prince Phillip in 1940.

Tourists, in-house guests and visitors could avail themselves of the quality services offered by “7th Avenue,” Hair and Beauty Salon. Still on the subject of self-improvement, they could visit the Slimming Centre conveniently located at this arcade if they feel a need to, and to round off a perfect session of self-indulgence, “The Parfumerie” Perfume Shop is the ideal spot to pick up an enticing fragrance.

Diamonds are forever, and so are the many precious gemstones mined in Sri Lanka itself. To provide guests with gems and jewellery of the highest quality, two of the best jewellery stores - Sifani and Colombo Jewellers - have been selected to be a part of the Piazza Shopping Arcade.

Here one could browse around and wonder at the exquisite gems and sets of jewellery on display, renowned for their high quality and unique designs.

If tourists need to take an authentic piece of Sri Lanka home with them, then all they need to do is visit “Gandhara” selected as the store which best showcases the traditional crafts and items typical of Sri Lanka.

This is done in an elegant manner with an international ambience, providing shoppers with whole new experience in Sri Lanka’s arts, crafts and culture.

“The Candle Shoppe” has a range of hand made decorative candles which light up your life Here you would discover a variety of scented candles in attractive shapes, colours and sizes - some embossed with one gold and silver, two tone candles, floating floral candles to light up an indoor and outdoor pond.

A range of fruit candles such as apples and oranges are appropriately scented to provide a fruity aroma when lit. With cricket fever now on, you could check out the “Cricket Ball” candle-extremely realistic and an ideal gift for a cricket lover.

Vijitha Yapa Book Store provides a range of books to suit the most fastidious and selective reader. The selection on offer ranges from the latest novels on bestseller lists and topical issues handled by Sri Lankan writers to the latest magazines and travel guides.

Top post for Lankan hotelier in Vietnam

Roshan Fernando, one of Sri Lanka’s most versatile hoteliers, Director/Operations Aitken Spence Hotel Management left for Saigon, Vietnam on Saturday. Roshan has been selected to head a 350-room, five-star hotel in Vietnam.

He commenced duties as the General Manager of Amara Saigon Hotel, a 5-star property in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam yesterday.

This is the first time that a Sri Lankan hotelier has been selected to the top of General Manager of an International hotel chain, ‘Amara’. although Roshan has no experience of working as a General Manager in a foreign country, but has wide overseas experience in junior capacities. This is a unique achievement.

Roshan will lead a staff of 500 employees at Amara Saigon Hotel, which has eight banquet halls, five restaurants five expatriate staff and 350 deluxe rooms. Amara Saigon Hotel is owned and managed by Amara International Hotels and Resorts (Pvt) Ltd. a Singaporean registered company.

Roshan’s professional accomplishments include a Management Diploma in Hotel and Catering Operations with specialisation in Food and Beverage Operations-Final 1981.

His overseas experience includes Taj Hotels Ltd. India (Five Star) Management Trainee, Taj Mahal Inter-Continental, Bombay (5-star), Taj Mahal Hotel (5-star), and Taj Hotel Ltd. India (5-star).

From 1983 to 1985 Roshan was the Assistant Manager, F&B Department, Coffee Shop and Lobby at the Taj Samudra, Colombo, where he was promoted to the post of Assistant Manager, Banquets.

On April 1, 1989, Roshan reached his goal in life when he assumed duties as Resident Manager, Triton Hotel, Ahungalla (now Heritance). In recognising Roshan’s good and honest work, Aitken Spence promoted Roshan as the General Manager of Triton Hotel, Ahungalla in April 1995.

In 2000, Roshan took up duties as General Manager, Tea Factory Hotel, Nuwara Eliya, one of Aitken Spence’s flagship hotels. In June 2003 he was appointed General Manager, Earl’s Regence Hotel, Kandy.

From April 2005, Roshan was the Director, Operations, Aitken Spence Hotel Management.

With his wide experience in the Hospitality Industry, here and abroad, Roshan is sure to convert Amara Saigan Hotel, to one of the most prestigious and shining 5-star properties in Vietnam.

BJ

Building Contractor turns hotelier

After completing his studies at Highlands College, Hatton and St. John Bosco College, Hatton in 1982 B. W. Harrison Silva became a leading Government Building Contractor in Hatton.

He was responsible for the construction of some of the prestigious commercial buildings and residences in hatton.

Although a building contracter, Harrison was very interested in the hotel industry and his ambition was to someday build a star class hotel in Hatton.

In 1955, Harrison became a partner of the Tea Garden Hotel Complex, Watawala. At the end of 2006, Harrison’s dram came true when he opened Dine ‘N’ Rest Hotel, Hatton. This hotel was opened at the top of one of Hatton’s prestigious buildings, D.K.W. Shopping Complex.

Following the tremendous success of this hotel complex, Harrison embarked on his second hotel, Hill Side Inn, on Nuwara-Eliya Hatton Road.

This star class hotel built at a scenic location, overlooking lush tea plantations, and beautiful waterfalls, has become a popular stop-over for tourists travelling from Colombo and Hatton, to Nuwara Eliya.

From 1985 upto 1994, Harrison was a Director of the Hatton-Dikoya Cooperative Society. He was awarded a scholarship from this society and attended a workshop in Israel.

He was a member of the Hatton-Dikoya Urban Council for 12 years. Being a sports enthusiast, Harrison is the President of the Hatton Football League which was placed first out of 47 leagues, by the Sri Lanka Football Federation for the year 2006-2007.

Harrison is also the President of the Hatton YMBA, Central Provinces. A unique feature here is that the Elders Home run by the YMBA Hatton won the first place at a competition organised by the Department of Social Services, on the International Elders’ Day - 2006.

Harrison renders financial assistance to all sports clubs in Hatton, and has donated a new office building in Hatton for the Hatton Football League.

Kotthu Promotion at Raja Bojun

Are you a ‘Kotthu Lover’. Then drop in at Raja Bojun, Colombo 3 and be treated to Royalty. Raja Bojun is offering a kotthu promotion, specially for Kotthu lovers at special rates. Beef, chicken, fish or “polos” kotthu at it best prepared by expert chefs of Raja Bojun, are on offer.

Taste a delicious meal of kotthu of your choice, which includes a welcome drink.

Raja Bojun also offers a “Happy Hour” from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. with special discounts on all beverages. Daily lunch and dinner buffets of delicious and spicy Sri Lankan cuisine at nominal rates are also offered,” Director, Ceylinco Hotels, Niromi Thambapillai said.

A wide spread of authentic spicy Sri Lankan food, including hoppers, pittu with crabs, prawns, cuttle fish with a variety of garden fresh traditional vegetables. Drop in to Raja Bojun, Galle Road, Colombo 3 and be treated like a “king”, says Thambapillai.

Galadari’s “Cafe 64”

Galadari’s “Cafe 64” has become one of Colombo’s popular pastry shops due to the quality, moderate prices and location.

Kamal Amarasinghe, Supervisor “Cafe 64” said that savouries and pastries are offered to guests throughout the day at very reasonable prices. At lunch time, the Chicken Buriyani and fried rice offered by “Cafe 64” are big hits” among office workers.

Kotthu and buriyani at dinner time are also popular among foreign guests and Sri Lankans. Kotthu and Buriyani takeaways are extremely popular among Sri Lankans, Amarasinghe said. “Cafe 64” offers delicious Shawarina, Nasi Goreng and fish and chips at dinner time.

Friday and Saturday nights are special for “Cafe 64” as it offers a wide spread of delicious BBQ items at night. Takeaways for special occasions from “Cafe 64” are offered with complimentary desserts.

North Indian delights at Tandoor

Taste a range of delicious & mouth watering Indian delicacies at “Tandoor” the authentic North Indian Restaurant - at the Ceylon Continental Hotel Colombo.

On offer are some of the popular Indian dishes made by Indian Chefs Rakesh Singh & Ratan Singh at the Tandoor Restaurant. Chicken Sukha fry - Tender muscles of chicken marinated with fresh spices from India, Jhinga Ajwan Wala - Cumin flavoured deep fried prawns & Mutton or vegetable samosas.

A variety of salads including Cucumber salad, Tandoor chicken salad, Chef’s special mixed salad and Onion salads, will be offered to gusts.

Try out the main Balti dishes - Balti Continental - Boneless Mutton, Balti Chicken, Balti Paneer and Balti Prawns at the Tandoor restaurant which is open daily for lunch and dinner from 12 noon to midnight. Special Continental Biriyani, Mutton & Chicken Biriyani with a variety of Indian Breads, Popular Butter Chicken dish, Palak Mutton and vegetable specialities will be on offer for Indian food lovers, say Onitha Gurugalla, Public Relations Executive, Ceylon Continental.

Strawberry Promo at Cinnamon Grand

A selection of luscious treats featuring juicy strawberries - the food of the tennis season awaits at the Cinnamon Grand’s Coffee Stop this month.

Everything from fresh strawberries and cream, to strawberry based desserts, drinks and cakes are part of this special promotion. Ideals as a snack or treat any time of the day, the promotion is on till July 8.

Treats can be savoured any time between 9.00 a.m. to 2.00 a.m., so indulge that sweet tooth!

“Flip flop” Crepe Promotion at Hilton

Crepe is a French word for a thin, delicate pancake. Crepes are consumed as a dessert all around the world.

Hilton Colombo will have a crepe promotion from the July 1 to 10 at Spices, Thorana Lounge, Echelon Pub, Emperor’s Wok and Spoons. The famous of all is the crepe suzette.

“There will be an action station daily during lunch and dinner at Spices from 3.00 pm to 11.00 pm at the Thorana Lounge.” said the hotel’s Marketing Communications Manager, Gigi De Silva.

Executive Pastry Chef Gerard Mendis has created a special a la carte menu for this promotion.