Hotel Cockpit opens at Export Processing Zone

Shirajiv Sirimane

To meet the growing demand for leisure activities and up market dining in the Colombo International Airport area and the Export processing Zone a new three star hotel, Cock Pit was opened last week.

The six floor hotel offering 26 rooms including a penthouse, seven superior rooms, 10 luxury rooms and 8 standard rooms has a roof top restaurant which could accommodate 120 covers.

The Chairman Hotel Cockpit, A.D.G.G. Priyanka said they have already invested Rs. 150 million for the property and would reinvest another Rs. 50 million for further development in the next two months.

This would include a spa, a gymnasium and another restaurant. He said that he invested 33% from his own funds and the rest were borrowing from the Yakkala Seylan Bank branch. The chairman said that with developments in the Colombo Airport and the BoI zone, the Colombo Airport Highway area is in demand for high class leisure entertainment and quality accommodation.

“In addition we are looking at the transit market and also looking at attracting airline crews,” he said.

“Our hotel has launched an international marketing campaign and several world famed websites such as Agoda and bookings. com has been included at ‘Hotel Cockpit’ in their list.

The architect, Ananda Herath has used the maximum use of space to build the hotel and there is a basement night club which is an attracting clientele.

Priyanka said that he was in the leisure industry since 2002 starting several entertainment clubs in Colombo and operates the 32 room Atlanta Hotel in Colombo 4. Priyantha said they are ever so thankful that there is permanent peace in the country which has enabled them to invest in the tourism industry.

“We have invested over Rs. 35 million for this club and all lighting and sound has been imported.” “Due to this we have now decided to reinvent in two more hotel projects in Dambulla and Sigiriya and looking at launching our own taxi service,” he said.