Travel

Avani Bentota maintaining high occupancy

The re-branded Avani Bentota Resort and Spa which was opened last December has made a strong impact and is maintaining high occupancies.

The property was formerly known as Serendib Bentota. The Avani Bentota Resort and Spa - was launched by Serendib Leisure in partnership with Minor International.

Tied up with Thailand based Minor Hotel Group and the marketing of both parties is one key reason for high occupancy.

Minor International is a hotel group operating leisure facilities in many parts of the world with a portfolio of 37 hotels and 36 serviced suites operated under the brand names of Anantara, Marriott, Four Seasons, St. Regis, Elewana and Oaks. Serendib Leisure Management is a subsidiary of the local conglomerate Hemas Group. “This is the first hotel of the Minor Group outside Thailand,” said Marketing Manger Avani, Suranjith Fonseka.

He said that after the acquiescing they had invested 650 million for a major refurbishment. “We noted the new trend where families travel and to attract this market we made the rooms larger,” he said.

The Avani Bentota Resort recorded the arrival of its 1000th guest, two-and -a-half months after its launch in December last year.

The January 2012 issue of 'Travel and Leisure' magazine has classified Avani Bentota as one of the hottest travel destinations of 2012.

Facilities include 75 guest rooms and suites, three bars, two restaurants, accompanied by private dining options on the beach.

Complementing this is the chic Cigar and Wine Lounge, while meeting rooms seat up to 100 people. “This is to attract a MICE market,” he said.

Bentota, on the south coast, is renowned for its wide, golden beaches.

Avani Bentota Resort and Spa is on one of the best stretches, and is themed on a 18th century Dutch village by world-famous architect, Geoffrey Bawa. Ninety rooms set amidst a distinctive garden of frangipani styled in a captivating fusion of colonial and contemporary. This is the ideal place for romance or quiet reflection.

(SS)

‘Happyland No 1,’ :

Spice garden growing in Central Province

Cassandra Abeynaike in Matale

The spice garden market appears to be growing in the Central Province town of Matale, with an estimated 15 in operation. In particular, a company that is experiencing this development is Ceylon Tourist Board Approved, ‘Happyland No 1,’ located in Kawatayamuna, Palapathwela, Matale.This business began in 1979 on a family property and it continues to flourish on a 10 ½ acre property that was attained 20 years ago.

Although locals are welcomed to visit the garden, Happyland aims its business and tourists who are interested in spices, herbs and natural medicines. A 1 ½ hour program has been constructed for visitors which begins with the incentive of a free spice tea, a tour around the garden where a guide gives an indepth discussion about the importance of each tree and what it produces.

After the program concludes, they are taken to one of the three ‘schools’ that are located within the garden.

The school, which is made in conjunction with the traditional ‘mud hut,’ tourists are educated about Ayurvedic medicine through a demonstration of buyable products, offered in various languages including English, Russian, Italian, German and French.

“Even though we’d like to say that the spices are what attract the visitors, it’s actually the essence of Ayurvedic medicine that cements the tour” said one of the four partners of Happyland.

The company has said that they actually don’t use the spices and herbs that they have grown in their garden as it meant for display and educational purposes only. However, they do buy wholesale items from locals for their Ayurvedic products and then package them within their premises.

“The government’s promotion of Ayurveda for tourists has given them knowledge of herbal medicine. This intrigues them to learn more about the origins of the medicine and in doing so enables us to sell our products” he informed. There is no tourism season as they come in throughout the year but months that have increased rates of sightseers are March, April and October.

Happyland has 10 employees working in the garden, including family members and locals. The economy is said to have had a positive impact on the business and this has only increased with the end of the civil war. With the boom in the economy and the exposure internationally that Sri Lanka is receiving, the company believe that they can continue to grow.

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'The Firs’ Heritage Boutique Bungalow in the heart of Nuwara Eliya

The “FIRS” is a little jewel that sits pretty aloft its little hillock overlooking Lake Gregory in the most scenic location in Nuwara Eliya, the loftiest region in Sri Lankan Hill country. A Luxury Boutique Bungalow which was originally built well over a century ago by Philip Freudenberg Ceylon’s 1st International Counsel General for Germany was later acquired and became the holiday home of Hon. D.S.Senenayake, Sri Lanka’s first Prime Minister.

Full of charm, sparklingly new and packed with every luxury you need for a relaxing holiday in Nuwara Eliya, ‘The Firs’ luxury boutique hotel, scheduled to be opened by mid May this year, will be an ideal stay for those who are looking for an exclusive experience rather than merely a traditional holiday.

‘The Firs’ is considered to be a true Sri Lankan up market ‘Heritage Boutique Bungalow’ that beckons historical value, and has been conceptualized according to the British Colonial era with the intention of providing the same experience during the British Monarchy.

Today, after undergoing continuous upgrades, The Firs now follows the very same concept, ensuring that every aspect of the property is about luxury, and is designed to reflect the unique spirit and soul of its location, providing guests a one-of-a-kind luxury experience.

Luxury soft furnishings and styling, as well as top-line amenities - including world-class personalized unique butler services for every room, spa and fitness facilities, game rooms, coffee and cigar lounges and dining rooms and uniquely - a wine cellar, make this holiday accommodation on the edge of the hills absolutely irresistible.

At the end of an adventurous day, you can sit with a glass of wine enjoying the sunset at the upper level ‘attic bar’, or perhaps settle for a continental style exquisite dining experience – made to your individual preference.

What’s more, as you are within half an hour of some of the prettiest sights and historical towns in the hill area, you are truly spoilt for choice.

The Firs offers many excursions and tours which cover the natural beauty of Nuwara Eliya - including adventurous hikes to the World’s End or a casual play at the Famous Victoria Golf Club – which would all color the stay even better.

The Firs, like its Kandy flagship - ‘Randholee Luxury Resort’, is managed by Freudenberg Shipping Agencies Ltd. and is designed to reflect the unique spirit and soul of its location, providing guests a one-of-a-kind luxury experience.

Ceylon Continental provides educational equipment to schools in Nuwara Eliya

The guests were warmly welcomed by Harsha Samaranayake, Director of Sales and marketing of the Continental Hotel after which a warm welcome speech and an introduction to the CSR project was given to all the invitees and children by Kamal Munasinghe, the General Manager of the Ceylon Continental Hotel.

Gifts such as a LG hi-fi home theatre system for the Madduma Bandara School and Sri Vajiraggnana School, a HP laser jet printer and a HP (2400) Scanner to Paynters Memorial School along with a LG DVD player, five Udekki instruments and an electronic tuning box to Gamini National School were given to the respective school representatives as requested for the betterment of their students.

"We see it as an opportunity to add value to the education institutes in the rural area of Sri Lanka. Seeing smiles on the faces of these children and the appreciation of the teachers is something that we at the hotel greatly enjoy, and we have chosen to focus our social responsibilities on this cause," Kamal Munasinghe said.

Qantas eyes Singapore for premium airline

Australian flag carrier Qantas is still considering Singapore as the base for a premium carrier in Asia, chief executive Alan Joyce said in a report published Monday.

Qantas' Asian plans, which it sees as key to its strategy of revitalising its loss-making international business, were dealt a blow when talks with Malaysian Airlines over the premium joint-venture collapsed last month.

Talks with Singapore on the issue had also lapsed but Joyce told The Australian newspaper that the airline was still looking at a range of options for a premium Asian airline, including the city state.

“This will take a bit longer than we originally thought, but we're still keen to set up a premium airline in Asia and we're still looking at a range of options available to us -- and Singapore is one of them,” Joyce said. He added that Qantas was still talking to the Singapore government on the idea.

“We work with them on a range of issues and one of them is keeping the door open to the possibility of a premium airline,” Joyce told the newspaper.

Qantas holds a 65 percent share of the domestic Australian market but has struggled with an underperforming international business.

It is attempting to refocus on Asia, the world's fast-growing aviation market, and last month announced a new Hong Kong-based budget airline, Jetstar Hong Kong, which it hopes will be in the air in 2013. But Joyce said that for long-term success Qantas, which has a weak market share in Asia, needed to participate in the premium end of the regional market.

“Qantas could probably live with it for the next few years but I'm committed to (the idea) that in the future we have to address it, and the way to address it is to be involved in a premium airline in Asia,” he said.

Joyce said while there would be costs associated with establishing a new Asian operation, it was needed to fix the longer-term problem of Qantas being relevant in the region.

“It's something we have to do in the long-term but we don't have to do immediately,” he said.

Qantas's Asia plans sparked a fierce domestic backlash when unveiled last year, with Australian unions concerned the move would see jobs sent abroad.

The ensuing acrimony between management and unions saw Joyce ground the entire Qantas fleet in October, stranding thousands of passengers at airports around the world, digging into the airline's bottom line.

AFP