Leisure

Cinnamon Lakeside wins Best Luxury Hotel award

Sanjeevi Jayasuriya

Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo announced its latest accomplishment as recipient of the ‘Best Luxury Hotel, Sri Lanka’ award at the Business Destinations 2012 Travel Awards.

“We work hard in providing an excellent service to our valued guests and our efforts are paying off. We are proud to win this award as we want to become a trend setter in the industry,” Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo General Manager Denis Gruhier said.

“There is huge growth potential in the tourism industry and we work towards developing the industry in a sustainable manner,” he added.

Currently recognized as the ‘Best Five Star City Hotel’ by Sri Lanka Tourism, the award brings international recognition to the already locally awarded hotel. The Hotel has also been recognized at internal forums, with triumphs at the John Keells Leisure Awards under the pledges ‘I will stand out wherever I am’ and ‘I will get it right the first time all the time’ as well as an award for ‘Best Innovation’.

As the winner of ‘Best Luxury Hotel, Sri Lanka’, Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo was recognized for achieving overall excellence in innovativeness, unparalleled standards in product and service, corporate values and sustainable practices.

In keeping with owning company, John Keells’ vision to be the hospitality trendsetter, Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo has raised the bar in the Sri Lankan hospitality industry with trendsetting initiatives such as the launch of the first purpose built floating venue in the country ‘8° on the lake’.

The venue has become one of the most exclusive and sought after venues in the city for private events.

The Hotel is the only large scale property in the South East Asian region to successfully implement a trolley-less housekeeping service for the entire hotel. In 2011, the hotel replaced the trolleys traditionally used by the Housekeeping team with a more aesthetically pleasing and practical basket system. Cumbersome trolleys no longer clutter the corridors of Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo.

The priority check in process offered to Executive Floor guests with the implementation of a wireless tablet and credit card machine system is a further example of the trendsetting initiatives that result in the exceptional Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo guest experience.

Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo’s continuous dedication to sustainable business was another factor that contributed to its victory at the Business Destinations Awards. “It is the first five star hotel in Sri Lanka to be Green Globe certified and the only one in Sri Lanka to be consequently recertified for its contribution to a greener environment. The hotel extends its green drive by encouraging guest involvement.”

The Hotel’s involvement in corporate social responsibility has been a fundamental aspect in its sustainability drive. “In the last year Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo has carried out three cultural restoration projects where hotel associates volunteer to restore religious structures around the country such as the restoration of the Abhayagiriya temple, St Anne’s Church Paradise in Kuruwita and the Ayeshwariya Lakshmi Kovil.

The award endorses Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo’s position at the forefront of the developments in the hospitality industry.

Business Destinations is a UK based business travel magazine that caters to travel professionals around the globe. The leading business travel magazine specializes in news, features and hotel advice for business travelers and covers global correspondence, city focuses, food and drink. The magazine carries features from leading journalists and celebrated personalities.

Business Destinations Travel Awards celebrate top hotels around the world under the luxury, business and service hotel categories. Business Destination Award winners are decided by regular contributors to Business Destinations, industry professionals, experienced business travelers and magazine subscribers.

Ronan International Centre re launched

Sri Lanka's first exclusive event destination mall known as Ronan International Centre (RIC) which spans 68,000 square foot is set to re-launch itself starting this July to give customers a shopping experience unlike any other. The specialty mall which cost Rs. 644 million for completion welcomes three new stores to its exciting foray of existing retail outlets.

“There is something for everyone in the family, from a free kids play area to premium stores that offer exclusive designs and clothing to banks and spas,” said Ronan International Centre Group Chairman Rohan Nanayakkara. “The unique feature of this mall is to make not only shopping hassle free and a relaxing experience, but to provide everything a family wants under one roof, in a mall that’s architecturally designed with the family in mind.”

The new shops which take its place at the mall is a Nail Spa, Dr Fish - a new concept in reflexology treatment and therapy as well as a Foot Spa, a mini commercial bank outlet is also in the offing. These openings add to the current line up of enticing retail outlets like Unique Fashions which has one-of-a-kind clothing items and Balta – Sri Lanka’s largest carpet showroom to name a few.

The management of Ronan International Centre is highly considerate of trade exclusivity where appropriate, as a way to reduce merchandize duplication and repetition and instill a sense of prestige in the retailer; hence outlets like Unique Fashion are at the forefront. The RGI builds on the legacy of one of Sri Lanka's pioneer companies, Ceylon Carriers Ltd., with draws over six decades of experience in logistics and hospitality sectors.

Cross Border Academy wins accolade

Sanjeevi Jayasuriya

Creating a landmark in its three year journey, Cross Border Academy was awarded the “Best Student Job Prospects” award by Wissen Academy of Singapore for producing job oriented Diploma holders.

Catering further to the growing needs of the hospitality industry, the Cross Border Academy provides enhanced opportunities for students of middle and low income families to study for an internationally recognized Hospitality Management programme in Sri Lanka.

The academy which would be celebrating its third year anniversary this year, was the brainchild of Yatila Wijemanne, its Founder and Managing Director. It is affiliated to the Dimensions Education Group of Singapore, one of the largest and highly reputed educational institutions in Singapore, established in 1980. Furthermore, the accreditation and quality controlling body of Cross Border is undertaken by Wissen Academy of Singapore, which is a partnered body of Dimensions Education Group.

The primary aim of establishing the Cross Border Academy had been fuelled by the need in Sri Lanka for a professional Hospitality Management institution, thus enabling Sri Lankan students to read towards internationally recognized Hospitality Management programmes.

“Our programmes on hospitality, have enabled many households with low and middle income to read a programme that had international accreditation. “We undertake specialist tailor made programmes for in-house training within the hospitality industry,” Wijemanne said, adding that we have experienced a 200 percent growth rate in student population and would be catering to the needs of the human capital in the hospitality industry.

The Cross Border Academy, with strong industry recognition and partnerships, is perhaps the only education provider that bridges the gap between education and arrangement of employment. For instance, a student who completes courses related to hotel management or the baking industry, would be able to join directly as a job trainee in less than three weeks. Therefore, Cross Border is not only an education provider, but a catalyst in establishing the platform from qualifications to employment. Simply, a ‘one stop institution.’

The team of highly specialized lecturers have been trained in Singapore for enhancing the quality of teaching. In addition, the learning environment is of international standard, with spacious and air-conditioned lecture rooms, technology integrated teaching, personal tutoring and provision of learning material.

Since the inception of Cross Border Academy over three years ago, the education provider has grown by over 100% with each batch intake.

“The student population in our academy have been growing quite significantly and as a result, we had to re-locate to a venue larger in size, therefore, enabling us with the possibility of providing greater facilities for our students,” Wijemanne said.

New concept by Praguna Management

Shirajiv Sirimane

Praguna Management Consultants are looking at introducing a new concept where guests would be provided with management training and a taste of tourism.

Managing Director, Praguna, Dhammika Jayasuriya said that they are looking at building a special centre for this project. “This would be a joint venture with a Malaysian company,”� he said.

Sri Lanka has a unique bio-diversity and foreigners are keen to explore this. In addition, Sri Lankan Mercantile Management skills are of very high standards and several Indian companies are already seeking Praguna Management Consultants skills to train Indian youth.

Praguna Management Consultants (Pvt) Limited, which commenced in 1997, draws more than 15 years experience in consulting, training and facilitation to large, medium and small, public and private sectors. “Our unblemished track record would help to get more participants for this project.”�

One of the first Sri Lankan Consultancy Firms to facilitate over 300 International Standardization Certificates for its clients, their counterparts in Malaysia wishes to send students to get exposed in Bio-diversity.

Praguna is a trilingual (Tamil, Sinhala and English) organization having trained over 400,000 hands, both youth and adults in improving employment avenues, prepare and adopting best practices for workforces in Automobile workshops, Logistics, Plantations, Educational Institutes, Apparel and Garments, Hotels & Leisure, Constructions, Design and Architectural, Engineering Services, Medical, Transport, various type of export and import products, Value Adding, Solar Power, Hydro Power and Shipping Industries.

“We also send our consultants to Indian and my aim is to bring the Indian students to Sri Lanka, train them here and give them a taste of Sri Lankan hospitality by engaging them in tourism. “What we are planning to do is to combine these two segments and offer it as one package,”� he explained.

This would bring in revenue to Sri Lanka and promote more tourism.

Jayasuriya said that they have already obtained land for this project and the total investment would be around Rs. 40 million to build living and learning centre in these three venues.

He said that the three centres would be able to accommodate 20 to 30 families and over 100 would be able to gain employment.

Praguna provide consultancy services for international standardizations (Compliance systems ), business, technology, and project/programme consultancy services to the blue chip organizations specially in the private sectors. It engages in managing Human Resource and Compliance System Departments, including business case and benefits, ensuring sponsorship and leadership, managing change and risk, embedding change, and managing user programmes.

We provide motivational and knowledge enhancement training and awareness programmes, workshops from top to bottom level employees of the organizations.

Amazing Culinary Expedition 2012 concludes

Amazing Culinary Expedition (ACE) 2012 organized by the Training and development Team and the F and B operations team together with Hotel operations was held at Chaaya Tranz Hikkaduwa last week.

This event was organized with the objective of improving Culinary Skills, Service Skills, Food Knowledge and the creativity whilst rewarding and recognizing the talents of the Kitchen and F and B teams of all John Keells Resorts in Sri Lanka.

In this year’s challenge, the kitchen teams were given a budget to do shopping at Keells Super – Galle, then plan and prepare a menu with an Appetizer, Main Course and a Dessert within given time. Each team was consisting of a Sous Chef of the hotel and 3 other team members.

The F and B service teams had to plan and prepare a Cocktail that would accompany one of the dishes prepared by their respective kitchen team and prepare a moktail that could be served as a welcome drink.

This challenge was followed by a Table Top designing completion and a Food and beverage service challenge where the participants served the food prepared by their kitchen teams to invitees and was judged according to international dining standards.

The Event was judged by the Chefs Guild of Sri Lanka and Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management professionals.

Chaaya Tranz Hikkaduwa emerged the Winners on the Culinary Challenge whilst Cinnamon Lodge Habarana clinched the F and B Service Challenge.

Cinnamon Lodge Habarana Kitchen Team won the Challenge Trophy for Best Appetizer whilst Chaaya Tranz Hikkaduwa and Chaaya Citadel Kandy won the challenge trophies for Best Main Course and Best Dessert respectively.

Chaaya Wild Yala secured the Challenge Trophy for the Best Table Top decoration. Chaaya Citadel Knady and Bentota Beach Hotel won the first Runner up and the second Runner up positions.

ACE 2012 was endorsed by the Chefs Guild of Sri Lanka and this is the only event organize by a hotel company to get such endorsement by a professional body.

German tourists engage in CSR initiatives in Sri Lanka

Shirajiv Sirimane

The Kinderhelfer Sri Lanka Foundation, based in Fulda Germany, is promoting tourism and also helping in numerous CSR initiatives to assist in rural education.

One of the founders of the concept, Ivor Vancuylermburg, said that their organisation was not internationally funded and they only operate through equipment donated by people in Germany.

“We have been involved in this project for 19 years and have sent over 2, 000 German tourists to Sri Lanka. “These tourists while paying for their holiday, also get involved in CSR projects in Sri Lanka,” he said.

Recently, they donated hockey equipment to the value of Rs. 300, 000 to the Menikdewela Central College in Kandy, which created a major sensation by becoming runners up at the all islands schools hockey championships on debut.

The Kinderhelfer Organisation has also come forward to help furnish the three storied special building that was being built by Kelani Cables for the Maharagama Cancer hospital, where patients and their relatives who seek over night treatment could reside.

“These people usually have to stay in temples, with relatives or in hotels and seek treatment for about three days. “We must thank Deputy Chairman Suren. Madanayake and CEO, S. Saranapala of Kelani Cables for this noble deed,” he said.

The Kinderhelfer Sri Lanka Foundation would donate 65 hydraulic beds (each valued at over Rs. 300, 000) for this facility which would be opened next month.

The group also donated ventilators and incubators to the Kalutara hospital. “The Kelani Cables Group came forward to pay the freight charges which was over Rs. 1.2 million to transport these medical equipment which had been distributed via the Ministry of Health,” he added.

He said that in addition, they were helping a Pre school in Kekirawa and have also built 100 houses during the last 19 years. They also finance to run three pre schools where 350 students are being taught and even provide a mid day meal and transport for students.

He said that Kelani Cables Jayantha Wijesinghe was a tower of strength and help in their endeavours.

Under the programme currently 35 German tourists were in Sri Lanka on a two week tour. “They would be based in the cultural triangle and Negombo,” he said.

Vancuylermburg said that today the tourists had many options in selecting hotels and this would help to promote tourism in a big way, while improvements on the road network, including the opening of the highway, have given more time for tourists to relax. “However, affordable prices should be offered by airlines flying to Colombo,” he said.