US $ 14 m OZO Hotel comes up in Kandy

Shirajiv Sirimane in Kandy

Sino Lanka Hotels Holdings and Kandy Hotels will invest US $ 14 million to build the OZO Hotel in Kandy next to Suisse Hotel Kandy overlooking the lake. The project is a joint venture between Sino Lanka Hotels Holdings, headed by Bob Kundanmal and Kandy Hotels Co. (1938) PLC – owning company of the Queen’s Hotel and Hotel Suisse, headed by Sanjeev Gardiner.

Bob Kundanmal, Chairman of Sino Lanka Hotels Holdings (Pvt) Limited said that the property would be ready by 2014. “The five storeyed hotel would have 128 large rooms and is the first internationally managed and funded hotel in Kandy,” he said.

The company has so far acquired six sites in Colombo, Galle, Kandy, Seenimodera, Chilaw and an island in Beruwela for the purpose of developing hotels and resort properties.

“We are very positive about tourism in Sri Lanka and moving forward to build all six hotels. We are pleased to partner with ONYX on our three star properties,” he said.

Sino Lanka Hotels Holdings (Pvt) Ltd is a special purpose joint venture investment company established by investors and promoters, Bob Kundanmal, Stefan Furkhan together with Singaporean investors Manu Bhojwani and Rajan Bharwani to develop hotel and resort projects in Sri Lanka. Asked how he hopes to market the hotel in Kandy which is being considered a transit destination he said that they would work with stake holders in the city to add more attractions to Kandy.

“The construction of OZO Colombo, located on Marine Drive, Colombo 04, is progressing well and we are now awaiting approval to commence a third project in Galle.”Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is growing rapidly and we intend making use of the booming opportunities ahead through new partnerships and projects such as the OZO brand expansion in Sri Lanka,”said Sanjeev Gardiner, Chairman, Kandy Hotels Co. (1938) PLC.

OZO, is a select service brand aimed at travellers looking for insider experiences and a great sleep, revitalising the idea of smart travel. The hotel’s recreational facilities will include a swimming pool, gym; two restaurants including a 24 hour restaurant and OZO’s innovative grab and go, food on the run concept, O2Go.

ONYX Hospitality Group operates four diverse yet complementary hotel brands Saffron, Amari, Shama and Ozo - each catering to the distinctive requirements of today’s business and leisure travellers. The Thailand-based hotel management company also manages a portfolio of independently owned or franchised properties throughout Thailand. ONYX reaches beyond its Thai roots to offer innovative management solutions across the Indian Ocean, Arabian Gulf and Asia-Pacific regions.