Jetwing Vil Uyana wins HICAP awards 2012

Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP) announced that Jetwing Vil Uyana, Sri Lanka, has won the award for Sustainable Project Design at the 2012 HICAP Sustainable Hotel Awards. The Sustainable Hotel Awards were launched at HICAP in 2007 to recognize hotels in the Asia Pacific region demonstrating exemplary sustainable best practices. The institution of the Awards hopes to inspire industry wide commitment to embracing and proliferating sustainable development and operations as standard practice in contribution to the preservation of our global and local environments and cultures.

The official announcement as released by HICAP said, "Sustainable Project Design, Jetwing Vil Uyana, Sigiriya, Sri Lanka, Jetwing Vil Uyana embodies what can be accomplished in providing a luxurious resort guest experience in a truly environmentally friendly and sustainable manner.

Twenty-seven luxurious dwellings are integrated into a wetland reserve in an area of just three acres despite the property spanning 24 acres. Two years prior to hotel construction were spent solely on the creation of the private nature reserve on neglected slash and burn agricultural land, which now comprises a wetland ecosystem with lakes, reed beds and forest. Only indigenous plants were utilized and grown naturally, including butterfly and bird attracting flora to enhance species richness. Paddy is grown using traditional harvesting methods.

Carefully monitoring of flora and fauna reveals a tremendous increase in both numbers and diversity."

"We revolutionized the field of traditional hotel design with Jetwing Vil Uyana, and the property continues to amaze. Being a refuge for nature, as well as a getaway in luxury, Jetwing Vil Uyana certainly deserves such a prestigious award" said Hiran Cooray, Chairman of Jetwing.

Other winners include Radisson Blu Resort, India, Anantara Golden Triangle Resort abd Spa, Thailand, and Song Saa Private Island, Cambodia.

Jetwing Vil Uyana celebrates its sixth birthday this October, and has been wildly successful in both providing guests a stay in the embrace of Nature herself as well as providing a home for 80 species of birds, 17 species of mammals, 36 species of butterflies and 21 species of amphibians, all found within the hotel premises.

The property is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, and resides in close proximity to another marvel of engineering and architecture, the Rock Fortress of Sigiriya.

Family owned and in the tourism industry for the past 39 years, Jetwing Hotels has surpassed expectation at every aspect. Building on their foundation of being passionate, as well as the experience of true, traditional Sri Lankan hospitality, constantly pioneering discoveries captures the essence of the brand. Such a strong statement and direction have enabled Jetwing Hotels to imagine, create and manage marvels and masterpieces, where distinctive design and elegant comfort complement each other and the environment. Considered a priority, sustainable and responsible practice is implemented through the award winning Jetwing Eternal Earth Programme; with energy efficiency, community upliftment, and education of earth saving measures to schoolchildren being a few tenets of the Programme.

For the first time in Sri Lanka,100% of the air-conditioning requirements of Jetwing Lagoon, are generated using absorption chillers that run sustainably via steam generated from the biomass boiler.