Nuwara Eliya Hotels Company wins Gold at CA Sri Lanka 53rd Annual Report Awards Competition

From left: Sri Lanka Annual Reports Awards Committee Chairman Sanjaya Bandara, Ranil T. Wijeasinha, Nuwara Eliya Hotels Company PLC Managing Director Gerard Ondaatjie, Tangerine Group of Hotels Group Accountant Ravi Fernando and CA Sri Lanka President Lasantha Wickramasinghe 

The Nuwara Eliya Hotels Company PLC, which operates the Grand Hotel, Nuwara Eliya was among a variety of companies from leading blue-chip firms, conglomerates, SMEs and small-time community groups who were honoured at the grand finale of CA Sri Lanka’s Annual Report Award Competition that took place on 5 December, for their excellence in Financial Reporting. 

This event was organised by CA Sri Lanka and was held under the patronage of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, and the Financial Reporting of the contestant companies were analysed and finally evaluated by a distinguished panel of judges led by the Governor of Central Bank, Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy. 

The Nuwara Eliya Hotels Company PLC won the gold award for its Annual Report featuring the Grand Hotel and its subsidiary, Fair View Hotel in the category allocated for Hotel Companies. The company was one of the 140 other companies which participated in this year’s competition. Its Annual Report for 2016/17 was subject to a three-tier process of evaluation that involved more than 300 resource personnel of the Annual Report Awards Committee who were tasked with selecting the best reports. The annual report of the Company was among a handful of other reports that were classified as ‘excellent’ when its economic, social and industry specific disclosures were analysed and finally, evaluated by a distinguished panel of judges.

Located around 6,000 ft above sea level in the hills of Nuwara Eliya with a history of more than 150 years, the Grand Hotel is widely regarded as one of the finest landmark hotels in hill country, complimenting the beauty and tranquillity of Nuwara Eliya. The Grand Hotel has been a favourite destination for many tourists visiting the area for its excellent service, products, quality and ability to maintain its traditions with old-world charm while simultaneously encouraging the nurturing of the live and social environment the hotel lies in. The accolades the hotel has accumulated since inception are many and wide-ranging its impressive performance year-after-year is testament to its excellence. 

The Nuwara Eliya Hotels Company PLC (Grand Hotel) achieved the silver and bronze awards at the same event in previous years, and this achievement is another significant milestone. The Annual Report Awards Competition of CA Sri Lanka is the most prestigious competition for Annual Reports in the country which has helped to enhance the standards in Financial Reporting in line with Global Standards. In this context, this is a remarkable achievement for Nuwara Eliya Hotels Company PLC, which has gained significant recognition for the excellence the company has displayed in its Financial Reporting. Winning the coveted Annual Report Gold Award in the ‘Leisure sector’ first time and the silver and Bronze Award for the past six years was no mean task, reiterating its commitment to the stakeholders.