BOI and CIAH sign up for $ 18 m first-ever airport based hotel at BIA

Monday, 1 November 2021 00:28 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

BOI Chairman Sanjaya Mohottala (left) and Colombo International Airport Hotels Chairman Ruwan Perera

Offers 100 rooms, 4-star facilities inclusive of pool, gym, restaurants, crew lounge among others
First phase of project to be ready as early as 2022

The Board of Investment (BOI) has recently entered into an agreement with Colombo International Airport Hotels Ltd. (CIAH) to construct the country’s first-ever airport hotel within the Airport and Aviation Services premises at Katunayake.

CIAH will invest $ 18.2 million for this project and the first phase of this hotel development is planned to be ready by 2022. The agreement was signed by BOI Chairman Sanjaya Mohottala and CIAH Chairman Ruwan Perera.

The airport-based hotel is set to offer a mega value addition to the expanding capacity of the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and will offer four-star facilities with over 100 rooms inclusive of superior, deluxe and suite rooms.

The facilities also include a spacious main pool, gym, spa, MICE centre, crew lounge and a number of restaurants, which is further complemented with a stunning rooftop leisure lounge; all of which is set amidst a lush tropical ambience. Internationally-acclaimed architectural designs and state of the art technologies will be introduced in this project by the Japanese partnering companies.

Mohottala said: “A star class hotel within the airport premises has been a key requirement for Sri Lanka, and we are indeed grateful that a project of this nature is taking shape. With international passenger traffic expected to increase exponentially, and with Sri Lanka aiming to become one of Asia’s main transit ports, the country needs to accelerate hotel capacity rapidly. This project is therefore, an extremely welcome infrastructure development initiative that we are all eagerly looking forward to, and I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to everyone who is working towards making it a reality.”

Perera said: “We are especially pleased with the timing of this project. This will not only add significant value to the BIA, but also offer a unique option for international visitors patronising the Katunayake Export Processing Zone, as well as flight crew, transit and business travellers.

“We are most delighted to partner with Airport & Aviation Services Sri Lanka Ltd. in this venture on their own land fulfilling the vision of the Government. We are also overwhelmed by the confidence placed on this project by Japanese partners and also for the opportunities created for local companies to prove their talents through collaboration.”