Thursday, 31 October 2013 01:28
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Venture will see amalgamation of footprint of three award winning hotels, Riverina, Palm Garden and Tropical Villas.
Phase 1 will comprise a fully-integrated resort of internationally benchmarked, 5-star standard with 500 rooms
LOLC Leisure yesterday laid the foundation for ‘Phase 1’ of what it described as “mega tourism development” in Beruwala.
The traditional ceremony took place in the presence of Minister of Transport Kumara Welgama and Ports and Highways Project Minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena, alongside other dignitaries and Directors of LOLC Leisure.
Minister Welgama said: “In the post-conflict tourism landscape of Sri Lanka, this long-awaited mega tourism development in Beruwala is another vital step, not only in propelling the tourism sector but also in promoting the investment credentials of Sri Lanka and the local area. With the completion of both phases, the local and national economy stands to benefit tremendously, ensuring the fruits of peace are shared by all.”
Project Minister Abeygunawardena said: “Across two phases, this mega tourism development will provide some 1,000 direct and 5,000 indirect employment opportunities as this is one of the biggest such locally-funded tourism projects outside Colombo. It will no doubt empower Sri Lanka in attracting a higher spending breed of visitors to the country.”
LOLC Group Managing Director/CEO Kapila Jayawardena in his address said: “With an ever-expanding portfolio of cutting-edge properties, today’s initial step is a clear expression of LOLC Leisure’s ambition to be one of the island’s premier hotel operators and along the way add value to the presently bullish tourism market with novel and dynamic guest experiences.”
Phase 1 will comprise of a fully-integrated resort of internationally benchmarked, 5-star standard with 500 rooms offering all ultra modern luxuries, complemented by extensive MICE facilities. It is envisioned that an International hotel chain will be awarded the management contract of Phase 1, upon its completion and the vetting of offers is presently underway.
LOLC said this mega tourism development will see the amalgamation of the footprint of three award-winning hotels, Riverina, Palm Garden and Tropical Villas. Across two phases, this development will elevate the ‘Golden Mile of Beruwala’ to an international holiday destination. The architect is Vinod Jayasinghe and the contractor is Sierra Construction Ltd.
LOLC Group also owns and operates the 5-star Eden Resort & Spa in Beruwala, the Dickwella Resort & Spa in Dickwella and Green Paradise in Dambulla. The 5-star ‘Samudra Beach’ in Kosgoda is due to open its doors in the second quarter of 2014. The LOLC Group also possesses a myriad of attractive greenfield sites earmarked for future development.
