Dining out now an affordable lifestyle trend

Wednesday, 13 March 2013 00:51 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Sri Lanka has now become one of the many popular travel destinations in the world that offers a combination of the best local and international cuisines. As such, the trend for dining has picked up and continues to grow.

In 2012, the credit card spend in the dining category had seen a very healthy increase of over 100%, compared to 2011 with more locals patronising year round dining deals at hotels and restaurants, according to HSBC.

HSBC was instrumental in popularising this trend through its novel ‘cardholder dines free’ offering, giving diners an opportunity to enjoy tasteful and affordable dining experiences, and enjoying significant discounts.

Having changed the landscape of dining in Sri Lanka, HSBC has once again partnered with eight star class hotels and popular restaurants island-wide, to offer cardholders dining deals throughout the first quarter of the year. Thereby, cardholders can choose to savour many mouthwatering cuisines in the company of family and friends, be it in Colombo, Wadduwa, Galle, Kandy or Jaffna until 31 March 2013.

Joining the list of partner hotels, is the recently refurbished The Kingsbury that offers HSBC cardholders a five-star dining experience at the Harbour Court.

The ongoing offer has seen a tremendous take up from HSBC cardholders since the introduction, with full house sittings during each session.

Catering to every palate, HSBC cardholders can enjoy a fusion of culinary dishes be it Sri Lankan, South East Asian or Western at the historic Akasa Kade which was originally opened in 1963. Newly located at the Ceylinco House, Akasa Kade promises cardholders a treat during lunch and dinner from Monday to Friday, amidst a breathtaking view of Colombo’s coastline, harbour and the Beira Lake.

Cardholders are also welcome to try out mouth-watering Sri Lankan specialties laid out in buffet style or a sumptuous a la carte menu at the Raja Bojun restaurant every Monday.

For cardholders looking to sink their teeth into a succulent burger or a sit down meal, Burger Blast café/restaurant Colombo 07, offers a range of food and beverages during lunch and dinner from Monday to Friday.

Retail Banking Wealth Management Head Head Nilantha Bastian stated: “We see an increasing trend towards dining amongst our cardholders across all segments. We are further delighted to see that many of our ‘cardholder dines free’ offers are being enjoyed by our customers, resulting in significant growth in the dining category.

We have looked at not just making dining an experience for cardholders and their families, but in giving diners an opportunity to experience the diversity and culture of Sri Lanka through different cuisines that are available at these hotels and restaurants.”

With many upcoming holidays, cardholders who plan to take a trip down South can enjoy a hearty lunch at Harindra Resort and Spa Wadduwa, or the Jetwing Lighthouse Galle.

At the same time, cardholders travelling to the historic city of Kandy can look forward to a sumptuous lunch or dinner at the latest restaurant to open at The Earls Regency, The Royal Spice restaurant which serves authentic North Indian cuisines.

For the first time HSBC cardholders in Jaffna and visitors to Jaffna can enjoy the ‘cardholder dines free’ offer at Expo Pavilion and Expo Pavilian Margosa.