When lights and fans were a luxury

By D.C. Ranatunga

What was advertised as ‘The largest and best appointed hotel’ at the turn of the 20th century (in the year 1900) is to get a facelift. The reference is to the Grand Oriental Hotel (‘GOH’ as everyone knows it) in Colombo Fort.

It was reported recently that the owners of the Hotel, Bank of Ceylon has initiated discussions with the Urban Development Authority (UDA) on the construction of a new hotel at the venue while maintaining the old world charm of the place.

In 2000, the manager of the hotel, H. Wingfield described the location thus: “The hotel is situated in the Fort and commands a magnificent view of the harbour and the coast. It is in the immediate vicinity of the of the landing jetties and Customs House, Post & Telegraph offices, Banks, P&O, MM and British India Company offices etc; and within a few minutes’ drive to the railway station and the beautiful Cinnamon Gardens. Excellent cuisine. Charges moderate.”

Those were the days when foreign travel was by ship. Ships reaching Colombo anchored at an allocated birth at a distance anything between a hundred yards to a mile from the landing jetty. Passengers got off the ship and came to the jetty in launches, canoes or jolly boats paying a hire. The charges were displayed on a board at the jetty and a jetty sergeant was present to afford information and “check any incivility” on the part on the boatmen.

Writing in ‘Ceylon along the rail track’ (1910), Henry W. Cave described what a foreign traveller observes as he lands: “In few of the world’s large ports is the traveller offered so pleasant a prospect upon landing. There is usually a slum to be traversed before the surroundings become attractive, but here we are at once in pleasant places.

“Upon leaving the jetty we arrive in the Fort, which term in olden times bore its literal meaning, but now indicates the portion of Colombo occupied chiefly by the residence of the Governor, the offices of the Government and of the British merchants. We are impressed by the prosperous appearance of the place.

“The streets are broad, the roads are good, the merchants’ offices and stores are capacious and in many instances possess considerable architectural merit, while the hotels are superior to any others in the East, a matter of no small importance to the traveller and resident alike. We are at once confronted by one of them: the Grand Oriental Hotel faces us as we leave the harbour.”

He mentions Bristol in York Street, the Galle Face Hotel at the southern end of the esplanade (Galle Face Green) and the Mount Lavinia about seven miles down the coast as other first class hotels. The Globe and the British India are referred to as smaller ones.

Described as “the first of the modern type of imposing hotels erected in the East”, the ‘Twentieth Century Impressions of Ceylon’ (1907) states that the hotel “is lighted throughout by electricity and all the public rooms and bedrooms are kept cool by means of electric fans.”

The description continues: “The lift gives east access to the upper floors and the telephone connection is a convenience that meets with high appreciation. On the ground floor of the large building are the entrance hall with the manager’s and inquiry offices, spacious lounge verandas, a billiard room (with four first-rate tables by Burroughs & Watts), the palm court and the grand dining room. The latter is recognised as one of the largest, best appointed and coolest in the East. It is fitted with electric lights and fans, and is capable of seating 300 persons; while the cuisine is under the control of an experienced chef.”

The electric lift, complete with armchair, had been a big attraction just as much as the electric lights and bedroom fans. The old-fashioned and charming features included a Palm Court and a Tropical Garden with its own private orchestra. “At ‘tiffin’ and dinner, the hotel band would play adding a romantic touch to evenings when guests were served in the brilliantly illuminated gardens outside,” according to another account.

The iconic GOH building had been the residence of a Dutch Governor and it was in 1870 that the hotel was started.

The ownership of the GOH building changed on 1 August 1955 when the Bank of Ceylon bought it for Rs. 6,250,000 to serve as the main office of the bank. The building was on a one and a quarter acres of freehold land in the heart of the financial centre of Colombo. The name of the hotel was changed to ‘The Taprobane’ until a few years back when it was decided to go back to the old GOH.

Jan Baldwin in ‘Colombo Heritage’ (184) lamented:” Sadly the hotel does not have the same standing. The gardens have gone and the hotel has shrunk in size. The great banqueting hall is now part of the Bank of Ceylon, next door, but there is a lovely harbour room on the top floor, where a most pleasant evening can be spent dining and watching the lights of the ships in the port across the way. Alas! There is no longer an orchestra but a competent pianist entertains with music from ‘Desert Song’ and ‘Maid of the Mountains’, transporting you to another age. There is still a chair in the lift!”