Marriott Resort and Spa makes waves in Weligama

• With its prime location on the coastline, sensational sea views and exquisite culinary offerings, Marriott International’s first resort in Sri Lanka is the talk of the town

By Marianne David

Boasting superb sea views from every single room and exquisite cuisine, the Weligama Bay – Marriott Resort and Spa is already making waves in the south of Sri Lanka. 

Opened just two months ago, the resort has quickly proven to be quite the hit among locals and foreign travellers alike, with its offering of modern global hospitality blended with the unique flavours of a charming fishing village. From sun, sea and surfing to great rooms, super food and warm people, Marriott Resort and Spa has it all and a stay here is sure to satisfy anyone.

The property offers 198 beautifully-designed expansive rooms and suites, right in the heart of Weligama Bay, a surfer’s paradise. Whatever your purpose – a mini break, a destination wedding or corporate event – it’s certainly a blissful place to be. 

In terms of design, the property incorporates local elements throughout the hotel, with a focus on lace-making, stilt fishing and terracotta. The rooms are designed to please in every sense and the sea views, bath tubs, 55-inch smart TVs and super comfy beds with intelligent mattresses in every room ensure a great experience for all guests. What all this does is make it very hard to leave the room, but eventually the beach, the spa, and most of all the food, beckon. 

Find some time for the Quan Spa if you are able to – the therapists are outstanding and the treatments are terrific. With five treatment rooms and a couple’s therapy room, it offers a range of therapies which are reasonably priced.

Exquisite culinary offering

When it comes to the food here, it’s no surprise really that it is this good.

Firstly, General Manager Elton Hurtis – who has 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry and 15 years with Marriott International – used to be a chef himself so he certainly knows his stuff. Then heading the culinary offering is Executive Chef Sandeep Pande, whose depth of knowledge and passion are impressive; he is the man behind most of the culinary magic here. Also on-board is Executive Sous Chef Miguel Cirne, whose reputation in the kitchen is nothing short of legendary. Together they ensure that every dish that is served up is the best that it can be.

Our very first meal here, planned out carefully by Chef Sandeep, was at the Discovery Table at Tides. A blend of Sri Lankan and Western cuisine, the food ranged from tantalising achcharus, cold cuts and cheeses, to traditional Sri Lankan curries showcasing seafood, crunchy roast paan, hot rice and some dainty and delicious desserts. 

The Discovery Table is a great place at which to eat; given the wide open design of the property, this place buzzes with energy and life. It’s also a hard place to leave – it’s so easy to just sit there, dipping into the bottles of achcharus and pickles!

“Sri Lankan food rules the stomach!” asserts Chef Sandeep, explaining the dishes. “Everything we do has to be at least 70% local because Marriott believes in going local.”

They reinforce this pledge and ensure authenticity with the use of traditional utensils which are placed in the centre of the table in Sri Lankan home dining style and by having a local woman prepare all the spices fresh in the hotel each week. Simple dishes which taste sensational, that’s what Discovery Table meals are all about.

Big Fish, which is Chef Miguel’s baby, is another journey altogether. A beautifully-appointed space in which you don’t feel the hours slip by as you sip on drinks and savour the cuisine, it’s worth driving down to Weligama just to dine here.

Big Fish is all about seafood and fresh catch from local fish mongers; it boasts a live grill too. We dined on a special menu that served up everything from oysters and lobster bisque to Portuguese seafood rice and Sri Lankan crab curry – gourmet dining at its best. If you’re trying just one thing here, make it the crab curry. Chef Miguel has perfected it.

As for the all-day dining restaurant Weligama Kitchen, it is a spacious place with well-defined zones serving distinct cuisines, while the interactive live kitchen elevates the dining experience. There’s a great selection and the clean and modern design with rustic highlights reflects Sri Lanka beautifully.

I went there for breakfast and simply couldn’t move beyond the Sri Lankan section when it came to serving myself, although I did walk around and look at everything with Chef Sandeep at my side.

“Weligama Kitchen is like a Sri Lankan house, with a lot of wood and terracotta. Everything is simple and plain, while the colours highlighted are those of the Sri Lankan Flag. Everything you see is local,” he said, pointing out the fruit selection on offer. They even serve up tea leaves as a palate cleanser!

“There is no decoration as such, the decoration is the food,” he asserts – it most certainly is, and it tastes even better than it looks. 

There’s also the pool bar Surf’s Up, which serves up refreshing cocktails and simple Asian and Western nibbles, and Mirissa Baking Company, which features fine coffee and specialty drinks as well as freshly-baked desserts and snacks. Surf’s Up and Weligama Kitchen see a lot of walk-in diners.

Commenting on the food, Elton asserted: “We always endeavour to serve the best Sri Lankan food and we keep taking it to the next level. People say our food is superb, but we will not rest on our laurels. We will keep making it better and even more authentic. I want to make it as local as it can get.”

The Marriott experience

Describing the Marriott experience, Elton asserts that guests coming here will be coming to the “best resort on the southern belt. Why I say the best is not because we are pompous or because we are the Marriott. It’s because of the thought process that has gone into this property.”

Some of the highlights are that all the 198 rooms offer uncompromising sea views; the beach is seamless with no barricades; there is an extra daybed in every single room which can easily accommodate a third person, there is a bathtub in every room and the shower cubicles have the option of a handheld and a rain shower; the twin beds are so large, they are almost queen-sized; the TVs are 55-inch smart TVs on which you can mirror your phone; and every room has a balcony. 

The lobby, termed the Great Room, is divided into three zones – concierge, social and individual. First is a reception area and business centre, where guests can do all their jobs. The social zone is great to meet people at the bar and the communal table, ideal for those who want to be in the presence of other people. The individual zone is more subdued, perfect for those who want to enjoy solitude. 

Then there’s the unique kids’ zone. “The best part is that you can see your child, you don’t have to worry about them. The kids’ room engages the children to such an extent that they don’t want to leave even after several hours,” notes Elton.

Adding the perfect finishing touch is the presence of local elements and Sri Lankan flavour throughout the hotel, despite Marriott being an international chain. “People come to Sri Lanka to experience Sri Lanka and that’s what we offer,” emphasises Elton.

The resort is now slowly gearing up for Christmas and New Year: “We are going to have big bashes and we want to make sure this coastline is established as the New Year zone. People should drive to the south, stay at our hotel and start the New Year here!”

Given Marriott’s prime spot on the southern coastline and its superb hospitality and culinary offerings, it’s more than likely that many people will do just that.

A lot of love from Sri Lanka

Weligama Bay – Marriott Resort and Spa, Marriott International’s first resort in Sri Lanka, has seen a lot of love from Sri Lanka in the two months since it opened, asserts General Manager Elton Hurtis. “We’ve been blessed with love from Sri Lanka, locals love the hotel!”

A key reason for this love from locals is the warm and welcoming staff at Marriott, which offers the same gracious hospitality to every single guest, be it local or foreign, with no distinction whatsoever. The management sets the stage for this by loving its own people first and treating them right.

Weligama Bay – Marriott Resort and Spa Sales and Marketing Director Mano Gunasekara underscores this point: “One of the things that we emphasise on is that we take care of our own people very well. This is inculcated in our blood. It’s in our DNA!”

Elton adds: “Our founder J. Willard Marriott always said, ‘Take care of your people and they will take care of your customers’. That is our core value, we dwell on taking care of our people.”

Its emphasis on integrity also sets Marriott apart. Elton explains: “How we do business is as important as the business we do. We are very careful in keeping our word and our program ‘Spirit to Serve’ enables giving back to the community.”

Weddings and MICE

Asserting that Sri Lanka is going to be the next big wedding destination, General Manager Elton Hurtis outlines the hotel’s offerings towards this end: “We have a 500 pax ballroom while our front lawn can accommodate 2,000 people.” 

MICE is also a big ticket item for Sri Lanka, he adds. “This is the way forward for the country. We have world-class conferencing facilities.”

Weddings and MICE facilities include lush outdoor lawns, open terraces, sprawling banquet spaces, multiple venues to suit every celebration, pre-wedding ceremonies and grand receptions, a dedicated bridal room, varied menu options and experienced events personnel. The resort boasts total 3,360 square metres of meeting space, a grand ballroom, dedicated pre-function area, three meeting rooms, chef curated menu options, and inventive theme breaks.

Pix by Daminda Harsha Perera