Associates’ Appreciation Week for Cinnamon Grand’s 10th year anniversary

Cinnamon Grand Colombo, Sri Lanka’s premiere five-star hotel celebrated a decade of hospitality excellence on Thursday, 26 November; with a Grand tribute to the hotel’s associates by declaring a ‘Associates’ Appreciation Week’ to  acknowledge the contribution made by the hotel’s staff over the last 10 years. 

The only city hotel, to enter the Tourism Hall of Fame and win many other kudos both in the hospitality and sustainability arenas, Cinnamon Grand possesses the largest room inventory with 501 rooms and the largest dining outlets for a hotel in Sri Lanka with 14 restaurants. 

The flagship hotel of the Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Chain, Cinnamon Grand was officially launched on 26 November 2005. The Grand journey has been a remarkable one and this year’s 10th year anniversary festivities focused on celebrating the dedicated pool of associates, now counting over 1200, who continue to go above and beyond the call of duty on a daily basis to ensure that guests take back the ‘grandest’ of memories.

The week which started on 23 November (Monday) was organised on an initiative taken by Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts Sector Head-City Hotels and Cinnamon Grand’s General Manager Rohan Karr to show appreciation to the hotel’s staff and the management for their unstinted commitment and dedication.

The five-day celebrations took in to account all attribute of an associate’s wellbeing, focusing on work life balance, physical wellbeing, grooming, living an inspired life, and planning and managing ones wealth for the future.

“The hospitality and service industry is people centric. The  attitudes, dynamism and contribution that you make, makes the better best, and turns best into world class. You are the backbone to our success,” said Karr addressing the staff at the motivational seminar held at the Oak Room on the 10th anniversary.

A series of inspiring talks were also held for the benefit of the associates by leading personalities from different spheres to enhance the knowledge of the employees as well as inculcate a sense of self-worth given the many demands of the 24/7 hospitality industry. Sri Lanka’s leading beautician Ramani Fernando shared her expertise on grooming for men and women with an interactive session addressing the dos and don’ts one must follow to look groomed and to stand out during their work hours and even after.  

Founder of the exclusive British High Street and Indian jewellery/accessory chain TRUNK Kasunchana Wijeyawardena-Kapilasena spoke on the need to find time to look after oneself and accessorising to look their best, highlighting the importance of looking good no matter what the occasion. To the staffs’ delight she also gave away some of her trendy fashionable accessories.

A motivational speech by charismatic politician Rosy Senanayake who currently holds the portfolio as Prime Minister’s Spokesperson and the Deputy Head of the Prime Minister’s Office also highlighted the importance of facing challenges and continuing to raise the benchmark in the hospitality landscape. The truly inspirational speech covered aspects of being committed to ones causes, appreciating ones job and the opportunities individuals have to take to make a difference in the company, community and country at whatever level they work in. 

How to plan wealth, in a world where resources seem unlimited while the ability to acquire them remains limited, was the topic of focus for experienced marketer and trainer Brandon Morris who encouraged associates to plan their future and be debt-free.

A special bazaar also took place at the new associates’ Lifestyle Complex and the hotel with leading brands giving away stationary, clothing and electrical household equipment at discounted rates during the week.

In commemoration of the 10th year anniversary and to give thanks to all that the hotel and its associates have achieved during this decade, a special religious ceremony was held with religious leaders representing the four key religions of the country, Buddhism, Christianity, Hindu and Islam. Following the invoking of blessings, a ‘Grand Cake’ was cut and presented to all associates.

Encouraging associates to not just celebrate the success of the hotel but also each other, the staff were urged to decorate the offices and corridors they frequent and to express their gratitude to associates of different departments. Many departments held special activities such as cricket matches, fun quizzes and art competitions to commend the multiplicity of talent. Sharing their blessings with the less fortunate was high on the agenda with departments’ taking the initiative to visit orphanages and the less privileged with food and gifts.

The chefs too put out a week of feasting for the associates with special spreads featuring popular dishes from the hotel’s signature restaurants.

Not forgetting the patrons, Cinnamon Grand celebrated their loyal customers and fans with special competitions on the hotel’s social media platforms, enabling them to win vouchers from the hotel’s 14 restaurants.

With 10 years complete, the Management and the staff looks forward for more decades as the uncontested best hotel in the country. “After 10 incredible years, Cinnamon Grand continues to be recognised as a leader in hospitality thanks to our exceptional employees, intuitive service standards and valued guests,” Karr said. “We are now entering a new chapter and a new beginning. We must  continue to innovate and offer truly unique lifestyle experiences for our guests and friends; which, together with our ‘Cinnamon spirit’ will surly pave the way for bigger and better success stories in the years to come’.