Tuesday Sep 24, 2024
Tuesday Sep 24, 2024
Thursday, 4 September 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Q: What was the reason behind Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts introducing the lean luxury concept into its hotel mix?
A: There has always been quite a wide gap that existed in the mid-range hotels in the city hotel mix. This is mainly because until the minimu
m room rate policy came into play, all five-star hotels sold rooms at mid-range rates and it is only after the policy became effective that this gap became apparent. For Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts, this was a gap that we felt we could fulfil, given that we already have two five-star properties in Colombo. However, we didn’t have any options in the mid-range category, which could sell a room for $ 75+++ but yet give a guest the brand promise and brand values that are synonymous with the Cinnamon brand. It is this that prompted us to introduce the lean luxury concept, which gives the guest greater independence when staying at our hotel. We extend a level of hospitality and service that is non-intrusive, founded on modern technology and is very contemporary in outlook and experience.
Q: Do you think the concept of lean luxury is ahead of its time for the tourism industry here?
A: For Colombo, it’s very timely and a good move. As a brand, Cinnamon has always been a pioneer, setting benchmarks for the industry. With Cinnamon Red pioneering lean luxury, we have set the standards for other mid-range hotels to follow. We are already seeing this in a number of mid-range hotels priming for refurbishing, which naturally permeates to the quality of product and service offerings getting better. What we at Cinnamon Red offer is value for money, which means affordability for the new-age traveller, feeding into
their contemporary requirements of ‘no-fuss, no-hassle’ service and a product portfolio that echoes similar rudiments. Sri Lanka is also pushing to grow its MICE market. Mid-range hotels like ours is a good conduit to growing that, given that Sri Lanka is now able to offer quality hotels at a range of star levels, to suit the multiple levels of guests who will encompass the MICE market.
Q: Why the name ‘Red’?
A: Cinnamon Red is about vibrancy, dynamism, trailblazing, being hip, cool and trendy; the colour red firmly embodies all this and more. The very persona of our branding is strong; it stands out and is very contemporary. This strong element of red echoes throughout the hotel, even in our uniforms which don’t conform to the norm and make a statement that is uniquely individualistic. The colour palette in our interiors too lends to our name, with its strong red dynamic but with subtle inclusions of white, grey, turquoise, orange and lemon. We have created our own identity using these trusses to support the foundation of being ‘simply red’ and trailblazing our own path in the tourism industry.
Q: So, what’s special about Cinnamon Red?
A: Firstly, it’s a completely new concept in Sri Lanka’s tourism industry. But more so, we offer value for money with our room rates of just $ 75+++. Centrally located; we provide comfort and to a traveller who’s visiting Sri Lanka on business or leisure with pioneering product and service offerings being offered for the first time in Sri Lanka. Self-check in and checkout service and vending machines which can be used to personalise the mini-fridge in the guest’s room are good examples.
With my experience, I can also state the average present day traveller likes to explore their destinations, especially in terms of dining options. I have seen this specifically among the Western European tourists, who do not like to eat in the hotel in which they reside. Hence Cloud Red on the 26th floor with its infinity pool displaying panoramic views, the tea and coffee lounge Stirred on the 7th floor and Flavoured, our multi-cuisine restaurant on the 8th floor, will augment the F&B offerings available in the city.
Our rooms too are different, with spectacular views of the ocean, lake, park or the cityscape from each of the 243 rooms. There are 16 rooms on each floor with customised bed-heads that sport one of eight uplifting axioms that will surely add some ‘oomph’ to the guest’s day. We also have a unique operating model in our staff to room ratio at 0.7, which is unique to any hotel in Sri Lanka.
The Cinnamon Red team is also trained and developed on a pioneering formula, where multi-skilling is the key to honing the talent and skill of this very young team who is expected to posit a service culture constructed on extending a much friendlier, informal persona compared to the conventional hospitality premise.
Q: What’s next for Cinnamon Red?
A: We intend to grow the Cinnamon Red category in the near future, probably to key cities outside Colombo like Galle and Kandy and maybe even overseas, depending on the requirement. Each Cinnamon Red hotel will be identified by location, while the Colombo hotel will remain the flagship under the Cinnamon Red brand. However, there are no concrete plans yet, as this is dependent on the success of the new hotel and plans will be instigated from that point onwards.
