Eraj appointed as Chairman Hotels Classification Committee

Veteran hotelier Eraj Abeywardane has been appointed Chairman of the Hotel Classification Committee by the board of management of the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority.

Abeywardene who holds a Bachelor of Catering Degree obtained from the University College of Hotel Management and Catering in Budapest Hungary, worked at the Hangar Hotels Company before returning to Sri Lanka in January 1976.

He joined the Lanka Oberoi and worked his way up and was the first Sri Lankan Food & Beverage manager at the hotel. He had a 24 year stint with the Oberoi and was also the Manager of Queens Hotel Kandy as well as General Manager of Pegasus Reef Hotel.

With over 35 years of experience in the Hospitality and Leisure Industry he is a specialist in Food & Beverage, Training and Operations.

A fellow of the Institute of Hospitality UK, Abeywardene was a past Chairman of the Institute of Hospitality, Sri Lanka Chapter.  He was also the President of the Colombo City Tourist Hotels Association and has been a committee member of the Hotels Classification Committee for the past 12 years. He is a life member of the OPA.

With his vast experience and ability, Abeywardene is more than qualified to lead the Classification Committee, with a mandate to bring all the hotels registered with the Sri Lankan Tourism Authority under the classification network. The new Hotel Classification criteria which will become law in the near future will make it mandatory for all hotels to be classified under the new classification criteria.