Galle Face Hotel Group relaunches The Surf, Bentota

Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa ceremonially declared open the newly refurbished The Surf in Bentota on 18 February 2013.

The traditional oil lamp was lit during the ceremony by Basil Rajapaksa, Sanjeev Gardiner, Group Chairman – Galle Face Hotel, Shan Wijelal de Silva, Chief Minister – Southern Province, Chandima Weerakkodi – Deputy Speaker, Lakshman Samarasinghe Chairman of Ceylon Hotels Corporation, Gayan Sirimanna, Chairman Pradheshiya Saba and Chethiya Perera, Chief Executive Officer/ Vice President – Galle Face Hotel Management Company Ltd.

“We decided to re-launch several hotels and rest houses in our group keeping in line with the government’s initiative to develop tourism in the country. The Surf, Bentota is the first in our agenda in this category of hotels and so far the feedback has been positive,” said Sanjeev Gardiner in the welcome address.

The Surf, Bentota houses 100 rooms with direct sea views including 65 superior rooms, 26 deluxe rooms, three suite rooms and six family suite rooms. It is the only hotel in Sri Lanka that offers ‘swim-up rooms’ which is one of the key highlights of the location.

The hotel caters to both international travellers and the local holiday goers. The main international target groups include Germany, Russia, Poland and other parts of Europe. Visitors are given a chance to enjoy a relaxing holiday in the city of Bentota with an array of services available at the location.

The facilities of the hotel include the L’Heritage restaurant which is the main dining area, Fruit De Mere restaurant specialising in seafood for seafood lovers, Der Café coffee shop open 24 hours for late diners and weekend travellers to Bentota, The Chillout karaoke lounge and disco that allows visitors to unwind with music and dance and the Arab Corner for a taste of the Middle Eastern. Furthermore, the Balinese Spa is a great way to relax and enjoy the holiday. For business travellers, the Mihipita conference hall will aim to be a useful location to conduct meetings and workshops.

The Surf, Bentota which is managed by the Galle Face Hotel Group has an employee base of 178 members. The Galle Face Hotel Group consists of the Galle Face Hotel, Ceylon Hotels Corporation, Kandy Hotels PLC and the United Hotels Company Private Limited. These companies own and manage 19 properties around Sri Lanka including Hotel Suisse and Queens Hotel in Kandy.